For nearly a decade, Christian Pulisic has carried a title few American soccer players have ever worn.

Captain America. 

The face of the United States men’s national team. The player you see splashed across television commercials for Michelob Ultra, Wells Fargo, Gatorade, Volkswagen, McDonald’s, Chipotle and Puma. The star player who is expected to deliver when the lights are the brightest.

That burden comes with enormous financial rewards. It also comes with enormous responsibility.

Following Team USA’s stunning 4-1 loss to Belgium in the Round of 16 at the World Cup, no American player has found himself under a harsher spotlight than Pulisic.

Some of the criticism is self-inflicted. Some is warranted. Some has crossed the line into personal attacks. But much of it stems from one unavoidable reality: America’s biggest star simply did not produce on the world’s biggest stage.

Across five matches, Pulisic scored zero goals, had one assist and attempted just three shots. Injuries repeatedly interrupted his tournament. He dazzled during the opening half against Paraguay before a calf injury forced him off. Frankly, he never looked the same again. He missed the Australia match, came off the bench late against Turkey, was solid against Bosnia-Herzegovina, then endured one of the poorest performances of his international career against Belgium, committing 11 first-half turnovers before leaving the game in the 59th minute with an ankle injury.

When asked about the injury immediately after the loss, Pulisic explained he had twisted his ankle before adding, “Now I get time to rest.”

The comment was about recovering from the injury, but the timing of it, especially in the emotional aftermath of such a horrific loss, rubbed fans the wrong way. Former players, including Carli Lloyd, Sydney Leroux, Landon Donovan and Tim Howard, criticized the remark, while social media erupted with accusations that America’s captain lacked urgency or accountability.

Pulisic’s Instagram post Wednesday also felt tone-deaf.

“Tough to find the words,” Pulisic wrote while thanking supporters and calling the tournament “just the start for us.” 

There was no apology. No declaration that the performance fell below his own standards. No promise to work tirelessly and come back stronger. For many supporters, it simply wasn’t enough.

His comments were aligned with what he shared with The Post after the match.

He admitted he was disappointed that he “didn’t quite have the moments” he envisioned. He acknowledged Belgium executed a better game plan. He spoke candidly about the frustration of suffering two injuries during the tournament and repeatedly emphasized that he wants to help the United States “get over that hump” against the world’s elite. Most importantly, he made one thing crystal clear.

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“I’ll be back with the national team, no doubt.”

None of those things should be overlooked, but the larger question now facing U.S. Soccer is whether Pulisic should remain the face of the program moving toward 2030.

Pulisic remains the U.S.’s most gifted one-on-one attacker. No American consistently creates advantages the way he can. He also hasn’t always had ideal circumstances with the national team. At AC Milan, some of his best goal contributions have come alongside elite attacking talent such as Rafael Leão and accomplished strikers like Olivier Giroud and Álvaro Morata. The U.S. has rarely surrounded him with that level of firepower.

But leadership isn’t measured only by talent.

This World Cup introduced another player capable of carrying American soccer into its next chapter: 

Folarin Balogun.

His goals grabbed all the headlines, but his maturity and accountability may have been even more impressive.

When controversy surrounded his red card and FIFA’s shocking decision to lift the suspension before the Belgium match, Balogun reminded everyone that young fans were watching and stressed the importance of responding with composure, even when life feels unfair.

And after the loss to Belgium, he apologized and took accountability:

“I want to say sorry to our fans. It was not good enough when it mattered most and we let you down.”

Those words resonated with fans more than “now I have time to rest” ever will.

Balogun was also seen congratulating Belgian players and coach Rudi Garcia after the final whistle despite their public criticism directed his way.

That combination of production, accountability and emotional maturity feels like the blueprint for the next era of American soccer.

Just as Steve Rogers eventually handed Captain America’s shield to Sam Wilson, maybe this World Cup marked the beginning of a similar passing of the torch.

Christian Pulisic doesn’t need to disappear completely. The United States still needs his creativity, experience and ability to unlock defenses.

But being the face of a national team means carrying victories and defeats with equal weight.

The next World Cup cycle feels less like the end of Pulisic’s story than the beginning of Balogun’s.

Sometimes the strongest leaders don’t surrender the shield because they’re finished.

They pass it on because the future has arrived.