‘Christian Pulisic done?’: USMNT's Gold Cup final loss vs Mexico sparks fresh calls; Diego Luna faces heat

Two USMNT players, Christian Pulisic and Diego Luna, faced severe backlash from fans on social media after their team's loss vs Mexico in the Gold Cup final

Updated on: Jul 7, 2025, 06:55:29 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Two USMNT players, Christian Pulisic and Diego Luna, faced severe backlash from fans on social media after their team's loss vs Mexico in the Gold Cup final on Sunday. Fans urged the team management to ‘get rid’ of Pulisic, who was missing from USA's campaign. Meanwhile, criticism for Luna mainly stemmed from his poor show in the final at the NRG Stadium.

AC Milan's American forward #11 Christian Pulisic faced backlash after the USMNT vs Mexico Gold Cup final (AFP)

“Christian Pulisic hope you enjoyed watching some of your teammates lose to the Mexico A-team tonight as you sit at home 👍👍” one fan wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.

“I hope Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah, Weston McKennie, Flo Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, Yunus Musah, Antonee Robinson, and many more are happy. Next time if you decide to play, maybe more Americans will take Soccer serious, so you won’t have an away game in your own country,” another one added.

Tweeting about Luna, a third fan said: “Stop hyping Diego Luna like he's the next best thing. He's talented, passionate and got some skills. But he's NOT anywhere near pulisic.”

Why Christian Pulisic was not playing the USMNT vs Mexico Gold Cup final

Pulisic, the regular USMNT captain, sat out the Gold Cup to rest after a grueling 3,500+ minutes over two seasons with AC Milan, a decision made with US Soccer to prioritize the 2026 World Cup.

After several experts questioned his commitment, the AC Milar star said: “To question my commitment to the national team is way out of line.”

Meanwhile, Edson Alvarez scored the go-ahead goal in the 77th minute as Mexico overcame an early deficit to defeat USA 2-1. Mexico won its second straight Gold Cup and 10th overall.

Chris Richards gave the US the lead in the fourth minute but Raul Jimenez tied it in the 27th.

Alvarez scored Mexico's tournament-high fifth set piece goal. The first four were off corner kicks. The winner was a free kick that Johan Vasquez flicked to Alvarez for a diving header that was first ruled offside but the decision was overturned after video review.

(With Reuters inputs)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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