Christian Pulisic headlines the launch of Philadelphia’s 2026 World Cup logo

Head over to Lincoln Financial Field any time soon, and you’ll see one of the Philadelphia region’s most famous products in the world’s football.

Christian Pulisic, the Hershey-born superstar of the U.S. men’s soccer team, is featured on a banner hailing Philly’s hosting of the 2026 men’s World Cup that went up next to the Linc’s northwest gate on 11th Street Thursday morning. The banner also includes the new brand logo for the local hosting committee.

Later Thursday, there was a ceremonial raising of a flag with the logo on City Hall’s north plaza.

“It will unite host cities and our city in inviting the World to not just the biggest sporting event on the globe, but also the biggest 40-day party we have ever seen,” host committee executive Meg Kane said. “[The] FIFA World Cup might actually give Taylor Swift a run for her money.”

» READ MORE: Philadelphia unveils its local 2026 men’s World Cup branding

If invoking the Eagles’ most famous fan was daring, putting Pulisic’s face on the Linc felt almost like an establishment move. Soccer still has plenty of detractors in the Philly region, but Pulisic’s fame and big-brand marketing cachet make him as close to a mainstream figure as the U.S. men have ever produced.

Kane said Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer, the regional governing body where Pulisic’s old youth club PA Classics played, helped get his image rights for the banner. She also said other locally-raised soccer products, such as Medford’s Brenden and Paxten Aaronson and Downingtown’s Zack Steffen, could feature in publicity in the future.

Brenden Aaronson had his star-turn moment last fall when the popular “Ted Lasso” show saluted him with a banner at Kirby’s Mill, on the Rancocas Creek.

Earlier Thursday, FIFA unveiled the brand logos for Philadelphia and the other 15 cities across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Philly’s design has a lot of blue, yellow, red, and very bright green – the last of which local organizers told FIFA would go over well here.

“You know what it’s a nod to,” Kane said, given where she was standing, “and it was a special request.”

» READ MORE: ‘Ted Lasso’ puts up a banner in Medford to cheer on Brenden Aaronson at the World Cup

A plaque installed next to the banner carries a short written message for passers-by: “This once-in-a-generation opportunity will welcome The Beautiful Game to the City of Brotherly Love, delivering the authentic, passionate Philly experience to fans around the world.”

City representative Sheila Hess highlighted the World Cup’s place in a year of big events for Philadelphia in 2026, including the United States’ 250th birthday. One of them will be another big sports spectacle, Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park.

“It is going to be a year to remember, a year to last a lifetime,” Hess said. “We cannot wait to welcome, truly welcome – a Philadelphia, warm, heartfelt welcome – [for] fans around the world who will be right here at Lincoln Financial Field, to share the authentic Philadelphia fan experience.”

That experience, Hess joked, might even include “how they can climb those light poles, to get a little taste of what it’s like to be a true Philadelphian.”

“But on a serious note,” Hess continued, “with more countries and cities and teams and games than ever before, [the] FIFA World Cup 2026 will be the largest, the most inclusive, and the most diverse sporting event ever … We are absolutely thrilled to share our home with the world.”