Now Streaming looks at movies or series related to soccer. Every review gives you all the essentials about said movie or series, explains why you might want to watch it, and assigns a numeric grade on the 10-point Player Rating scale: A 6 is fine, a 7 is good, an 8 is excellent, and a 9 is a golazo.
• Player Rating: 6.5
• Stream: Paramount+
• Running Time: 44 mins
• Audience: Ages 14 and older (due to language/Clint Dempsey)
Pulisic attempts to give Christian Pulisic the David Beckham or Michael Jordan treatment, though with the twist of trying to be a tell-all, behind-the-scenes documentary made while its subject is still actively playing at a high level for AC Milan and the United States men's national team. The potential to learn more about what makes Pulisic tick, and to get candid looks at his on- and off-field life, makes the series compelling, and it will be a worthy watch for USMNT and Serie A fans. But it's not clear how much of himself Christian Pulisic will reveal. While it's fun to see his teammates and family wonder why the supposedly shy, reserved, awkward Pulisic even agreed to participate in a series like Pulisic, there's also not yet convincing evidence provided through Episode 1 that convinces me we need a docuseries like Pulisic.
Christian Pulisic is the undisputed face of the United States men's national team, but the new CBS Sports docuseries Pulisic is ready to turn him into a myth, or legend of the game, at age 26 and without seeming to have attained either status.
The basic concept of Pulisic is enticing, getting behind-the-scenes, candid access to the USMNT captain while he continues his career, the club portion currently played at one of Italy's globally followed clubs, AC Milan.
The first episode of the Paramount+ series – which is billed as a nine-parter with Episode 1 available now and two additional episodes expected later this month, with the rest to follow eventually – centers on Pulisic's new role of significance with Milan. The Derby della Madonnina features prominently at the start, with the significance of the rivalry match between Inter Milan and AC Milan hyped up for anyone not well-reversed on their calcio and their soccer rivalry histories.
It at times comes off a bit like Serie A propaganda, unsurprising given that CBS Sports produced the series, a Paramount+ Original – and given that CBS Sports has American broadcast rights for every Serie A, Coppa Italia, and Italian Supercoppa match.
Pulisic livens up when outside voices like Milan legend-turned-club-employee Zlatan Ibrahimovic, current and former teammates like Weston McKennie and Olivier Giroud, and USMNT legend turned CBS broadcaster Clint Dempsey show up and start to weigh in on Pulisic's importance to his national team and to the sport of soccer here in America.
When the series gives Pulisic himself his moment to finally speak, director Pete Radovich attempts to give him the Michael Jordan-in-ESPN'S The Last Dance treatment, complete with a big armchair for Christian to sit in while he's the sole focus of the assembled cameras.
The problem is that the player in the spotlight in Pulisic doesn't have the deep library of stories and personal lore to trot out and rehash in a documentary like this. He's done plenty to date in his career, but it feels premature to be giving Christian Pulisic this kind of treatment.
Sure, it's interesting to hear Christian Pulisic's agitation at the concept of American soccer players being treated differently while playing in Europe, and it's interesting to get his reasons for doing the series, which seem to be making himself more relatable and inspiring more kids in America to try to be like him.
He also can be a confounding figure to watch and hear discussed during this first episode. Pulisic plays up his down-to-Earth credentials by citing his simple life growing up in Hershey, Pennsylvania, but he's also clearly shown to be a child soccer prodigy born of two former players who has long been the future and present star of both the USMNT and of a few of his club teams.
Those who know Pulisic who get interviewed in the series stress how surprising it is to see him willing and interested in making Pulisic, and Christian leans into the unlikeliness of the series, accepting descriptions of himself as quiet, awkward, somewhat reserved – yet he's also on tape in the first episode speaking with authority when it comes to his goals leading into the 2026 World Cup, and his desires to shape future generations and be an iconic American soccer player.
He seems perfectly extroverted and in control when he wants to be, but the image of the shy quiet guy seems to fit him more comfortably, so he prefers that the world takes that to be his true identity.
Maybe the contradictions and confounding realities of Pulisic the person are the point we'll take away after viewing all future episodes of the series. For now, Pulisic feels like a confused attempt to prematurely coronate America's current biggest soccer star. That might change as more layers of the Pulisic onion get peeled back in future episodes, but The Last Dance this is not.
