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Mar 23, 2023 11:00-04:00

13 fun facts about Christian Pulisic

Called the LeBron James of soccer, Christian Pulisic is a special talent, and here are a few facts you need to know about him.

Christian Pulisic has had an up-and-down Chelsea career so far. With consistent managerial changes, injury issues, and fluctuating form, he hasn't quite realised his potential.

That being said, he has scored goals in a Champions League semi-final and an FA Cup final, while also lifting three trophies in his time in London so far.

Born on 18 September 1998, Christian Pulisic is now a household name in the United States and the majority of Europe now recognizes the winger as the face of the United States in football.

GOAL takes you through 13 fun facts about the USMNT forward.

Football runs in his blood
Pulisic is not the only football player in his family.
Both of his parents played football at George Mason University. His father, Mark Pulisic, was the head coach of the Detroit Ignition of the Major Indoor Soccer League, as well.

He has a cousin who plays for Austin
Pulisic’s cousin Will trained with BVB’s youth teams in 2016/2017 before taking up his place at Duke University. He now plays football in Major League Soccer with Austin FC.
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First American to score in a Champions League semi-final
During the first leg of Chelsea's semi-final clash against Real Madrid in 2021, Pulisic became the first American to score in a Champions League semi-final.
He also became the youngest Chelsea player to score in a European semi-final.

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First American to play in a Uefa Champions League final
Pulisic became the first ever American to play in a Champions League final during Chelsea's 2021 final against Manchester City.
The club managed to win 1-0 and win their second Champions League trophy.
The win also made Christian Pulisic only the second American to win the Champions League.
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Pulisic is a Croatian national
Pulisic's grandfather was born in Olib, Croatia. The player therefore has Croatian nationality and also had the chance to play with the Croatia national team if he had chosen to do so.
However, the forward decided to represent the USMNT for his international career.
Lived in England as a child
When he was younger, Pulisic lived in England for a year with his family when his mother participated in a teaching exchange.
They both resided in the little English village of Tackle, near Oxford.
When Pulisic was younger, his father would take him to watch teams like Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur play in professional football matches.
Born in Hershey, Pennsylvania
Pulisic was born in Hershey on Sept. 18, 1998.
He first played for the United States Soccer Development Academy club PA Classics growing up, and later for the minor league Harrisburg City Islanders as a teenager.
A record signing
In 2019, Pulisic signed with Chelsea to play in the Premier League. Chelsea paid $73 million to acquire him from Dortmund—a record for any American player.
Pulisic's struggles with depression
In October 2022, Pulisic released a book labelled 'Pulisic: My Journey So Far'.
In the book, the forward talks about his struggles with anxiety and depression, and how he copes with it all including the pressure that comes with the responsibility he holds.
Goal
Captain America
He's known as 'Captain America' as he is perhaps one of the most significant players to ever represent the USMNT.
The Hershey Hammer, The Hershey Hare, and The Pennsylvania Pele are some of his other nicknames.
He played professionally in Germany as a teen
When he was 15 years old, German scouts for Borussia Dortmund found Pulisic in Turkey.
At the age of 17, Pulisic joined Dortmund's senior squad. In his first year with the team, he registered three goals and seven assists.
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Youngest USMNT captain
Christian Pulisic is the youngest player to captain the United States men's national soccer team, having done so at the age of 20 in 2019 during a friendly defeat by Italy.
Pulisic was 20 years and 63 days old.
Youngest USMNT player to 10 goals
On March 26, 2019, Christian Pulisic became the youngest United States player to score 10 international goals, when he bagged his tenth for the national side at 20 years, 189 days old.