Christian Pulisic’s Father Responds to Landon Donovan’s Gold Cup Criticism

Following harsh criticism from Landon Donovan, Mark Pulisic — father of Christian Pulisic — delivered a clever response using ChatGPT to remind of the American soccer legend’s own sabbatical in 2012-2013.

Donovan, while commentating the UEFA Nations League final, expressed his disappointment with players choosing to skip the Gold Cup. He compared the situation to Cristiano Ronaldo’s dedication, who continues playing at age 40 despite fatigue.

“This is what it means to represent your country. If you don’t want to take wearing that jersey seriously and responsibly, then don’t come in,” Donovan said during broadcast.

Mark Pulisic responded by sharing ChatGPT’s explanation of Donovan’s own break from soccer — a decision that ultimately led to his exclusion from the 2014 World Cup squad.

• Yunus Musah
• Antonee Robinson
• Christian Pulisic

These three players decided to skip the Gold Cup for rest. Alexi Lalas, another US soccer great, also criticized this decision considering the importance of playing time together ahead of the 2026 World Cup.