According to L’Équipe, veteran captain Tim Ream and former prodigy Christian Pulisic are longtime pillars of Team USA, which will face Belgium at 2 a.m. Tuesday for a place in the quarterfinals.
Pulisic’s magnetism was evident at the Sofi Stadium after the 3-2 defeat to Turkiye, with the press attache hurrying him through the mixed area as teammates lingered. Since his debut over a decade ago, the 27-year-old has gained everyone’s attention.
In 2016, the former Dortmund striker became his country’s youngest starter, prolific player and scorer in World Cup qualifying in the modern era. He was the first American to play and win a Champions League final with Chelsea in 2021. A mixed start at Milan did not affect his reputation.
Now leading Mauricio Pochettino’s attack, he has largely dealt with the pressure of a home World Cup. Calf problems after the first game allowed Folarin Balogun and Malik Tillman to take the field while he regrouped.
At the end of May, Pochettino canceled the rotating armband shared by Pulisic, Rome, Chris Richards, Miles Robinson, Mark McKenzie and Matt Turner, handing the captaincy to Rome.
There were doubts as he appeared sporadically, but at 38 he has excelled and is the oldest US World Cup player, eclipsing Fernando Clavijo’s 1994 record. He delayed retirement after Qatar, left Fulham in 2024 after 312 appearances in nine years and joined Charlotte in MLS in search of minutes, calling it a second chance.