Christian Pulisic of Chelsea in action during a Premier League match against Manchester City.
Breaking boundaries is nothing new for soccer star Christian Pulisic. The two-time U.S. Soccer male player of the year, who turned 21 in September, is the youngest player ever to score a goal for the U.S. men’s national team. He’s the youngest captain in the history of the USMNT and youngest American and Chelsea player to score a hat trick in the English Premier League.
The recent Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree adds a new accomplishment this week off the pitch: the first international ambassador for Chipotle Mexican Grill, which will use Pulisic to promote the fast-casual chain in both the U.S. and the U.K. “I’ve been a lifelong fan of Chipotle,” says Pulisic, who would drive two hours to the nearest location in Frankfurt when he played for Borussia Dortmund in Germany’s Bundesliga.
Chipotle was already an official sponsor of U.S. Soccer and partnered with soccer stars Rose Lavelle, Julie Ertz and Lindsey Horan during the 2019 Women’s World Cup. Chipotle chief marketing officer Chris Brandt says adding Pulisic to these partnerships will help the brand “connect with young athletes to create healthy habits and celebrate soccer in the U.S.”
Only around 40 of the 2,500 Chipotle restaurants are based outside of the U.S., but Pulisic will help raise the brand’s awareness in Europe.
Pulisic’s global profile skyrocketed 12 months ago when Chelsea paid a $73 million transfer fee to acquire the forward from Dortmund. It was more than three times the previous record paid for an American soccer player (John Brooks for $22 million in 2017). He signed a five-year deal with Chelsea that pays $10 million this season.
Pulisic has netted six goals so far this season for Chelsea but has been sidelined since early January with an abductor injury that is expected to keep him out for at least another two weeks. “I’m working hard to get back,” says Pulisic but doesn’t want to rush things and reaggravate the injury.
The torch as the face of American soccer has passed to Pulisic from the previous generation of stars like Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey, as the USMNT looks to recover from its embarrassing exclusion from the 2018 World Cup. Pulisic says the World Cup omission still stings and adds, “It gives you even more motivation to want to be in the next [World Cup] that much more.”
Marketers are getting on board the Pulisic train. He has a multi-year deal with Nike and has been featured in a number of ad campaigns, including the launch of the brand’s Mercurial boots and Chelsea kits for the 2019-20 season. Pulisic worked with the sportswear giant last year to design his own Mercurial cleats featuring Chelsea blue and the American flag.
Pulisic, who was born and raised in Hershey, Pennsylvania, is the first long-term endorsement partner for chocolate manufacturer Hershey with a deal inked in 2018. He was featured in the launch of their Reece’s Outrageous chocolate bar. He appeared in Gatorade’s recent national TV spot alongside Serena Williams and Jason Tatum, and his partnership with Panini America makes him the first U.S. soccer player to be signed to an exclusive memorabilia deal. Forbes estimates Pulisic earns $4 million annually (and growing) off the pitch.
2020-01-15 14:01:52Z
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2020/01/15/american-soccer-phenom-christian-pulisic-adds-chipotle-to-flourishing-endorsement-portfolio/
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