World Cup 2026

How much Pulisic earned from his World Cup advertising deals

Christian Pulisic’s off-field performance was significantly more beneficial than his on-field exploits.

Christian Pulisic’s off-field performance was significantly more beneficial than his on-field exploits.
ALEX GRIMM
Joe Brennan
Football Journalist
Born in Leeds, Joe finished his Spanish degree in 2018 before becoming an English teacher to football (soccer) players and managers, as well as collaborating with various football media outlets in English and Spanish. He joined AS in 2022 and covers both the men’s and women’s game across Europe and beyond.
Update:

Christian Pulisic’s World Cup was a bit of a disaster. While this may appear incredibly hyperbolic I’m only going to stop you on ‘incredibly’, as his performances did not match up with the image of the player projected to the fans in the States. His best moment on the pitch came before the tournament, with a delightful goal against Senegal; his best off it, looking at his bank balance when the commercial deals money came in.

The player crashed out of a World Cup campaign that was, on reflection, something of a disaster. He came into the tournament off the back of a season in Italy that had become a meme thanks to his abysmal scoring run, despite insisting all along that he was just around the corner from life-changing form. Alas, dear reader, it never came, and he left the World Cup injured and on the physio bed as he watched his team lose 4-1 to the might of the Belgians.

It was a huge let down for someone who had quite literally promised us goals and assists all season long. Pulisic has played for some of Europe’s top teams, but at times his stateside image outweighs his actual impact; he is treated as the king of a USMNT that actually boast some genuine up-and-coming stars of European football in Robinson, Tillman, and Balogun.

Pulisic’s crazy World Cup ad earnings

That’s why, according to Front Office Sports, “Pulisic hauls in an estimated $20 million annually from brands such as Puma, Volkswagen, and Hershey," with extra World Cup-themed advertisements that involve yogurt, Visa, and a particularly excruciating deodorant commercial that claims the former Chelsea winger is the person who “changed American soccer.”

Now, he’s not the first player whose image is bigger than his impact. But his ubiquity on billboards and our TV screens remind us of one thing: US sport fans need their idols and individuals to latch onto, and for now at least, ‘Captain America’ is the face of soccer.

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