Pulisic ends international drought as USMNT defeat Senegal in World Cup warm-up
The United States men’s national team secured a 3-2 victory over Senegal in Charlotte, North Carolina, with Christian Pulisic contributing a goal and an assist to break a scoring streak that had lasted since November 2024.
Christian Pulisic concluded a prolonged goal drought for the United States men’s national team by scoring in the 20th minute against Senegal, helping secure a 3-2 victory in Charlotte, North Carolina. The result served as a critical preparation fixture for the upcoming World Cup, with the attacker also providing the assist for Sergino Dest’s opening goal. The performance marked the first time Pulisic has scored for the national team since November 2024, ending a spell that had extended into a club goalless run at AC Milan since December 2025.
Manager Mauricio Pochettino highlighted the attacker’s influence during the first 45 minutes, citing his attitude, commitment, and energy throughout the training camp. Pochettino noted that the performance reflected the habits Pulisic had established in daily training, describing the display as a necessary reinforcement of his potential and work ethic. The manager is currently in his longest period with the regular squad since taking charge, marking his first experience managing a national team.
The victory represented the second time under Pochettino that the United States has defeated a top-20 FIFA ranked squad. This stands in contrast to the tenure of former manager Gregg Berhalter, during which the team achieved such a result only once outside of Concacaf competition, defeating Iran at the 2022 World Cup. In that earlier match, Pulisic also provided an assist, underscoring his consistent role in high-stakes victories.
Defender Mark McKenzie described the goal as something that had been "always brewing," expressing hope that it would spark a broader goalscoring flow for the attack as the tournament approaches. Teammate Weston McKennie emphasised Pulisic’s history of delivering in crucial moments for both club and country, noting that the squad remains confident in his ability to perform under the immense pressure of a World Cup hosted on home soil.
Pulisic’s link-up play with Ricardo Pepi created significant difficulties for Senegal’s defence, while his partnership with Folarin Balogun and McKennie in attack provided additional space to operate. The attacker, who was the top chance creator for the United States in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, stated he was not concerned about the previous drought, pointing to his recent confidence and performances as evidence that he remains the team’s talisman.
