The 22-year-old has earned comparisons to one of the world’s most famous superheroes
Christian Pulisic may not like it but his nickname of ‘Captain America’ has certainly stuck.
Since making his professional debut for Dortmund in January 30, Pulisic has carried the hopes of the U.S. men’s national team on his shoulders.
Arguably, as the most talented USMNT player ever, he has been dubbed Captain America, named after the famous Marvel Comics character.
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Who is the ‘real’ Captain America?
Captain America is a Marvel Comics superhero who dresses in the red, white and blue colours of the American flag.
Dating back to his creation by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon in 1941, the unashamedly patriotic super-soldier for the American government was invented in response to World War II.
The alter ego of Steve Rogers, the Marvel hero boasts increased strength, speed, agility, durability and mental processing power after he was given the super-soldier serum. He also wields a shield that’s almost entirely indestructable.
Captain America is also one of the leaders of the Avengers – a team of superheroes brought together on the big screen by the Marvel Universe.
How has the nickname been used?
Since moving to Chelsea for £57.6m ($73m), the attention on the winger has only intensified.
It has led him to receive more column inches than most, playing at one of the world’s top clubs, in the most talked-about league while serving as a posterboy for American soccer.
The name Captain America has been known to be used in the dressing room environment, having also been used by written media for sometime.
Having recently won his first trophy as the captain of his national team, Pulisic appeared on the huge U.S. daytime TV show Good Morning America. The host Michael Strahan introduced him as Captain America in his latest high-profile appearance to a mass audience in the United States.
What does Pulisic think about the nickname?
Despite the popular usage, Pulisic doesn’t like the nickname Captain America.
“I’m not a big fan of being called that, to be honest – especially by my teammates,” Pulisic told GQ when asked about the moniker.
It could be in part due to Pulisic not enjoying the limelight of the professional sports world as much as most. Equally, he bears a lot of pressure through his status for his national team that has seen him earn both a lot of hype and vilification.
Ultimately, a nickname is not something you can control when it comes into such popular usage, so the forward might have to embrace it in the years to come.