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‘Just a funny name’ – Christian Pulisic reacts to ‘Captain America’ tag as USMNT star addresses statement from AC Milan legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Serie A

AC Milan

Fiorentina

<p>The United States international has, from a young age, had to grow accustomed to shouldering the expectations of his nation. Having <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/usmnt-star-christian-pulisic-reveals-what-changed-career-around-captain-america-transfer-chelsea-ac-milan/blt569af51bdb63b2da" target="_blank">burst onto the scene as a precociously-gifted teenager</a>, Pulisic is now 26 years of age and boasts spells at <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/ac-milan-star-christian-pulisic-hailed-pushing-reset-button-chelsea-struggles-usmnt-legend-mohamed-salah-comparison/blt72d3f162acb59729" target="_blank">Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea and Milan on his distinguished CV</a>.</p>

WHAT HAPPENED?

<p>He has long been <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/christian-pulisic-captain-america-usmnt-gregg-berhalter-highly-skilled-2024-copa-america-bolivia/blte3edc42a56596271" target="_blank">billed as “Captain America”</a>, with the armband often being donned with his country, and has been <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/christian-pulisic-accept-captain-america-nickname-zlatan-ibrahimovic-usmnt-pressure/bltd3e0df75413a4dc2#cs86c3f99539e6bf86" target="_blank">informed by none other than Rossoneri legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic</a> – who now fills an executive role at San Siro – that he needs to make peace with that billing, with the enigmatic Swede saying: “He is playing low profile and with his feet on the ground. But you are 'Captain America', I don’t give a sh*t what you say, you are. If that is more pressure on you, I don’t care. It is his own fault — if you weren’t so good, we wouldn’t ask anything from you.”</p>

THE BIGGER PICTURE

<p>Pulisic has reacted to those comments by telling <a href="https://www.gq.com/story/christian-pulisic-ac-milan " target="_blank"><em>GQ</em></a>: “A statement like that from Ibra—there’s not much more to it than he expects a lot out of me and the club expects a lot out of me, and that’s exactly the place I want to be in. I want to give everything for this club. I’ve shown in a short time that I can be a big part of this team and help us create goals. </p><p>“The ‘Captain America’ title doesn’t necessarily have some bigger meaning than that to me. It’s just a funny name. It doesn’t add pressure, I don’t feel that way. It’s exactly like he said—he doesn’t care whether I like it or not or what the name is. It doesn’t matter. Do my friends and family call me that? No. But I do my best to just give my best always for Milan and for the national team, and whatever people want to say about it, that’s alright.”</p>

WHAT PULISIC SAID

<p>While becoming a hero to many in his homeland, Pulisic has spoken of <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/pisses-me-off-christian-pulisic-weston-mckennie-claim-bias-against-american-players-europe-usmnt-captain-new-paramount-plus-documentary-instant-stir/blte7df11741450af51" target="_blank">the “bias” that he has experienced against American players</a> outside of the U.S. He believes that condescending attitude is at its worst in England, saying of an issue that he discusses in his <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/why-introverted-usmnt-star-christian-pulisic-agreed-documentary-ac-milan-forward-reveals-present-future-goals/bltb294e5670d95492a" target="_blank">new documentary on Paramount Plus</a>: “Yeah, just because that’s kind of their joke. They don’t like the whole ‘soccer’ thing. They think any American take is a bad take. I think that’s just an English running joke as well, people may not be all that serious about it. And I think Americans have done a really good job of earning people’s respect in recent years.”</p>

DID YOU KNOW?

<p>Pulisic has been <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/top-50-player-best-serie-a-is-christian-pulisic-world-class-former-usmnt-team-mate-explains-standing-ac-milan-forward-global-elite/blt2642638be7d62acb" target="_blank">proving his worth to audiences all over the world</a> this season, with an impressive eight-goal haul cementing his standing as a talismanic presence for Milan – with a <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/when-will-christian-pulisic-play-again-date-usmnt-return-ac-milan-injury-recovery-update/bltaaba996a02da6142" target="_blank">return from injury expected to be made in the Rossoneri’s final Serie A outing of 2024</a> against Roma on Sunday.</p>

WHAT NEXT?

‘Just a funny name’ – Christian Pulisic reacts to ‘Captain America’ tag as USMNT star addresses statement from AC Milan legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic | Goal.com US

Christian Pulisic has addressed his standing as “Captain America”, with the USMNT and AC Milan star considering that tag to be “just a funny name”.

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