ORLANDO, Fla. — It’s become a relatively easy and clichéd crutch of a nickname. And it’s been popular for so long that one of the original Captain Americas, Claudio Reyna, has a son who’s a U.S. men’s national team regular. If you’re American and you do well at a foreign club, there’s a decent chance that fans, media or both are going to dub you ‘Captain America.’ It’s catchy, and it doesn’t require much creativity or effort.
Christian Pulisic may have bald eagle and flag tattoos on his left arm, and he’s certainly done well for foreign teams, winning major trophies at both Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea. But even though the London club leans into that lay-up of a nickname, Pulisic has said that he doesn’t really feel like a ‘Captain America.’
“I’m not a big fan of being called that, to be honest,” he told GQ early last year.
