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Christian Pulisic says the United States squad accepts growing pressure before the 2026 home World Cup, and views it as part of the job. With the USA seen as serious contenders under Mauricio Pochettino, focus is already on how the team handles expectation on and off the pitch.

The USA begin their World Cup campaign against Paraguay on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, opening Group D in front of home fans. Australia and either Turkiye or Kosovo complete the group, so early results could shape the mood around the host nation very quickly.

Pulisic enters the tournament after another productive spell at AC Milan, where the forward has scored 10 goals and provided three assists in 27 matches in all competitions this season. That follows 27 goal contributions for Milan in 2024-25 and 25 in 2023-24, the most efficient stretches of Pulisic’s club career so far.

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Pochettino’s broader selection picture remains fluid, with the head coach using 61 different players since taking charge 18 months ago. The Argentina coach has rotated heavily in friendlies and competitive games while assessing options in every position before naming the final World Cup roster.

Before facing Paraguay, the USA meet four leading national teams in friendlies against Belgium, Portugal, Senegal and Germany. The first of those fixtures is against Belgium on Saturday in Atlanta, offering an early test of how the squad’s recent development carries into a high-profile window.

The USA’s form at home in 2025 has been mixed. The team lost six home games during that year, something that has happened only three times before, in 1988, 1993 and 2011. However, the year closed with a five-match unbeaten run, including four victories and one draw.

Recent tournament results also shape external views. Under former coach Gregg Berhalter, the USA struggled at Copa America in 2024 and then finished as CONCACAF Gold Cup runners-up. An experimental line-up lost the Gold Cup final to Mexico, adding further scrutiny before Pochettino stepped in.

The competition is high, and it’s going to be tough to pick the right players for the final roster, Pochettino said ahead of the Belgium game. It’s a big job. I am suffering two months in advance!

I mean, you guys want me to feel the pressure, that’s for sure. There’s pressure. It’s a World Cup, Pulisic said at Friday’s news conference. It’s not because of my position in the team or anything. I’m used to this. I wouldn’t want to be in any other position. I’m so lucky, I feel privileged to be in this position. There’s pressure. I feel it. Yes. It’s there, but it’s nothing that I can’t handle. I’m going to attack it head on. We are as a team. I don’t need to do it by myself. That’s the beauty of it. I put a lot of pressure on myself. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves and the way we want to perform, how much work we put in, we expect a lot of ourselves. And we try to focus on those things, what really matters, the people that affect us directly. That’s all we can really do.

Pulisic is expected to act as the main creative figure for the co-hosts, but the forward stresses shared responsibility. The USA squad talks about internal standards, collective work and focusing on people inside the camp rather than outside opinion, as preparation continues across this demanding friendly schedule.

With the World Cup opener against Paraguay set for June 12 in Los Angeles, and upcoming tests against Belgium, Portugal, Senegal and Germany, the USA now move into a decisive phase. Performances and selections across these games will show how Pulisic, Pochettino and the squad manage pressure before the tournament begins.

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