"What I do on the field... show them that way" - When Christian Pulisic responded to trolls after Carli Lloyd compared him to Lionel Messi

Chaos ensued in football circles when Carli Lloyd compared Lionel Messi with her countryman Christian Pulisic. Fans slammed the former United States Women's Soccer National Team (USWNT) star for the unusual comparison, but the AC Milan star remained unperturbed by Lloyd's comments.

Ahead of the 2024 Copa America, the former USWNT international made the claim which led to widespread criticism. Speaking to Fox Sports in the summer, Lloyd admitted that although there's nobody like Messi other players such as Jude Bellingham and Pulisic have comparable talent.

"There is nobody like Messi and I don't think that there will be somebody like Messi; it's a generational talent. It's like Maradona. And then Messi has had that crown. But there are other players, Jude Bellingham, you know Pulisic's coming up," she said.

This led to the 42-year-old player-turned-pundit receiving a barrage of abuses from fans. They mocked her for comparing legends such as Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi with Pulisic.

The 26-year-old United States Men's National Soccer Team (USMNT) captain, however, dismissed the trolls and instead focused on talking about his effort on the field and in training. In an interview with ESPN after Lloyd's claim, Pulisic spoke about leading by example for the national side.

"For me, it's really important to lead by just the way I conduct myself every single day in training, around the hotel, around the guys. Also, what I do on the field, in the game and show them that way," Pulisic said.

He added that he wants to inspire his teammates through his work ethic.

"I don't say much. I try to just put my head down and work and work, and I hope that people around see that and that can have a domino effect on everyone," he added.

Unfortunately for Pulisic, however, he failed to inspire USA at the 2024 Copa America, where they were the co-hosts. His team made an early exit at the tournament after losing two matches in the group stage.

Carli Lloyd clarifies comments comparing Lionel Messi with Pulisic

After Lloyd's statements about Lionel Messi, she was trolled on social media with fans questioning her judgement. She had to issue a clarification after her comment where she slammed trolls, asking them to stop jumping to conclusions.

She posted on her X account, writing she won't tolerate abusive language and called for fans to relax.

"You all need to relax and chill out. Messi has and will always be in league of his own. There will never be another Pele, Maradona or Messi. There are other stars that could shine during these tournaments. Bellingham, Pulisic, Musiala, Vinicius Junior. I won’t tolerate abusive language toward me so ✌🏼," she posted on social media.

Although Lionel Messi suffered an injury in the final, Argentina ended up winning the tournament to hand the 8-time Ballon d'Or winner his second Copa triumph.