Why is Christian Pulisic called the 'LeBron James of soccer?'

The USA have already played a big part in the World Cup this year after holding England to a goalless draw and advancing to the Round of 16, and their talisman is undoubtedly Christian Pulisic.

The 24-year-old is the most high-profile member of the American side, having played in both the Bundesliga and the Premier League in his career to date.

While his teammate Tyler Adams is wearing the captain’s armband for the side this year, Pulisic is known as “Captain America” by fans.

He’s also known as the “LeBron James of soccer” by some – but why?

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It stems from an episode of Pawn Stars from 2021 which saw a football fan try to flog a Chelsea shirt signed by Pulisic.

The man selling the item tries to ramp up interest by calling Pulisic the “LeBron James of soccer” before asking $1500 for the shirt.

Pulisic is the most famous footballer currently playing in the US and LeBron James is probably the most high-profile basketball player in the US.

However, the clip was met with some derision at the time by some football fans in the UK. At one point an expert comes on to talk about the shirt and says that Pulisic is ‘being compared to the likes of Messi and Ronaldo’.

Pulisic and James are two of the most famous athletes in the USGetty

Of course, as good as Pulisic is, this is a farfetched comparison. In reality, Pulisic has made an adequate impact during his time at Chelsea and has been in and out the team.

His talent is clear, but he’s clearly not at the level of the top players in the world just yet.

The USA will now play the Netherlands in their Round of 16 game at 3pm on Saturday (December 3).

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