‘I kill him!’ - USMNT star Christian Pulisic gets World Cup warning from AC Milan team-mate Santiago Gimenez as NFL-watching niceties are put to one side

Gimenez, who is currently nursing an ankle injury, made his way to Milan in February 2025 when completing a big-money transfer from Eredivisie outfit Feyenoord. Pulisic was already a star turn for the Rossoneri at that point.

The United States international, who made his own move to Italy in 2023, has been posting personal bests with Milan. His goal output has topped that of club colleague Gimenez, despite the 27-year-old being more of a deep-lying forward.

As natives of the Americas, Pulisic and Gimenez have grown close over the course of the last 12 months. They enjoy spending time in one another’s company away from the pitch, as attention drifts back towards home and a different form of football.

There will, however, be no love lost if they meet at this summer’s World Cup - with games taking place there on U.S. and Mexican soil.

Discussing his relationship with Pulisic, Gimenez has told ESPN: “If we play a game [for our countries], we are enemies, we are rivals. But in the dressing room, he's one of my best friends. We are always together, and I hope, if he's not playing against Mexico, that he does well. But if he's playing against Mexico, of course if I need to kill him, I kill him!

“But he was a really good friend in this difficult moment [of injury rehab]. We have a lot of things in common. We like NFL - he supports the Jets, I like the Dolphins. Sometimes, I go to his house and do a barbecue and watch the NFL. So, he's a nice team-mate, a nice friend, but in the end, if he puts on the shirt of the USA, he's a rival.”

Gimenez added when asked which side is better - Mexico or the USMNT: “This is always a dressing room talk with everyone. They make jokes of us or they ask, ‘Who's better, USA or Mexico?’ I start saying Mexico, Pulisic starts saying USA and it's a fight in the dressing room, but everything with love at the end!”

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Mexico and the USMNT have high hopes heading into a major tournament on home turf, with Gimenez expecting both to give a good account of themselves. He said when asked how co-hosts will fare on the grandest of sporting stages: “To play a World Cup in your country is amazing, and we have the opportunity to do it. Our family will be there - it is our people, our stadium, our country, you know, so we need to be strong, and we will be strong.

“I think [the U.S.] have a really strong national team. I think they can make maybe quarter-finals. I think they're strong. I would love to play against the USA in the World Cup because of the rivalry that football brings, and the fans love this.

“It was amazing for us to win the Gold Cup last year because our rivalry started a long time ago and it keeps going. I know the fans enjoy a lot to beat USA, so we were very happy to win the Gold Cup against them.”

Mexico occupy Group A at the 2026 World Cup. El Tri will open things up against South Africa on June 11 at the iconic Azteca Stadium, before going on to face South Korea and the winner of a UEFA path play-off.

The United States, with much expected of Pulisic, have been placed in Group D. They will kick off at SoFi Stadium in California against Paraguay on June 12. From there, they will head to Seattle for a clash with Australia before returning to Los Angeles for a meeting with another European-based play-off winner.