History of Christian Pulisic in Timeline
Christian Pulisic is an American professional soccer player. He plays winger for AC Milan and captains the United States national team. His nickname is "Captain America." He is known for his dribbling, speed, and finishing. He is considered one of the best players from North America of all time.
September 18, 1998: Birth of Christian Pulisic
Christian Pulisic was born on September 18, 1998.
2010: Trial at Chelsea
In 2010, Pulisic had a five-day trial at Chelsea's Cobham base.
2010: Didier Drogba's Perfect Hat-trick
Didier Drogba scored a perfect hat-trick for Chelsea in 2010.
2012: Clint Dempsey's Hat-trick
Clint Dempsey scored a hat-trick in the Premier League in 2012.
December 13, 2013: Goal for U-17 Team
On December 13, 2013, Christian Pulisic scored a goal for the U-17 US team against Brazil.
February 2015: Signing with Borussia Dortmund
In February 2015, 16-year-old Pulisic signed with Borussia Dortmund and joined their youth academy.
2015: Captain at U-17 World Cup
In 2015, Christian Pulisic captained the United States U-17 team at the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
January 2016: Friendly Matches and First Team Involvement
In January 2016, Pulisic played in friendly matches with Dortmund's first team, scoring a goal and providing an assist.
January 2016: Promotion to Borussia Dortmund Senior Team
In January 2016, at age 17, Pulisic was promoted to Borussia Dortmund's senior team after progressing through their youth academy.
January 30, 2016: Bundesliga Debut
Pulisic made his Bundesliga debut for Borussia Dortmund on January 30, 2016, in a win against Ingolstadt.
March 2016: USMNT Debut
Pulisic made his senior national team debut for the United States in March 2016 at age 17.
March 27, 2016: Call-up to Senior National Team
On March 27, 2016, Pulisic received his first call-up to the senior US Men's National Team.
September 2, 2016: Two Goals and Assist vs. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
On September 2, 2016, Pulisic scored two goals and recorded an assist for the US Men's National Team against Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
2016: Champions League Debut, Goal, and Assists
In 2016, Pulisic became Dortmund's youngest player in the Champions League, and scored a goal with two assists against Darmstadt 98.
January 23, 2017: Contract Extension with Dortmund
On January 23, 2017, Pulisic extended his contract with Dortmund until 2020.
March 8, 2017: First Champions League Goal for Dortmund
Pulisic scored his first Champions League goal for Dortmund on March 8, 2017, against Benfica, becoming the club's youngest scorer in the competition.
August 5, 2017: Goal in DFL-Supercup
Pulisic scored a goal in the DFL-Supercup against Bayern Munich on August 5, 2017.
2017: Golden Boy Award Finalist and DFB-Pokal Win
In 2017, Pulisic was a finalist for the Golden Boy award and a key player in Dortmund's DFB-Pokal win.
2017: Golden Boy Award Finalist
In 2017, Christian Pulisic was recognized as a finalist for the prestigious Golden Boy award, which honors the best young player in the world.
November 20, 2018: Youngest USMNT Captain
On November 20, 2018, at the age of 20 years and 63 days, Christian Pulisic became the youngest player to captain the United States men's national team during a friendly match against Italy.
2018: Kopa Trophy Runner-Up
Christian Pulisic finished as the runner-up for the 2018 Kopa Trophy, an award presented to the world's best player under the age of 21. He finished second to Kylian Mbappé.
2018: Praise from Tuchel and Şahin
In 2018, then-Dortmund manager Thomas Tuchel praised Pulisic's potential and maturity, highlighting his speed, sharpness, and decision-making. Teammate Nuri Şahin also commended Pulisic's fearlessness and first touch.
2018: Loan at Dortmund
Pulisic stayed at Dortmund on loan for the remainder of the 2018-19 season after signing with Chelsea.
2018: Kopa Trophy Runner-Up
Pulisic was the runner-up for the Kopa Trophy in 2018.
January 2, 2019: Signing with Chelsea
Pulisic signed with Chelsea on January 2, 2019, but remained at Dortmund on loan for the rest of the season.
January 2019: Transfer to Chelsea
In January 2019, Pulisic transferred to Chelsea for $73 million, making him the most expensive North American player at the time.
March 26, 2019: Youngest USMNT Player to Reach 10 International Goals
On March 26, 2019, Christian Pulisic achieved the record of becoming the youngest player in United States men's national team history to score 10 international goals. He reached this milestone at the age of 20 years and 189 days.
August 11, 2019: Premier League Debut
Pulisic made his Premier League debut for Chelsea on August 11, 2019, against Manchester United.
October 23, 2019: Champions League Assist vs. Ajax
Pulisic assisted Michy Batshuayi's late winning goal against Ajax in the Champions League on October 23, 2019.
October 26, 2019: First Chelsea Goals and Hat-trick
Pulisic scored his first Chelsea goals on October 26, 2019, with a hat-trick against Burnley.
2019: CONCACAF Gold Cup Finalist
Pulisic and the USMNT reached the final of the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup, with Pulisic named the best young player.
June 21, 2020: Goal Against Aston Villa
Pulisic scored a goal against Aston Villa after coming off the bench on June 21, 2020.
July 2020: Comparison to Eden Hazard
In July 2020, Chelsea manager Frank Lampard compared Pulisic's attacking instincts to former Chelsea player Eden Hazard, praising his directness and ability to penetrate defenses.
August 2020: Premier League Young Player of the Season Shortlist
In August 2020, Christian Pulisic was shortlisted for the Premier League Young Player of the Season award.
2020: FA Cup Final Goal and Injury
Pulisic scored in the 2020 FA Cup Final against Arsenal, becoming the first American to do so, but was injured during the match.
2020: Champions League Win
Pulisic was part of the Chelsea team that won the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League.
2020: Contract End with Dortmund
Pulisic's contract with Dortmund was set to end in 2020.
April 3, 2021: Goal vs. West Brom
On April 3, 2021, Pulisic scored in a 2-5 loss against West Bromwich Albion.
June 6, 2021: CONCACAF Nations League Triumph
On June 6, 2021, Christian Pulisic captained the United States to victory in the inaugural CONCACAF Nations League final against Mexico. The U.S. won 3-2, with Pulisic scoring the decisive goal, a penalty, in the 114th minute.
August 11, 2021: UEFA Super Cup Victory
On August 11, 2021, Christian Pulisic won the UEFA Super Cup with Chelsea and scored in the penalty shootout.
2021: UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup Wins
In 2021, Pulisic won the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup with Chelsea.
2021: Personal Interests
In 2021, information about Christian Pulisic's interests outside of soccer emerged. He's a fan of the New York Jets, New York Rangers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Ford Mustangs, even importing a Shelby GT500 to England.
2021: CONCACAF Nations League Title
Pulisic and the USMNT won the CONCACAF Nations League in 2021.
January 2, 2022: Goal vs. Liverpool
On January 2, 2022, Pulisic scored the equalizer against Liverpool in a 2-2 draw.
March 27, 2022: First International Hat-trick
Christian Pulisic scored his first international hat-trick for the United States men's national team on March 27, 2022, during a World Cup qualifier against Panama. Two of his three goals were from penalty kicks, securing a victory for the U.S.
October 8, 2022: Goal vs. Wolves
On October 8, 2022, Christian Pulisic scored in a 3-0 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
October 11, 2022: Autobiography Release
Christian Pulisic released his autobiography, "Pulisic: My Journey So Far," on October 11, 2022, chronicling his career and revealing his struggles with depression during periods of injury and limited playing time in 2020.
2022: 2022 FIFA World Cup Performance
During the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Christian Pulisic played a key role for the United States. He assisted Tim Weah's goal against Wales, earned Man of the Match awards in the draws against England and the win against Iran, and assisted Haji Wright's goal in the Round of 16 match against the Netherlands. He was one of the players with the most Man of the Match awards in the tournament.
2022: 2022-23 CONCACAF Nations League Player of the Tournament
Christian Pulisic was awarded the Player of the Tournament award for his performance in the 2022–23 CONCACAF Nations League.
June 2023: Transfer to AC Milan
Pulisic moved to AC Milan in June 2023.
July 13, 2023: Transfer to AC Milan
On July 13, 2023, Pulisic officially transferred to AC Milan.
2023: AC Milan Positioning and Praise from Pioli
During his time at AC Milan in 2023, Pulisic played mostly as a right winger due to Rafael Leão's presence on the left, though he sometimes played on his preferred left side in Leão's absence. Manager Stefano Pioli praised Pulisic's quality, intensity, scoring ability, and willingness. Later in the 2023-24 season, Pulisic frequently occupied the central attacking midfield role.
2023: Best Italian Signing and Serie A Team of the Season
In 2023, Pulisic was considered the best Italian signing of the 2023-24 season and was included in the Serie A Team of the Season.
2023: CONCACAF Nations League Title and Best Player Award
In 2023, Pulisic won the CONCACAF Nations League with the USMNT and was named the tournament's best player.
2023: Family Heritage and Citizenship
In 2023, details about Pulisic's heritage were revealed: his paternal grandfather is Croatian, while his paternal grandmother is Sicilian. To avoid needing a German work visa, he obtained Croatian citizenship after moving to Germany. He also has a cousin, Will Pulisic, who plays for Minnesota United FC 2.
2023: CONCACAF Nations League Success
In the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League Finals, Pulisic scored twice against Mexico in the semi-finals, earning Man of the Match. The U.S. then beat Canada in the final, securing his second consecutive Nations League title.
2023: Playing Style and Positioning
Throughout his career, especially since the 2018-19 season, Christian Pulisic has primarily been deployed as a winger, a position he maintained at Dortmund, Chelsea, and AC Milan. Due to the physical demands of this role, he often draws fouls from opponents. In the latter part of the 2023-24 Serie A season, he began to feature more regularly in central attacking midfield positions.
February 18, 2024: Goal and Assist vs. Monza
On February 18, 2024, Pulisic scored a goal and provided an assist against Monza, although Milan lost 2-4.
June 2024: Docuseries Announcement
In June 2024, CBS Sports announced the production of a docuseries titled "PULISIC," set to cover his personal and professional life, including his participation in the 2024 Copa América. The series is scheduled for release on Paramount+.
August 24, 2024: First Goal of 2024-25 Season
On August 24, 2024, Pulisic scored his first goal of the 2024-25 Serie A season against Parma in a 1-2 defeat.
2024: 2024 Copa América Performance
In the 2024 Copa América, Pulisic scored a goal and provided an assist in the U.S.'s opening group stage win against Bolivia, earning the Man of the Match award.
2024: CONCACAF Nations League Title
Pulisic and the USMNT won the 2024 CONCACAF Nations League.