Christian Pulisic

After the family returned to the Hershey area, Pulisic grew up playing for local U.S. Soccer Development Academy club PA Classics and occasionally training with local professional club Harrisburg City Islanders, later known as the now-defunct Penn FC, during his teen years. In the summer of 2010, he went on a five-day trial at Chelsea's Cobham base.

Borussia Dortmund

Pulisic moved to Germany before his 16th birthday, eligible for European residency through Croatian nationality law, which allowed him to secure a Croatian passport through familial heritage. In February 2015, Borussia Dortmund signed 16-year-old Pulisic and assigned him first to their U17 squad, winning the Under 17 Bundesliga in 2014–15. He was immediately promoted in summer 2015 to the U19 squad and won the Under 19 Bundesliga for the 2015–16 season. After scoring 10 goals and assisting 8 in just 15 games with the Dortmund youth teams, Pulisic was called to join the first team over winter break.

2015–16: Breakthrough season

In January 2016, while with the first team in the winter break, Pulisic played the second half of two friendly matches, scoring one goal and assisting another. On January 24, a day after making his debut on the first team bench, Pulisic played 90 minutes in a friendly against Union Berlin, scoring a goal and assisting another. He made his Bundesliga debut in a 2–0 win against Ingolstadt on January 30, 2016, coming on as a second-half substitute for Adrián Ramos. On…

2012–2015: Youth level

Pulisic represented the United States at U-15 and U-17 levels. He scored two goals in 10 appearances for the under-15 team. On December 13, 2013, for the U-17 team, he played Brazil at a U17 friendly tournament in Florida where he scored a goal in the championship 4–1 win. He captained the U-17 team at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup, where he scored a goal and an assist in three games. During his two years with the team, Pulisic scored a total of 20 goals in 34 games. Pulisic had been eligible to play internationally for Croatia but declined the opportunity.

2016–2020: Senior debut and breaking USMNT records

On March 27, 2016, Pulisic was called up to the senior team by head coach Jürgen Klinsmann ahead of a World Cup qualifying game against Guatemala. Two days later, he made his debut in that match, a 4–0 win at the Mapfre Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, as an 81st-minute substitute for Graham Zusi. He thus became the youngest American to play in a World Cup qualifier. Pulisic was included in the senior squad for the Copa América Centenario, which was hosted by the United States. A week later, he became the youngest player to score for the United States in the modern era, when he put home a late goal in a 4–0 friendly win against visiting side Bolivia. On September 2, 2016, Pulisic recorded two goals and an assist in a World Cup qualifying match in a 6–0 victory over Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, thereby becoming the youngest person to…

Pulisic was born in Hershey, Pennsylvania, where he spent the majority of his childhood. Pulisic's paternal grandfather, Mate Pulišić, was born on the Croatian island of Olib. His paternal grandmother Johanna DiStefano was Sicilian. Pulisic obtained Croatian citizenship later in his early adulthood. His parents, Kelley and Mark Pulisic, both played collegiate soccer at George Mason University and his father also played professional indoor soccer for the Harrisburg Heat in the 1990s and later became a coach at the youth, collegiate, and professional levels. Growing up, his soccer idol was Luís Figo. While his mother was on a teacher exchange in England through the Fulbright Program, Pulisic lived for a year in Tackley, Oxfordshire. At age seven, he began playing for the youth team of Brackley Town. When his father was general manager of indoor club Detroit Ignition in the mid-2000s, Pulisic lived in Michigan and played for Michigan Rush. While in Michigan, he attended Workman Elementary School.

Pulisic's status of captaining the United States national team with his high level of play has earned him the nickname "Captain America" by fans and other players. He has also been nicknamed "the LeBron James of soccer" due to a clip from the television show Pawn Stars, which has since become a meme. Pulisic has a cousin, Will Pulisic, who previously played for MLS Next Pro team Minnesota United FC 2. Pulisic is a practicing Catholic. He occasionally posts Bible verses on his social media accounts. Outside of soccer, Pulisic is a fan of the New York Jets, New York Rangers, and Philadelphia 76ers. Pulisic is a fan of the Ford Mustang and imported a left-hand drive Shelby GT500 to England from the United States in 2021. In 2021, Pulisic signed a long-term sponsorship deal with German sportswear brand Puma. On October 11, 2022, he released an autobiography titled Pulisic: My Journey So Far. The book chronicles his journey into the soccer world. In the book, he also revealed that he suffered with depression while he was injured in 2020 and during times that he did not get much playing time. In June 2024, CBS Sports announced the beginning of the filming process for the docuseries PULISIC, which would include details about Pulisic's personal life, professional career and involvement in the 2024 Copa América. It was released on March 3, 2025 on Paramount+. From in June 2024 he announced he was in a relationship with American golfer Alexa Melton. In February 2026 the couple broke…