Christian Pulisic is the highest-paid U.S. men’s national team player at the 2026 World Cup, estimated at $27.5 million over the past 12 months before taxes and agents’ fees. The wider U.S. top-earnings group—from Weston McKennie and Timothy Weah to Chris Rich
For Christian Pulisic, the numbers tell the story before the tournament even kicks off.
The 27-year-old is estimated to have collected $27.5 million in total compensation over the past 12 months before taxes and agents’ fees. making him the highest-paid U.S. Men’s National Team player at the 2026 World Cup. And while his play matters. the bulk of that figure is tied to something bigger than a match report: endorsements. licensing. and a brand presence built for the screens that dominate sports attention.
Off the field. Pulisic’s estimated $20 million comes from a lengthy list of 14 partners. including major brands such as McDonald’s. Pepsi. AT&T and Puma. His likeness has also appeared on consumer-packaged goods like Ritz crackers, Chips Ahoy!. cookies and Sour Patch Kids candy. He’s even starred in a recent Michelob Ultra commercial alongside Argentina’s Lionel Messi.
On the field, Pulisic’s estimate is about $7.5 million—tied to his contract with AC Milan, the Italian club he joined in 2023 on a transfer worth up to $24.2 million.
It’s a dramatic shift from the U.S. soccer economy of more than a decade ago. Retired star Clint Dempsey led the U.S. at the World Cup in 2014 as the team’s top-paid player on the field. reportedly earning $7.8 million over the preceding 12 months with MLS’ Seattle Sounders. Yet Dempsey’s off-the-field estimated total was only around $2 million—together. roughly $10 million. according to Forbes—showing how different the commercial landscape looked when American soccer was still building its global pitch.
Twelve years later, the World Cup is coming to North America for the first time in more than three decades. That timing is part of the reason brands are moving faster and spending more—not just on players, but on the idea of players as faces of major events.
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. She described it as brands “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 also said that, going back 15 to 20 years, the commercial case for soccer in the U.S. was largely based “off of faith.” Now, she points to American talent appearing on soccer’s highest stages more often than ever—making the sport more predictable to sell.
Pulisic is one example Bradley’s comments orbit toward: he has scored the most UEFA Champions League goals by an American player, with 12. His name appears beside four current teammates on that list—Weston McKennie, Ricardo Pepi, Folarin Balogun and Malik Tillman.
The economics of fandom are changing too. Bradley said players have essentially grown up on social media. building their own brands for years. and that the opportunity set has evolved. “The ceiling has exploded, and with it, the floor has also come up,” she said. “It’s just a completely different ballgame.”.
Still, the attention—and the money—aren’t spread evenly.
Across the U.S. roster, Weston McKennie ranks No. 2 at the 2026 World Cup with $15 million in total earnings, trailing Pulisic by more than eight figures. Timothy Weah lands third with $9.5 million. Chris Richards is fourth with $7.5 million. Tyler Adams and Sergiño Dest round out the top five, tied at $7 million. Tillman and Antonee Robinson just miss 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. That still pales beside the $675 million figure attributed to the five best-earners from the rest of the world at this year’s tournament. but Bradley does not frame the Americans’ rising paydays as a one-time bump.
She said the commercial value of these players remains “partly a function of how often you become dinner table conversation. ” and that “there’s just no question that LeBron [James] is still going to win out over a Christian [Pulisic].” But over time. Bradley expects a different kind of sports fandom—an affinity for athletes over teams and big world events like a World Cup and like Champions League. The “magic formula,” she said, is how players can pair brand marketability with on-field performance.
The five earners aren’t just high-dollar names; they also come with details that show how broad their commercial footprints have become.
Pulisic, beyond his AC Milan figure and $20 million in endorsements, has already had a hometown moment. A Hershey’s limited-edition candy bar was announced with Pulisic’s signature on the wrapper—Hershey’s is based in Pulisic’s hometown of Hershey, Pa.
McKennie, despite scoring 12 goals in 66 international matches, is valued for versatility. He has played multiple midfield and forward positions for the U.S. Men’s National Team in the nine years since his senior debut. Off the field, his partnerships include Puma, Celsius and Chobani, and he has a contract with Juventus extended until 2030.
Timothy Weah’s path includes a high-profile choice about national allegiance early on. He chose the U.S. over Liberia, France and Jamaica. He has spent his entire club career in Europe. playing for Paris Saint-Germain. Celtic. Juventus and Marseille. where he is currently on loan. His brand deals include New Balance and hydration company Electrolit. and he joined the ownership group of USL club Brooklyn FC in 2024. Weah’s father, George Weah, later became president of Liberia.
Chris Richards’ status for the World Cup has been questioned since he tore two left ankle ligaments in a Premier League game last month. He skipped the U.S.’s last two friendlies, but he was a full participant in practice earlier this week. Richards has won a UEFA Conference League title with Crystal Palace this past season. and works with Crocs. Bank of America. Kellanova (formerly the Kellogg Company) and Nike.
Tyler Adams has dealt with recurring hamstring issues and was absent from USMNT practice earlier this week. a move the team attributed to load management. He captained the squad as a 23-year-old at the 2022 World Cup. and he appeared in 26 matches for Bournemouth this past season. Adams has also dabbled in ownership, with stakes in USL clubs Westchester SC and the Hudson Valley Hammers.
Sergiño Dest’s story runs through family and identity. Born in the Netherlands. he initially tried for the Dutch national youth setup. but he said that “Every time I got to the [last round of selection] for the Netherlands youth team. I didn’t make it. ” in an interview with ESPN in 2020. Because his father 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 U.S. debut in 2019 and was a key member of the 2022 World Squad, appearing in all four of America’s games. Dest also has almost 3 million followers between Instagram. X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok. and he appeared alongside Pulisic and Messi in the recent Michelob Ultra commercial.
Behind the paychecks is a specific way the figures were assembled. The list of highest-paid U.S. Men’s National Team players at the World Cup reflects earnings estimates for the 2025-26 season, with all figures 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 include endorsements, licensing, appearances and memorabilia, plus cash returns from businesses where the athlete has a significant interest.
The estimates are drawn 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. and it includes payouts for equity stakes athletes have sold. Taxes and agents’ fees, as well as transfer fees, were excluded.
The result is a picture that lands on one idea more sharply than any single headline ever could: at this World Cup, money doesn’t just follow games. It follows attention—and the U.S. players who have learned to command it are now reshaping what soccer stardom looks like in North America.
2026 World Cup Christian Pulisic USMNT Weston McKennie Timothy Weah Chris Richards Tyler Adams Sergiño Dest earnings endorsements sports marketing