Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Christian Pulisic

How Christian Pulisic built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Christian Pulisic is a highly regarded American professional soccer player. Known as "Captain America," he excels as a winger and attacking midfielder for AC Milan and the United States national team. Pulisic is celebrated for his exceptional dribbling skills, direct attacking style, and playmaking abilities, solidifying his place as one of the best North American players in soccer history.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1997: Jovan Kirovski Champions League

On May 29, 2021, Christian Pulisic won his first Champions League after Chelsea won 1–0 against Manchester City in the final at the Estádio do Dragão in Porto, becoming the second American to win it after Jovan Kirovski in 1997 with Borussia Dortmund.

December 13, 2013: Goal in U17 friendly tournament

On December 13, 2013, Christian Pulisic scored a goal for the U-17 team playing against Brazil at a U17 friendly tournament in Florida, contributing to a 4–1 championship win.

February 2015: Signing with Borussia Dortmund

In February 2015, Borussia Dortmund signed the 17-year-old Pulisic and assigned him first to their U17 squad.

2015: Captained U-17 team at FIFA U-17 World Cup

In 2015, Christian Pulisic captained the U-17 team at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup, where he scored a goal and provided an assist in three games.

January 2016: Friendly Matches and Debut on First Team Bench

In January 2016, Christian Pulisic played the second half of two friendly matches, scoring one goal and assisting another. He also made his debut on the first team bench.

January 2016: Promotion to Borussia Dortmund's Senior Team

In January 2016, at the age of 17, Christian Pulisic was promoted to the senior team of Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund after progressing through their youth academy.

January 30, 2016: Bundesliga Debut

On January 30, 2016, Christian Pulisic made his Bundesliga debut in a 2–0 win against Ingolstadt, coming on as a second-half substitute for Adrián Ramos.

March 2016: Senior National Team Debut

In March 2016, Christian Pulisic made his senior national team debut for the United States at age 17.

March 27, 2016: Senior team debut

On March 27, 2016, Christian Pulisic was called up to the senior team and made his debut in a World Cup qualifying game against Guatemala, a 4–0 win, becoming the youngest American to play in a World Cup qualifier.

September 2, 2016: Goals and assist in World Cup qualifier

On September 2, 2016, Christian Pulisic scored two goals and recorded an assist in a World Cup qualifying match against Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, becoming the youngest person to score in a World Cup qualifier for the United States and the youngest player to score a brace in American history.

2016: International Champions Cup and Champions League Debut

In the 2016 International Champions Cup, Pulisic scored against Manchester City. He also became Dortmund's youngest player to play in the UEFA Champions League.

January 23, 2017: New Deal with Dortmund

On January 23, 2017, Christian Pulisic signed a new deal with Borussia Dortmund to keep him at the club until 2020.

March 8, 2017: First Champions League Goal

On March 8, 2017, Christian Pulisic scored his first UEFA Champions League goal in a 4–0 victory over Benfica, becoming Dortmund's youngest ever scorer in the competition.

August 5, 2017: Goal in DFL-Supercup

On August 5, 2017, Christian Pulisic scored the first goal in the DFL-Supercup against Bayern Munich.

November 20, 2018: Youngest player to captain US national team

On November 20, 2018, Christian Pulisic became the youngest player to captain the United States national team in a friendly defeat to Italy at 20 years and 63 days old.

2018: Loan to Dortmund

On January 2, 2019, as part of his signing with Chelsea, Christian Pulisic was loaned back to Dortmund for the remainder of the 2018–19 season.

2018: Deployed on the wing for Dortmund

Since the 2018–19 season, Christian Pulisic was most often deployed on the wing for Dortmund.

January 2, 2019: Signing with Chelsea

On January 2, 2019, Christian Pulisic signed with Premier League club Chelsea for an estimated £58 million transfer fee and was loaned back to Dortmund for the remainder of the 2018–19 season. This transfer made Pulisic the most expensive American player.

January 2019: Transfer to Chelsea

In January 2019, Christian Pulisic moved to Premier League club Chelsea in a transfer worth $73 million (£57.6 million), becoming the most expensive North American player of all time.

March 26, 2019: Youngest US player to score 10 international goals

On March 26, 2019, Christian Pulisic became the youngest United States player to score 10 international goals at 20 years, 189 days old.

August 11, 2019: Premier League Debut

On August 11, 2019, Christian Pulisic made his Premier League debut for Chelsea in a 4–0 defeat to Manchester United.

October 23, 2019: Champions League Assist Against Ajax

On October 23, 2019, during a Champions League match against Ajax, Christian Pulisic played as a substitute and assisted Michy Batshuayi's late goal, securing a 1–0 win for Chelsea.

October 26, 2019: First Chelsea Goals: Perfect Hat-Trick

On October 26, 2019, Christian Pulisic scored his first goals for Chelsea, completing a "perfect" hat-trick in a 4–2 away win against Burnley. He became the second American to achieve the feat in the Premier League and the youngest hat-trick scorer in Chelsea's history.

June 21, 2020: Goal After Premier League Resumption

On June 21, 2020, after the Premier League fixtures resumed following the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, Christian Pulisic came off the bench to score the equalizer in Chelsea's 2–1 win against Aston Villa.

2020: UEFA Champions League Winner

During the 2020–21 season, Christian Pulisic won the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League with Chelsea, becoming the first American to play in a Champions League final.

2020: Goal in FA Cup Final

In the 2020 FA Cup Final against Arsenal, Christian Pulisic scored the opening goal after five minutes, becoming the first American player to score in the final of the competition. He sustained a hamstring injury during the match.

April 3, 2021: Goal Against West Bromwich Albion

On April 3, 2021, Christian Pulisic scored the opening goal in a 2–5 home league defeat to West Bromwich Albion.

June 6, 2021: Victory in CONCACAF Nations League final

On June 6, 2021, Christian Pulisic captained the United States national team to a 3–2 victory in the CONCACAF Nations League final against Mexico, scoring the winning goal by converting a penalty in the 114th minute.

August 11, 2021: UEFA Super Cup Win

On August 11, 2021, Christian Pulisic won the 2021 UEFA Super Cup with Chelsea and scored in the penalty shootout.

2021: Signed sponsorship deal with Puma

In 2021, Christian Pulisic signed a long term sponsorship deal with German sportswear brand Puma.

2021: UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup Wins

In the 2021–22 season, Christian Pulisic won the 2021 UEFA Super Cup and the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup with Chelsea.

January 2, 2022: Equalizer Against Liverpool

On January 2, 2022, Christian Pulisic scored the equalizer in a 2–2 draw at home against Liverpool.

March 27, 2022: First international hat-trick

On March 27, 2022, Christian Pulisic scored his first international hat-trick for the U.S. men's national team during their win over Panama in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification.

October 8, 2022: Goal in First Start Under Graham Potter

On October 8, 2022, Christian Pulisic scored in his first start under new Chelsea manager Graham Potter, a 3–0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

October 11, 2022: Release of autobiography

On October 11, 2022, Christian Pulisic released an autobiography titled "Pulisic: My Journey So Far".

2022: Man of the Match awards at the 2022 FIFA World Cup

At the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Pulisic assisted the opening goal against Wales and received his first Man of the Match award against England. He earned his second Man of the Match award after scoring the winner against Iran, helping the United States advance to the knockouts.

2022: CONCACAF Nations League Finals

In 2022, he began competing in the CONCACAF Nations League Finals

June 2023: Transfer to AC Milan

In June 2023, Christian Pulisic moved to Serie A club AC Milan, beginning in the 2023–24 season.

July 13, 2023: Transfer to AC Milan Completed

On July 13, 2023, Christian Pulisic completed a transfer to Serie A club AC Milan on a four-year contract until June 30, 2027, and was given the number 11 previously worn by Zlatan Ibrahimović. The transfer was executed through a deal worth a maximum of €22 million.

2023: CONCACAF Nations League Finals

During the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League Finals, Pulisic scored a brace against Mexico and was awarded Man of the Match. He achieved his second Nations League trophy after the United States defeated Canada 2–0 in the final and he was awarded Player of the Tournament.

2023: Played more regularly in central areas

Towards the end of the 2023–24 Serie A season, Christian Pulisic found himself deployed more regularly in central areas as a playmaker.

February 18, 2024: Goal and Assist Against Monza

On February 18, 2024, Christian Pulisic came off the bench against Monza and recorded a goal and an assist to level the score 2–2, though Milan would lose 2–4.

June 2024: Docuseries announced by CBS Sports

In June 2024, CBS Sports announced the beginning of the filming process for the docuseries PULISIC, to be released on Paramount+.

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August 24, 2024: First goal of the 2024–25 Serie A

On August 24, 2024, Christian Pulisic scored his first goal of the 2024–25 Serie A season in a 1–2 defeat to Parma.

2024: Contract End Speculation

After an increasing lack of starts during the 2022–23 season following Chelsea's rapid purchasing of new attackers and a shuffle of managers, it was speculated that Christian Pulisic was going to leave the club before his contract ended in 2024.

2024: Copa América goal and assist

In 2024, during Copa América, Christian Pulisic recorded a goal and assist in the opening 2–0 group stage win over Bolivia in Group C and was awarded Man of the Match.

2024: Third Nations League trophy

In the 2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals, Christian Pulisic captained the U.S. to a 2–0 victory against Mexico in the final, securing his third Nations League trophy in a row.

2024: Supercoppa Italiana Win

In the 2024–25 season, Christian Pulisic won the 2024–25 Supercoppa Italiana with AC Milan.

January 6, 2025: 2024–25 Supercoppa Italiana win

On January 6, 2025, Christian Pulisic won the 2024–25 Supercoppa Italiana against Inter Milan, scoring the equalizer and assisting the game-winning goal. This victory marked his first trophy with AC Milan, and he finished as the tournament's joint-top goalscorer.