It is hard to believe Christian Pulisic is still just 19 in light of his astonishing accomplishments in the game already. - © © imago
It is hard to believe Christian Pulisic is still just 19 in light of his astonishing accomplishments in the game already. - © © imago

Christian Pulisic: Borussia Dortmund's American wonderkid with better stats than Ronaldo and Messi

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The Bundesliga is home to the brightest young talents in world football, but perhaps none more so than Borussia Dortmund's record-breaking attacker Christian Pulisic, who has been fast-tracked to stardom for both club and country. bundesliga.com provides the pertinent details about the American wonderkid...

Christian Pulisic

Age: 19
Club: Dortmund
Position: Winger/attacking midfielder
Country: USA (21 caps, nine goals)

Key stats

Being the scorer of Borussia Dortmund's 3,000th goal is merely a sidenote in the career of the Hershey-born forward, who has been setting records faster than Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. By the time he was 19, Pulisic had played 60 club games, scored nine goals and represented his country 18 times, with seven goals – bettering both FIFA Best Player award winners. The youngest U.S. player to appear in and start a FIFA World Cup qualifying match; the youngest player to score and grab a brace for the USMNT; the youngest American to register a goal and assist in the UEFA Champions League; and the youngest American to lift a major European trophy. Records and Pulisic go hand in hand. With a top speed of 21.4 mph, keep up with him if you can...

Christian Pulisic stacks up favourably when compared to Messi and Ronaldo as teenagers. - © DFL DEUTSCHE FUSSBALL LIGA

Plays a bit like:Marco Reus

Quick, direct, comfortable out wide or wreaking havoc in a more central role, willing to take on a marker, a keen eye for goal and a killer final pass... the comparisons between the two could go on and on. "I've learned so much from Marco," said Pulisic last year. "It's great to have him on the team. I think he plays a similar style to me, so I'm learning a lot from here. It's only going up from here." That is scary news indeed for Dortmund's opponents...

Watch: Dortmund's wonderkid, Pulisic

Did you know?

At the age of seven, Pulisic was already dipping his twinkle toes in European waters at English minnows Brackley Town. By 16, buoyed by a career-shaping stint with the Pennsylvania Classics developmental academy, he had joined Dortmund. After winning youth titles at Under-17 and U-19 level, he was invited by then Dortmund head coach Thomas Tuchel to train with the first team during the 2015/16 winter break. It has been a case of onwards and upwards ever since.

What they're saying

Christian Pulisic: "I try to do the best I can for myself and the people around me. I think I have a lot of things to improve on, from growing physically and getting stronger to improving what it is I feel I do best, running at defenders. I want to find new ways to attack opposition defences and to help my team going forward."

"I would never have expected what he's done and accomplished so far. To be quite honest, as a parent I wish it hadn't gone as fast, because we worry about him missing a lot of his teenage childhood, but I can't have a say in that now. We're just trying to guide him and help him deal with all that's happening." - Mark Pulisic, Christian's father

"It makes you think that this is going to be perhaps the first American superstar in the sport. I'm willing to say that, and you have to be hesitant about this, but this is a very talented young man. First of all, you don't think he's an American. It's a compliment. He looks like a natural on the field. He moves gracefully, he's strong for his size. His speed is incredible, his first touch is good." - former USMNT coach Bruce Arena to CBS

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