Captain America: Daryl Dike explains what makes 'humble' USMNT leader Christian Pulisic special while revealing his own toughest opponent

The United States will be hoping to put those qualities to good use at a home World Cup in 2026. Pulisic will, as he enjoys another productive club campaign in Italy, be an integral part of Mauricio Pochettino’s plans.

He is considered to have become one of the leading lights in Serie A, while delaying the signing of a new contract at San Siro, and would not look out of place at some of the biggest teams on the planet. Such a standing has been earned through hard work and dedication.

Those qualities are not lost on those around him, with international colleagues impressed by what Pulisic has to offer. He is not one to scream and shout, but is often looked to for moments of magic.

Dike, who has 10 USMNT caps to his name, told ‘Beast Mode On’ when asked what makes Pulisic part of the global elite: "Christian’s good because he’s just a professional. I don’t think that all the time he is the most vocal, like a Tim Ream would be or a Tyler Adams, but you can see what he does - he leads by example. Even in training, defensively he is running all over the place. Offensively, you know he can always find a way to get us out of things.

"As a guy, Christian is sick. Christian is funny, he’s good to be around. Everybody respects him and looks up to him. He has a lot of weight on his shoulders because he is that guy. He’s only 27 and he is that guy. But he’s such a humble guy, he’s such a good guy, and it shows on the pitch.

"When you are playing, he treats everyone the same, in a good manner. I’m not saying he has a license to treat someone poorly but if anybody did on the team, it would be him. He doesn’t. He’s a very good person, professional and there is a reason he wears the armband for the country and a reason he has got as far as he has in his career."

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Dike has never lined up against Pulisic in competitive action, with any battles there saved for the training field, but the West Brom striker has been asked to pick out the best players that he has worked alongside and locked horns with.

He said, with nods being offered to a former Manchester United winger that he played with in MLS at Orlando City and an England international who will be on the move as a free agent in 2026: "The best player I’ve played with? Nani, probably. Best player I’ve played against? In the Chelsea game [FA Cup clash in 2021], against [Kurt] Zouma and [Antonio] Rudiger, they were unreal but I only played 15-20 minutes so it wasn’t that much.

"I remember with Barnsley in the play-offs when we played Swansea and Marc Guehi was on loan at Swansea. He was very good. I remember he was the most difficult defender I have ever played against. You run and think you’re past him, he’s there. You show in the pocket, I’ve got some space, he’s there. He’s always there and he was smart as well.

"He’s smart, he’s good on the ball. He was younger then, he and I are similar ages, so I do remember being against him and thinking ‘I can’t get past him’. He got his move to Palace literally the next season and it was like ‘yeah, fairs’."

Dike has endured his fair share of injury issues since bursting onto the international scene, having opted to represent the United States over Nigeria. He is hoping to have left those struggles in the past, with the plan being to earn further recognition alongside Pulisic and Co that allows him to come up against some of the very best in the business.