Milan is preparing for one of its most crucial stretches of the season, and Christian Pulisic returns from international duty with the spotlight firmly on him. After a turbulent break with the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT), the American star is set to rejoin a side heavily dependent on his contributions.
He will now return to Serie A derby action against Napoli following a difficult international break where the USMNT suffered disappointing losses to Panama and Canada, surrendering the CONCACAF Nations League crown. Despite the struggles with the national team, Pulisic’s role at Milan is unquestioned — and the club will look to him again to lead by example.
Alongside Tijjani Reijnders, the 26-year-old is poised to continue driving the Rossoneri forward, and intriguingly, he also has a piece of club history within touching distance — one that involves one of the greatest names to ever wear the Red and Black’s kit.
Milan’s reliance on Pulisic and Reijnders
Despite a season filled with injuries, inconsistency, and the looming pressure of maintaining UEFA Champions League qualification, Pulisic has emerged as one of Milan’s two most decisive players, sharing the responsibility with Dutch midfielder Tijjani Reijnders. The former Premier League winger has thrived under two different managers this season, delivering performances that have quickly elevated him to talisman status at San Siro.
La Gazzetta dello Sport highlighted this remarkable influence, stating that, “When considering only the midfielders – at most wingers or the attacking midfielders, but not centre-forwards – Pulisic and Reijnders are the second-best duo of the last 20 years for Milan in Serie A.” Their combined numbers have been staggering. Between them, the pair have 28 goal contributions in just 29 league games, maintaining an impressive average of 0.96 contributions per match.
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Establishing roots: Pulisic breaks Kaka’s 18-year record at Milan
This return is reminiscent of another iconic Il Diavolo pairing. However, the full scale of Pulisic’s potential achievement will only become apparent when looking deeper into the record books.
Benchmark duo: Kaka and Seedorf
The mystery that has been quietly building around Pulisic’s individual goal-scoring efforts this season comes into focus when placed against a towering record from the late 2000s. It is none other than Kaka‘s historic 2007-08 FIFA Club World Cup and Ballon d’Or-winning campaign that the USMNT star now has in his sights.
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Back then, Kaka and Clarence Seedorf combined for a monumental 38 goals and assists in Serie A, setting a standard that no Milan midfield partnership has come close to matching — until now. The Brazilian maestro had 15 goals and 11 assists that season, while his accomplished Dutch teammate added seven goals and five assists. That campaign may have ended with the Italian giant finishing fifth, but the individual brilliance of their midfield duo became a lasting reference point for future generations.
Now, Pulisic and Reijnders are on the brink of challenging that record. With nine games remaining, the prolific winger already has nine goals and six assists, while Reijnders has added nine goals and three assists. The math is simple — they need just ten more goal contributions combined to equal Kaka and Seedorf’s tally.
SurveyWhich player do you believe has had a bigger impact on Milan this season?
Which player do you believe has had a bigger impact on Milan this season?
