USMNT's Christian Pulisic and His Teammates Square Off Against Lionel Messi and More World Cup Legends in a New Ad
USMNT's Christian Pulisic and His Teammates Square Off Against Lionel Messi and More World Cup Legends in a New Ad
Staff AuthorTue, May 12, 2026 at 1:05 PM UTC
0
Christian Pulisic and Lionel Messi in a new Michelob Ultra advertisement
Credit: michelob ultra
-
USMNT captain Christian Pulisic tells PEOPLE what it was like to kick it with Lionel Messi, Alex Morgan, and other soccer legends in a new ad
The new advertisement comes ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which kicks off next month
The 2026 World Cup will be held in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada and conclude July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey
Christian Pulisic is kicking it with the best of them in a new advertisement debuting this week.
The United States Men’s Soccer Team captain, 27, stars in a new Michelob Ultra ad airing this week alongside soccer legends Lionel Messi and Alex Morgan, as well as Academy Award-winning actor Billy Bob Thornton.
The new soccer star-studded ad campaign comes amid the build up to the 2026 World Cup, which kicks off next month and takes place in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.
“I'm thrilled,” Pulisic says about the upcoming World Cup. “To have it in the U.S. is just extra special. It definitely feels like a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing ... so I’m looking forward to it.”
Christian Pulisic
Credit: michelob ultra
In the new World Cup ad, Pulisic and Messi, 38, square off in an impromptu hotel lobby soccer match over a bucket of beer. The scrappy match ultimately spills out across the hotel — into the kitchen and through the hallways — while attracting an increasingly large crowd (and some famous faces) along the way.
Advertisement
“It was a super fun commercial,” Pulisic says of the shoot, which allowed him to have fun with record eight-time Ballon d'Or Award winner Messi and many others on set: “I was able to be there with some of my US national team teammates too, which was so cool ... They do a bit of movie magic to get everyone in there at the same time, but it was really great. We had a lot of fun.”
Christian Pulisic
Credit: John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty
Pulisic and the U.S. side manage to outduel Messi and his Argentinian squad in the Michelob spot, but the Pennsylvania-born striker and his U.S. teammates know next month’s World Cup — the largest to ever take place, in ter,s of number of competing teams — won’t be as easy of a task.
After making the Round of 16 knockout stage at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the U.S. is looking to go even further at this year’s event — with their sights set on reaching the country’s first World Cup Final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (And for fans who want to be there to witness the ultimate game, Michelob Ultra is also looking to make that dream come true, offering a fan $90,000 to be on site to carry the fan-voted Superior Player of the Match trophy for the final match.)
“I'm really blessed to be a part of this team, and having been around with the national team for close to a decade now, I just feel really proud to be American, to wear that crest, and to represent our country on the biggest stage,” Pulisic says. “I'm just honored that I get to do it. And I just can't wait for this tournament to begin.”
The World Cup group stage kicks off on June 11, while the U.S. plays its first match on June 13 against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
on People
Source: “AOL Sports”
