Christian Pulisic is currently enjoying the best form of his career, yet he risks leaving without any major trophies beyond personal achievements.

It’s no surprise that the U.S. men’s national team (USMNT) star has emerged as the top player on a subpar national squad—this trend began when Pulisic was the standout performer in the team’s disappointing 2018 World Cup qualifying attempt.

What may come as a shock, however, is that a similar pattern is unfolding at the club level, particularly at a prestigious institution like AC Milan.

Pulisic transferred to AC Milan last summer after facing a tough time at Chelsea. Fast forward a year, and he leads Serie A with 30 goal contributions (18 goals and 12 assists) since the beginning of the last season.

The issue? Despite Pulisic’s rising profile, Milan has struggled as a team. Though they secured second place in Serie A last season, they finished a staggering 19 points behind champions Inter.

After reaching the Champions League semifinals the previous season, Milan’s fortunes fell, as they exited in the group stage last year, followed by a defeat to Roma in the Europa League quarterfinals.

This season, the divergence between Pulisic’s personal success and that of his team has deepened. While he has started the campaign impressively, Milan has only managed one win in five matches.

The recent Champions League match against Liverpool showcased this disparity: Pulisic netted a stunning goal just three minutes into the game, yet Milan went on to lose 3-1 in a match that could have ended with an even larger deficit.

With new head coach Paulo Fonseca under pressure and speculation about potential replacements swirling, Milan’s defensive weaknesses have become a major concern. The team has allowed six goals against a total of five expected goals during a season where their defensive performance ranks in the middle tier of Serie A. In the Liverpool match, they had an expected goals disadvantage of 3.1 to 0.6.

On the offensive front, led by Pulisic, they have performed relatively well, scoring nine goals on 7.5 expected goals, which places them among the top three in the league. However, without addressing their defensive vulnerabilities, another trophy-less season looms.

USMNT Faces Similar Challenges

The 2022 World Cup raised hopes, even if it wasn’t reflected in performance, but following a disappointing exit from Copa América this summer, the USMNT has managed just one win in their last seven matches. Now, merely avoiding embarrassment in the 2026 World Cup on home turf seems a more realistic target than making a significant splash.

In recent years, several players have risen as potential contenders to inherit Pulisic’s title as the team’s most crucial player, but individuals like Tyler Adams and Gio Reyna, who have intermittently been contenders for that role, are currently sidelined by injuries and lack of playing time. Meanwhile, Sergiño Dest is injured, Folarin Balogun is struggling at the club level, and Weston McKennie had a poor Copa América.

The only player consistently matching Pulisic’s level on the USMNT lately is Antonee Robinson, whose role as a left-back limits his ability to influence the game as much. With just two players performing at a high standard in Europe’s top leagues, Pochettino faces a tough challenge ahead.

“We really have to elevate our game,” Pulisic expressed frustrations after a recent draw with New Zealand, where he scored the lone goal for his team. “Everyone involved needs to step it up. It feels pretty disheartening at the moment, but I’m confident brighter times are ahead.”

While Pulisic is doing his part, unless his teammates, both for club and country, respond to his call, his prime years may end up being celebrated for individual feats against the backdrop of collective mediocrity.