Why isn't Christian Pulisic playing for Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics?

Team USA lost to France in their opening soccer game at the Olympic Games this summer 3-0. However, they responded to this by defeating New Zealand 4-1. They now only have to beat Guinea on July 30 to ensure they progress to the quarter-finals.

The United States team will be competing at the Olympics this summer without the help of their best soccer player, Christian Pulisic, who is back in America playing friendly matches right now.

Christian Pulisic has a good reason for not playing in the Olympics

The Olympics are the pinnacle for most sports. However, this is not the case for soccer which has the World Cup is its biggest event. To ensure that the Olympics does not just mirror the World Cup, the games are just a U23 competition. This is barring the exception of three overage players.

Marko Mitrovic -- Team USA's soccer coach -- opted to take Walker Zimmerman, Miles Robinson and Djordje Mihailovic as the overage players to France this summer.

Pulisic is 25 so he could have still been included as an overage player but he is too valuable to his club AC Milan to be allowed to go. The Olympics are not an official international FIFA window so clubs do not have to let their players go to the competition. Pulisic has also already represented the USMNT at Copa America this summer.

When can fans next see Christian Pulisic play next?

Milan are currently on tour in America right now and Pulisic is one of their key players as well as one of the most marketable. The Italian team have already played Manchester City at Yankee Stadium in New York this week.

Pulisic came on as a substitute as his city claimed a 3-2 over City. His next game for Milan will be against Real Madrid at Soldier Field in Chicago on July 31. They will also play Barcelona at the M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on August 6.