Christian Pulisic may not come close to Cristiano Ronaldo’s $230 million in estimated playing wages or the $70 million that Lionel Messi is believed to make from his marketing and business endeavors off the pitch, but he does OK for an American.
The 27-year-old is the highest-paid U.S. Men’s National Team player at the 2026 World Cup, having collected an estimated $27.5 million in total compensation over the past 12 months before taxes and agents’ fees.
For Pulisic, the bulk of that figure comes from his status as American soccer’s busiest pitchman. He earns an estimated $20 million from a lengthy list of partners that runs 14 deep and includes blue chip brands such as McDonald’s, Pepsi, AT&T and Puma. More recently, his likeness has appeared on consumer-packaged goods like Ritz crackers, Chips Ahoy! cookies and Sour Patch Kids candy, and he starred in recent a Michelob Ultra commercial alongside Argentina’s Messi.
MORE: The Highest-Paid Players at the 2026 World Cup
On the field, Pulisic pulled in roughly $7.5 million from his contract with AC Milan, the Italian club he joined in 2023 on a transfer worth up to $24.2 million.
That level of financial production would have been unimaginable more than a decade ago. Retired star Clint Dempsey led his teammates as the USMNT’s top-paid player on the field at the World Cup in 2014, reportedly earning $7.8 million over the preceding 12 months with MLS’ Seattle Sounders. But America’s all-time leading scorer (he’s tied with Landon Donovan) was only pulling around $2 million from his off-the-field endeavors, which gave him an estimated total of roughly $10 million, according to Forbes.
Twelve years later, brands are keen on getting involved in the first World Cup on North American soil in more than three decades. Kerry Bradley, the senior vice president of strategy at agency Horizon Sports & Experiences, said her company’s soccer portfolio has grown considerably over the past 12 months as “more and more brands are waking up to the realization that there’s this little thing called the World Cup coming and maybe we should think through our soccer strategy.”
Bradley added that going back 15 to 20 years ago, the commercial case for soccer in the U.S. was largely based “off of faith.” But the talent of American players has grown by leaps and bounds, with the current generation of players featuring on soccer’s highest stages more often than ever. Pulisic, for example, has scored the most UEFA Champions League goals by an American player, with 12, and he’s flanked on the list by four of his current teammates—Weston McKennie, Ricardo Pepi, Folarin Balogun and Malik Tillman.
Coupled with the fact that these players have essentially grown up on social media and have been building their own brands for years, the types of marketing opportunities available to them have evolved. “The ceiling has exploded, and with it, the floor has also come up,” Bradley said. “It’s just a completely different ballgame.”
Still, much of that interest is concentrated at the top of the roster. McKennie ranks No. 2 among U.S. players at the 2026 World Cup with $15 million in total earnings, trailing Pulisic by more than eight figures. Timothy Weah landed third at $9.5 million, followed by Chris Richards in fourth with $7.5 million. Tyler Adams and Sergiño Dest rounded out the top five, tied at $7 million. Meanwhile, Tillman and Antonee Robinson just missed the cut.
In total, the five highest-paid U.S. players at the 2026 World Cup earned a combined $66.5 million, excluding the tie for the last slot. And while that’s nowhere close to the $675 million of the five best-earners from the rest of the world at this year’s tournament, Bradley doesn’t see the Americans’ increasing paydays as a one-time blip.
“The commercial value for these players is still partly a function of how often you become dinner table conversation, and there’s just no question that LeBron [James] is still going to win out over a Christian [Pulisic],” she said.
“But over time, what we’re going to see is this new age of sports fandom and this affinity for athletes over teams and big world events like a World Cup and like Champions League, and I think the ability for these players to combine their brand marketability with the on-field performance, that’s the magic formula.”
The Highest-Paid U.S. Players at the 2026 World Cup
1. Christian Pulisic: $27.5 million
On-Field: $7.5 million | Off-Field: $20 million | Age: 27 | Club: AC Milan
At just 27 years old, Pulisic has already become one of the most accomplished Americans to lace up his boots. He won the Italian Super Cup in Milan, Champions League and the Club World Cup while at Chelsea, the German Cup with Borussia Dortmund and three CONCACAF Nations League titles as a member of the USMNT. With his star rapidly on the rise entering the 2026 World Cup, the Hershey, Pa., native recently had a full-circle moment. Hershey’s, one of the largest chocolate manufacturers in the world that’s based in Pulisic’s hometown, announced a limited-edition candy bar with the American star’s signature on the wrapper.
2. Weston McKennie: $15 million
On-Field: $7 million | Off-Field: $8 million | Age: 27 | Club: Juventus
McKennie isn’t known for lighting up the scoreboard—he’s only scored 12 goals in 66 matches on the international level. But he’s played a critical role as a “Swiss Army Knife” for the U.S. Men’s National Team in the nine years since his senior debut, playing multiple midfield and forward positions. McKennie fills a similar role with his club team, Italian power Juventus, which recently extended his contract until 2030. Off the field, he works with a group of seven brand partners, including Puma, Celsius and Chobani.
3. Timothy Weah: $9.5 million
On-Field: $6 million | Off-Field: $3.5 million | Age: 26 | Club: Marseille
The son of African soccer legend George Weah, who later became the president of Liberia, Weah had a choice to make when it came to which country he would represent at the international level. Early on, he chose the U.S. over Liberia, France and Jamaica, adding to America’s modern crop of young talent. On the club side, Weah has spent the entirety of his career in Europe, playing for Paris Saint-Germain, Celtic, Juventus and Marseille, where he’s currently on loan. The 26-year-old has brand deals with New Balance and hydration company Electrolit, and he also joined the ownership group of USL club Brooklyn FC in 2024.
4. Chris Richards: $7.5 million
On-Field: $5 million | Off-Field: $2.5 million | Age: 26 | Club: Crystal Palace
Richards’ status for the World Cup has been in question since he tore two left ankle ligaments in a Premier League game last month. He skipped the U.S.’s last two friendlies, but the defender was a full participant in practice earlier this week. A UEFA Conference League champion with Crystal Palace this past season, Richards works with Crocs, Bank of America, Kellanova (formerly the Kellogg Company) and Nike off the pitch.
5. (tie) Tyler Adams: $7 million
On-Field: $5.5 million | Off-Field: $1.5 million | Age: 27 | Club: Bournemouth
Adams has struggled with recurring hamstring issues over the years, and he was absent from the USMNT practice earlier this week, a move the team attributed to load management. It’s hard to imagine America advancing too far without Adams, who captained the squad as a 23-year-old at the 2022 World Cup. He appeared in 26 matches for overachieving Premier League club Bournemouth this past season. Outside of his playing career, Adams has dabbled in ownership, with stakes in USL clubs Westchester SC and the Hudson Valley Hammers.
5. (tie) Sergiño Dest: $7 million
On-Field: $6 million | Off-Field: $1 million | Age: 25 | Club: PSV Eindhoven
Being born in the Netherlands, Dest initially went down the path of playing for the Dutch national team. “Every time I got to the [last round of selection] for the Netherlands youth team, I didn’t make it,” he told ESPN in 2020. But thanks to his father, who was born in Suriname, emigrated to the U.S. and fought in the Vietnam War, Dest had access to an American passport. He made his senior debut with the U.S. in 2019 and was a key member of the 2022 World Squad, appearing in all four of America’s games. Dest is one of the USMNT’s popular players on social media, with almost 3 million followers between Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok, and he also appeared alongside Pulisic and Messi in the recent Michelob Ultra commercial.
Methodology
Sportico’s list of the highest-paid U.S. Men’s National Team players at the World Cup reflects earnings estimates for the 2025-26 season. All figures were rounded to the nearest half-million.
The on-field figures include base salaries, bonuses and, in some cases, club-based image rights agreements. Off-field numbers are comprised of endorsements, licensing, appearances and memorabilia, as well as cash returns from any businesses in which the athlete has a significant interest.
The estimates are derived from publicly available databases, including Capology.com, and from conversations with industry insiders and experts. All figures are converted to U.S. dollars at the current exchange rate. Sportico does not count investment income or dividends in these calculations. Payouts for equity stakes athletes have sold are included.
Taxes and agents’ fees, as well as transfer fees, were also excluded.
