“You know who plays a lot of games? Messi” - Alexi Lalas hits out at Christian Pulisic’s decision to withdraw from USMNT team
Former US Men's National Team (USMNT) star Alexi Lalas has slammed Christian Pulisic for skipping matches, urging him to follow Lionel Messi. The pundit said the AC Milan star should always turn up for the games for the country.
Speaking on his State of the Union podcast, Lalas opined that Pulisic should not complain about the number of matches. He argued that Messi plays a huge number of matches but never complains. He said (via The Mirror):
"I cannot relate to someone in his position who is a national team player, opting out. Not wanting to represent your national team. And I get it, I played in a different time, but I also would bring up the fact that, yeah, the time that I played in, it was bad. It wasn't even close to the resources and the opportunity. And let's be honest, the protection that players have."
"And whether it's charter flights, or the way the game is refereed, or the amenities that they have, or the medical that they have, all these different things. And yes, they play a lot of games, but you know who plays a lot of games? Messi. I cannot relate to a player when his country needs him and wants him to represent, that you say no," he added.
Christian Pulisic decided to pull out of the upcoming United States games to take a break. The 26-year-old right-winger wants to manage his workload to stay fit for the 2025-26 season.
Alexi Lalas hits out at Lionel Messi after Inter Miami game
Alexi Lalas was furious with the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner for confronting the referee after a 3-3 MLS draw between Inter Miami and San Jose Earthquakes on May 14. The former USMNT star was critical of the post-match incident and slammed the Argentine superstar.
Speaking on his podcast, Lalas said (via GOAL):
“Yeah, the postgame shenanigans, I thought Bruce Arena handled it well. I mean, he is the home coach. It is his stadium. Obviously, he's a legend when it comes to MLS and pulling Messi. I thought it was a bad look for Messi, to be quite honest with you. I get that you're frustrated, but you signed up for the gig. You're being paid more than anybody in history in terms of, you know, what you are getting for your brand."
La Pulga was not happy with an official and believed he was biased towards the opponents. The 37-year-old was involved in another referee confrontation after Inter Miami's 3-0 loss to Orlando City in the MLS on Sunday (May 18).
