Christian Pulisic goes ‘off the grid’ amid USMNT absence

 The United States Men’s National Team plays its final match of 2025 on Tuesday against Uruguay, and star player Christian Pulisic will not be there.

The AC Milan attacker was not called into the USMNT squad for the November international window, which included two friendly matches against Paraguay and Uruguay. They are the last two times head coach Mauricio Pochettino will get to see his team this calendar year, with the 2026 FIFA World Cup just seven months away.

After recently returning from a hamstring injury, Pulisic said that he and Pochettino agreed that not playing in the November friendlies was the “best decision for everyone.”

Pulisic, who has recorded 32 goals and 19 assists in 82 appearances in his national team career, emerged with an update on social media on Tuesday hinting at what he has been up to amid his absence from the USMNT.

“Off the grid, on the grind,” Pulisic captioned a post on Instagram.

The eight-photo slideshow included snapshots of the 27-year-old’s personal life, from reading the bible to hitting the golf course to watching NFL football with his Italian club teammates.

Pictures of Pulisic in the weight room and in a United States jersey were a reminder that he is still working toward being his best for club and country. The off-the-grid “grind” is not the way the American captain wants to spend his time, though.

“As a footballer, the times when you’re injured and you can’t play on the weekends, it’s the worst time for us,” Pulisic told CBS Sports last week of his time on the sidelines.

Pulisic will finish 2025 with just six appearances of a possible 18 for the national team. He did not play in the CONCACAF Gold Cup this summer, citing a busy club schedule and the desire to be as fresh as possible for the World Cup.

There is one more international window before the United States co-hosts the world’s biggest soccer tournament. USMNT will reportedly host Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal in Atlanta in March, with both teams already qualified for the World Cup.