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USMNT superstar Christian Pulisic has claimed that he shares a trait with Lionel Messi. The former Chelsea winger believes that the Inter Miami captain knows when to take risks in a match, and it is something he also does on the pitch.
Speaking to DAZN, Pulisic said that he has been doing well since moving to AC Milan and claimed that he is learning how to utilize the trait like Messi. He admitted that it was important to know when to use it on the pitch and said:
"I think it's very important to understand when to take risks, and Messi knows how to do that. There are moments when you feel more confident than others, right now it's even easier to talk, I'm scoring a lot, but there will also be negative moments and you have to be good at dealing with them."
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Pulisic also named Messi as one of his idols and added:
"I had a few. When you're little, you follow the national team: one of them was [Clint] Dempsey. I always followed him, especially during the World Cup, with the national team. I wanted to be like him. I liked the way he played, his attitude, his way of being on the pitch. In Europe, however, there were so many players I looked up to - [Luis] Figo, and obviously Messi."
Christian Pulisic has faced Lionel Messi just once in his career. He lost 4-0 when the United States met Argentina in the 2016 Copa America.
Christian Pulisic urged to become the Lionel Messi of USMNT
USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino spoke about Christiano Pulisic earlier this year, saying that the winger needs to be the country's Lionel Messi. He wants the AC Milan star to turn up every time the national team needs him and said (via ESPN):
"I think Christian in the last year showed a great quality. He's performing in Europe, also he's performing with the national team. He's a very talented player that can help us to win. You say people compare Messi with Christian Pulisic. I don't want to be disrespectful to Messi or Pulisic, but I think in this country, Pulisic should be our Messi, because he's an iconic player. The kids on the street for sure if you ask one soccer player in this country, it's Pulisic."
Christian Pulisic could come face-to-face with Lionel Messi next summer in the FIFA World Cup. The United States have qualified as the host nation, while Argentina have also sealed their ticket.
