When you think of the USMNT, whose face comes to mind? Christian Pulisic? Well, that’s the most common answer. But apparently, now the spotlight is shifting. The golden boy of American soccer, now finds his crown slipping as Antonee Robinson, the “Jedi” of Fulham, storms into the spotlight. Is it time for a new king in US soccer, or will Pulisic reclaim his throne? Let’s hear what former USMNT icons have to say!

Antonee Robinson has risen high in the air with Fulham, making big news through the eyes of fans and big clubs alike. Pulisic suffered from many injuries, but Robinson just kept having more consistent and dynamic performances. At the same time, he made the most of his off-field contributions at the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup when the USMNT defense became almost impenetrable and then made his critical contribution to their championship victory.

Will Robinson be enough to dethrone Pulisic as the face of US soccer?

For years, Christian Pulisic has been a beacon of pride, their poster boy for American soccer with his mesmerizing skills and his decisive goals. He is, after all, the only footballer to have won the UEFA Champions League trophy and the first American to score in a semi-final with Chelsea in 2021. But, that hasn’t always been such smooth sailing. The dramatic finale to his time at Chelsea was marked by an injury during an FA Cup match with Manchester City in June 2020, which left him with a shredded hamstring. Even after joining AC Milan in 2023 his calf injury hindered his progress in matches against Bologna and Torino in Serie A.

The argument about whether Antonee Robinson or Christian Pulisic is the best player for USMNT had analysts of CBS Sports Golazo America going back to the drawing board. CBS journalist James Benge was impressed by Pulisic’s determination in Serie A while Tony Meola praised Robinson for his defensive overlook.

“I mean I’ve just seen him (Robinson) do it against Saka and Salah. And there are some really high-quality defenders that Pulisic comes up against in Serie A every week, I’m not disputing that. But I have just seen Robinson do it against probably the two best right wingers in the world- two of the top three,” Benge added, being the ‘English journalist’ he is. Notwithstanding differences between Serie A and the Premier League, the contributions of both players hold that’s less than a bright hope for Stars and Stripes. (Watch the documentary on Paramount Plus!)

Be that as it may, recently, Pulisic made a highlight by scoring a crucial goal at the ‘Derby della Madonnina’ against Inter. His phenomenal strike on September 22nd was outstanding. In the 10th minute, he intercepted a pass from Henrikh Mkhitaryan and began a solo run through Inter Milan’s defense. With impressive agility, Pulisic dodged a challenge from Milan Škriniar and coolly slotted the ball past Yann Sommer for an AC Milan lead. The goal transformed the game-changing moment set the rhythm for all and energized the Rossoneri and their fans.

Of course, Robinson has been making his argument for himself in the Premier League, such as when he made Liverpool share points in a 2-2 draw against them. Well, this match netted two assists for him but was otherwise difficult going. He showed all the reasons why he is dynamic and burgeoning as one of the best left-backs in the league. Reportedly, his form has attracted attention from the top table clubs like Manchester United and Liverpool. But is he bigger than “Captain America” though?

Is Robinson’s consistency more valuable than Pulisic’s flair?

Adding to the broader narrative is the contest between the Premier League against Serie A, with fans debating Antonee Robinson’s reliability in England’s top flight versus Christian Pulisic’s creative flair in Italy. Pulisic produced much of the flare in the attack, however, Robinson has the opposite skill set by silencing threats and taking his team forward, offering a contrasting yet valuable skill set.

There is a very interesting USMNT locker-room dynamic. They are teammates yet competing against each other because of the different roles they have. Pulisic’s attacking genius comes against Robinson’s defensive grit-can these two mesh up to lead the US to World Cup glory, or is it better that one of them must emerge as the alpha?

The future of American soccer is volatile with two stars at their peaks. Pulisic- still the golden boy or will this be Robinson’s shining hour? And who among them will be crucial for the next World Cup? Only time will tell.