Christian Pulisic just pushed his team through to the Round of 16 for the first time in more than two decades, but the Team USA star is still dealing with a dating rumor that he put to rest months ago.
Pulisic and longtime girlfriend Alexa Melton split up just weeks before the start of this year’s World Cup, ending in some controversy as she appeared to make claims of infidelity. That came months after Pulisic addressed a rumor that he was dating a famous American actress — which has resurfaced as Team USA has advanced in the World Cup.
Christian Pulisic Shot Down Sydney Sweeney Dating Rumors
Pulisic returned from injury to help lead his team to a 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, overcoming a red card that took Falorin Balogun out of the match.
The game brought new attention to Pulisic’s personal life, including the breakup with Melton and lingering rumors of a secret and famous girlfriend.
At the time they split in April, Melton appeared to suggest that Pulisic had already jumped on the exclusive dating app Raya before they broke up. Though Melton later walked it back and stressed that she was not accusing Pulisic of cheating, it is not the first time he faced public rumors of infidelity.
Pulisic had been the target of cheating rumors late last year, when reports surfaced that he was dating actress Sydney Sweeney. The men’s soccer star took to social media to push aside the rumors.
“Please stop with the made up stories about my personal life,” Pulisic wrote in his Instagram stories, via the New York Post. “Need to hold sources accountable it can affect people’s lives.”
Pulisic even took to the comment section of another Instagram post saying he was dating the actress, shooting down the reports.
“Fake news guys let’s stop with the silly rumor,” he added.
But the rumors have persisted despite Pulisic’s denials, with some fans still mentioning it on social media following Team USA’s win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday.
Christian Pulisic Made Statement After Breakup
Pulisic had some good things to say about his former partner, saying he enjoyed his time with Melton.
“I only look at her in the most positive way,” Pulisic said in an interview with Time. “She was a lot of fun, and she supported me in every way. She wanted to push me to enjoy my life a little bit more and do things with her and do things just in general. And I was grateful for that.”
Pulisic appeared focused on leading his team to the World Cup as one of the best — and most high-profile — players. Earlier this year, he addressed the responsibility and said he was ready for it.
“You guys want me to feel the pressure, that’s for sure,” Pulisic said, via The Athletic. “There’s pressure. It’s a World Cup. It’s not because of my position in the team or anything. I’m used to this. I wouldn’t want to be in any other position. I’m so lucky. I feel privileged to be in this position. There’s pressure. I feel it. Yes, it’s there. But it’s nothing that I can’t handle.”
Pulisic added that he was happy to be in position to take that pressure, noting that his Team USA teammates were ready as well.
“I’m gonna attack it head on,” he said. “We are as a team. I don’t need to do it by myself. That’s the beauty of it. … I have a whole team behind me, the staff, a country of fans, and I’m just going to do the best I can. That’s all I can do.”
World Cup Star Christian Pulisic Hit With Lingering Sydney Sweeney Rumors