Olivier Giroud Praises Christian Pulisic After Paraguay Performance
olivier giroud praised Christian Pulisic after the United States’ opening match against Paraguay at the 2026 World Cup, saying the American attacker has everything needed to push the team further in the coming weeks. Giroud’s view came after Pulisic turned in a strong performance in the opener and after three seasons spent sharing dressing rooms at Chelsea and Milan AC.
Giroud on Pulisic
Giroud said he knows Pulisic well and values him highly. “J’ai des très bons amis qui jouent dans différentes équipes à ce Mondial, pas seulement en France. L’un des joueurs que je connais le mieux et que j’estime le plus est Christian Pulisic. Sa belle prestation contre le Paraguay ne m’a pas surpris, car je pense qu’il a tout ce qu’il faut pour amener la sélection américaine plus loin dans les prochaines semaines,” he said.
That praise came with a clear comparison. Giroud said Pulisic reminded him of Eden Hazard because of how he took on defenders and dribbled past them with ease. He drew the line between the two by saying Hazard played football for enjoyment and did not overthink things, while Pulisic sometimes carried too much pressure and too many thoughts.
Chelsea and Milan AC
The comparison carries extra weight because Giroud and Pulisic shared dressing rooms at Chelsea and Milan AC for three seasons. That stretch gave Giroud a close view of how Pulisic handled different settings, and it is why he spoke about the American’s game with the kind of detail that comes from seeing it every day, not from a one-off match.
Giroud also said Serie A clearly affected Pulisic’s career. In his view, the Italian setting helped him mature and gain experience, the same league environment that shaped Giroud’s own recent club years before he moved to Lille. Pulisic’s Milan AC teammates even nicknamed him Captain America, a sign that he had already become a central figure in that dressing room.
Serie A and the U.S. attack
Giroud’s final point went beyond Pulisic alone. He said his combinations with Rafael Leão were perfect, then added that it was exactly the kind of connection the United States would need. That frames Pulisic not just as a scorer or dribbler, but as the player around whom the Americans can build their next attacking step at this World Cup.
For the United States, the immediate takeaway is straightforward: one of the most experienced forwards to play alongside Pulisic at two major European clubs believes the midfielder-forward has the tools to carry the team deeper into the tournament. For Pulisic, the stronger showing against Paraguay only sharpened that case.
