The United States is hosting 2024 Copa America and the USMNT has a fine opportunity to prove its mettle in soccer. The combined edition will see the team facing strong opponents like 15-time Copa America Champions Uruguay and also Bolivia. One player they will look up to is AC Milan star Christian Pulisic who has the experience of playing big teams.

Pulisic won the 2021 Champions League and was the second-highest scorer for his club last season. Having scored 29 goals for the country, he is one of the most promising stars in American soccer. But it’s a lesser-known fact that Pulisic’s talent comes from his parents who also embraced the beautiful game of soccer. With fans curious about Pulisic’s parents, let’s take a sneak peek at them.

Who are Mark Pulisic and Kelley Pulisic? All you need to know about the parents of Christian Pulisic

Christian Pulisic was born on 18th September 1998 to Mark and Kelley in Hershey, Pennsylvania. His father Mark was a former professional soccer player who later became a coach. Senior Pulisic was born on September 20, 1968, to a Croatian father in Long Island, New York. Starting his career with George Mason Patriots, he played there from 1986 to 89 before moving to Harrisburg Heat. In Harrisburg, he played indoor soccer and was an attacker. He was also inducted into his university’s Hall of Fame.

Introduced to soccer by his father, Mark did not want to leave the sport and pursued a career in coaching after his retirement. Subsequently, he took up roles like head coach of Lebanon Valley College for both men and women. He also coached the Major Indoor Soccer League team Detroit Ignition. He then went to Dortmund in 2015 to train its youth team till February 2017.

Meanwhile, Christian Plulisic’s mother Kelley grew up in Burke and played for Braddock Road Shooting Stars in her early career. She then played for the women’s team at George Mason University as a defender from 1989 to 1992. Her passion for the sport stems from childhood as she reportedly played with boys when she was 5 since there weren’t any all-girl teams back then.

Subsequently, she gained a high reputation as an efficient player with immense goalscoring prowess. During her time with the Braddock Road club, Kelley was the teammate of former USWNT legend Mia Hamm. She later became a physical education trainer according to reports.

Both parents of Christian Pulisic met during their spells at George Mason University. The couple also has another daughter Devyn who is older than the USMNT star.

Two years older than Christian Pulisic, Devyn is a businesswoman who owns Tranquility Stables. With a support system behind him coupled with his exceptional work rate, the winger has the confidence to make an impact for the USMNT in the Copa America. Whether he can lead USMNT to a Copa America title, time will reveal.