The tournament is over, but the attention lingers. Christian Pulisic may have had a tough individual outing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign, but his credibility is due to the leadership he provides to the USMNT. However, with fame comes responsibility, and former Team USA goalkeeper Tim Howard wants Pulisic, the face of the USMNT, to remain aware of the potential challenges he may face ahead.

“He is the face of this team,” said Howard on the Unfiltered Soccer Podcast. “He is undoubtedly its best player. And when that happens, you will receive all of the money and all the acclaim, and you’ll receive all the blame. That’s how it works. There were times where I was that player for certain teams; you’ve been that player…”

“I hope for his sake, he isn’t on social media for the foreseeable future,” he further added. “He deserves a rest. He can go on holiday, and yeah, there’s a dark side. There’s a dark side to fame and celebrity. What I would say about him is, you know, when someone tells you or shows you who they are, you, you believe them. I think he’s a nice footballer. I do. I think he’s a very nice footballer. Still think he’s the best player on a team outside of that. You’d have to ask him very direct questions, to which I could give you very direct answers. But ultimately he’s a nice footballer.”

The challenges referred to by Tim Howard aren’t around Christian Pulisic’s soccer prowess. It is related to the fame that might come around the USMNT players, especially Pulisic, after the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The United States of America jointly co-hosted the 23rd edition of the tournament alongside Canada and Mexico.

Team USA had a strong start to their campaign, beating Paraguay (4-1) and Australia (2-0) to sit at the top of Group D. Although they lost their last group stage game against Türkiye (2-3), they still advanced to the Round of 32 as Group D winners. Then came the challenge of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and yet again, USMNT comfortably won with a scoreline of 2-0. However, at last Belgium stood as their kryptonite and eliminated them from the tournament with a scoreline of 4-1.

Although it was not a strong finish compared to their best FIFA World Cup finish (third place in 1930), it somewhat garnered more attention, be it through controversies or USMNT’s performances. More or less, it seemingly united the Americans, who support a game that is not particularly popular with them.

Christian Pulisic, who was battling a calf injury, had limited appearances in all the Team USA matches except the one against Australia, where he was benched. Yet he often garnered attention because Pulisic stands as one of the trailblazers in USMNT history. To be precise, nicknamed “Captain America,” Pulisic was the first American to play in and win a UEFA Champions League Final (with Chelsea).

Howard knows the spotlight will only grow brighter as the team’s profile rises, and he wants Pulisic to stay true to himself through it all.