Carli Lloyd knows a thing or two about performing on the biggest stage. So when the USWNT legend sat down on the FOX broadcast after the USMNT’s 4-1 loss to Belgium on Monday night, she didn’t sugarcoat a thing.
Christian Pulisic was supposed to be the guy. The star. The one who drags this team through a knockout game when everything gets sticky. Instead, he lost the ball 11 times in the first half alone and got pulled midway through the second. Lloyd noticed.
“It’s a bit of a downer for us being out here now after this loss, but I just felt like they lost the game before they even stepped out onto the pitch,” Lloyd said. “I’m not sure why, and I don’t know the reasons, but just from the beginning, just chasing, tentative, scared, just not confident on the ball, and I think big-time players, you wanted some of those big-time players to step up in big moments.”
She didn’t stop there. Lloyd called out Pulisic by name, which is unusual for a former player on a network broadcast. “I was a bit disappointed with Christian Pulisic. Whether he wants to be the star of this team or not, we didn’t see enough from him in this particular game, and really the whole World Cup, little glimpses here and there.”
That stings because it’s true. Pulisic had moments throughout the tournament — a clever pass, a dangerous run — but the consistent, game-wrecking presence that defines superstars never showed up. And against Belgium, when the team needed a captain to grab the game by the throat, he was quiet.
Lloyd did offer a broader view though. She praised the squad for reconnecting with American fans during the tournament. “Aside from this loss, I think on the brighter storyline, it’s been a fantastic World Cup. This team has united the country, they have gotten American fans to fall in love with them, and there is a bright future, but this is just a real disappointing loss to go out on.”
What now for Pulisic and the USMNT?
The Americans head home with another Round of 16 exit and a bad taste in their mouths. Folarin Balogun was the bright spot, scoring three goals in his first World Cup. Malik Tillman added two, and Giovanni Reyna and Auston Trusty each chipped in one. But the depth still isn’t there, and the midfield got overrun against the first real test.
That loss raises questions about the roster build and whether this group has the right mix of grit and creativity. Pulisic is 27 now. He’s not a kid anymore. The next World Cup cycle starts soon, and qualifying for 2030 — a tournament split across Morocco, Spain, Portugal, and South America for the 100th anniversary — will be here before you know it.
Balogun looks like the future at striker, but the USMNT needs more than one guy to step up. And it needs its best player to actually be its best player when it matters most. Lloyd made that clear. The rest is up to them.
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