Thierry Henry on USMNT's Pulisic: 'Stop making him something that he's not'

As the United States' most accomplished player in European club football, and the first American of his generation to emerge as a new hope following the disastrous failure to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, there has always been the hope that Christian Pulisic would assume the mantle of the outspoken leader of the U.S. national team in the way Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey once were.

Pulisic's camp has certainly tried to become comfortable with that burden, from assuming the captaincy during the business end of the 2022 World Cup cycle, to taking endorsements with big name American companies. But it has never appeared entirely comfortable for the Hershey, Pa., native, who has usually looked more at ease the play do his talking.

Perhaps Thierry Henry has noticed this for a while, from his time coaching in MLS at CF Montreal to his more recent role as an analyst on American TV for CBS Sports and Paramount+.

Because before the United States' disappointing 2-1 defeat to Canada in Sunday's third-place match, the Arsenal, Barcelona and France national team legend issued some stern advice to everyone waiting for Pulisic to assume the "Captain America" mantle.

"He’s a technical leader. But is he that enforcer, (capable) of being that type of leader?" Henry said. "Gattuso wasn’t Pirlo. Pirlo wasn’t Gattuso, if you know what I mean. That doesn’t mean he’s not the best in this team as a player, but is he the type of guy that, when things are not working for him, make that tackle to make sure that the crowd can follow him. He’s not that type of guy.

"He’s very good at a lot of things. But he doesn’t have maybe that type of leadership. And it’s OK. Stop making him something that he’s not."

Other candidates?

There are some other pontial candidates to assume that more vocal and demonstrative role. Defensive midfielder Tyler Adams is the most obvious, but he's been unavailable more often than not over this 2026 preparation cycle on account of several injury issues. Anotnee Robinson is another candidate, as arguably the second-best player on the U.S. when everyone is healthy, but of course he missed out on this tournament with tendonitis.

Henry didn't go into that part of the question. But he tried to explain why urging Pulisic to assume an uncomfortable role could be dangerous for both the player and the program.

"You’re going to highlight his weaknesses," Henry warned of those who keep pushing the "Captain America" burden upon him. "Concentrate on what he can do. He’s a very good player. Play him in his best position where he can be effective. But we have to stop the narrative that he will be a Clint Dempsey. He’s not going to be that guy. He even said it himself, he’s struggled to do it."