Pulisic hopes to 'inspire people' by pulling on the US jersey in Qatar

‘Being American, it means something’: Christian Pulisic reveals he hopes to ‘inspire people’ by pulling on the USA jersey in Qatar, as he admits the 2018 World Cup qualifying heartbreak has ‘motivated him that much more’

  • The USA kickstarts is World Cup campaign Monday at 2pm ET against Wales
  • America failed to qualify from Concacaf for the 2018 tournament in Russia 
  • But Christian Pulisic revealed the agony provided extra motivation for this year 
  • Berhalter’s team face England Friday and then Iran on November 29 in Group B
  • Click here for all your latest international Sports news from DailyMail.com
  • Click here for the latest World Cup 2022 news, fixtures, live action and results

Soccer superstar Christian Pulisic insisted representing the USA at the World Cup ‘means something’ as he revealed America’s 2018 heartbreak provided extra motivation to qualify for Qatar.

The US kickstarts its World Cup campaign against Wales Monday at 2pm ET as it makes its return to soccer’s global stage for the first time in eight years. 

USA missed out on the 2018 tournament in Russia after failing to qualify for the finals, agonizingly losing 2-1 to Trinidad and Tobago in the last game of the Concacaf Hexagonal round – an agony Pulisic remembers all to well. 

Christian Pulisic insisted representing the USA at the World Cup in Qatar ‘means something’

USA missed out on the 2018 tournament in Russia after failing to qualify for the finals

Pulisic, then 19, was part of the US roster that failed to secure a place in Russia but despite the shock despair of 2018, the Chelsea star insisted that it provided extra motivation to make it to Qatar. 

Speaking on Good Morning America, he said: ‘My number one dream was to play for Team USA in the World Cup, so you can imagine when that really hit that we wouldn’t be there, I couldn’t understand why it happened. I was obviously so upset, so emotional.

‘But looking back on it, that motivated me that much more. It’s all in front of us, it’s up to play for. Being in a World Cup, I still can’t wait for that feeling.’ 

The winger also revealed what it meant to him to represent the USA on the global stage as he said he hoped to inspire people back home. 

He said: ‘I like the quote, “If you play for the badge on the front of your jersey, people remember the name on the back.”

‘[…] I think being American, it means something. It means something to a lot of people around the world and that’s why every time I put on that jersey, I hope that I can inspire people back home. 

The winger said he hopes to inspire people back in the US by pulling on the nation’s jersey

‘I hope that they can watch and say, “You know what, this kid is fighting, he’s giving everything that he has. If he can do it, then I can do it too.” And at the end of the day, that’s what it means to me to be American.’

Supporters of the Stars and Stripes will end the long wait to see their national team back at the World Cup at 2pm Monday as the US looks to take down Gareth Bale and Co. 

Gregg Berhalter’s team then face old rivals England on Black Friday before wrapping up the group stage against Iran on November 29.  

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