Pulisic's form and fitness make him undroppable for the USMNT at 2026 World Cup

"The holiday season sees players on the U.S. men's national team in wildly different parts of their respective campaigns. The halfway mark of the European club season has just about arrived. Some competitions -- like the Premier League -- power through the festive period, while others are about to take a short break. Meanwhile, Major League Soccer has gone into hibernation, with Liga MX about to conclude its Apertura campaign."

"The past few months have been a bit stop-start for Pulisic. There was the hamstring injury in October that saw him miss about a month, as well as another muscle injury that forced him to miss the 1-0 win against Lazio on Nov. 29. Then there was his recent illness, which Pulisic said left him feeling "dead" just a day before Monday's match with Torino."

"Pulisic went on to deliver his own version of the "Flu Game," albeit one without as much at stake as the Michael Jordan-inspired version. And he was immense, entering Tuesday's match in the 66th minute and scoring less than a minute later. He then tallied the game winner 10 minutes later to lead Milan to a 3-2 win and move back atop the Serie A standings, and Pulisic's seven goals in 2025-26 are tied with Inter Milan's Lautaro Martínez for the most in Ser"

The holiday season places U.S. men's national team players in varied stages of their club campaigns across Europe, MLS and Liga MX. The European season is about halfway, with some leagues playing through the festive period and others pausing. Major League Soccer is on break while Liga MX nears the end of its Apertura. A weekly countdown tracks USMNT players ahead of the 2026 World Cup, with 183 days remaining. Christian Pulisic recovered from hamstring and muscle injuries and a recent illness to enter as a substitute for AC Milan, score twice late, secure a 3-2 win and move Milan atop Serie A. Pulisic's seven goals are tied with Lautaro Martínez.

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