Sporting Kansas City announced today that the club has acquired 28-year-old Mexican striker Alan Pulido as a Designated Player on a club-record transfer fee from C.D. Guadalajara.
Pulido has signed a four-year MLS contract through 2023 and will occupy an international spot on Sporting’s roster pending receipt of his International Transfer Certificate and P1 visa.
Pulido has scored over 100 combined goals for club and country during a decorated career highlighted by five domestic championships, the 2018 Concacaf Champions League title and 13 caps for the Mexico Men’s National Team. The striker joins Sporting after finishing atop the Liga MX scoring charts with 12 goals for C.D. Guadalajara in the 2019 Apertura season this fall.
“We are very excited to add Alan Pulido to our roster ahead of the new season,” Sporting Kansas City Manager and Sporting Director Peter Vermes said. “He is a winner, has a terrific work rate and embodies all of the attributes we value at our club. We also want to thank Chivas for being an incredibly professional partner and appreciate the relationship we have created with them. Alan is ready for this new challenge and looks forward to getting started with us on the field in January.”
2020 TICKETS: Sporting Kansas City full-season, half-season and multi-game ticket packages are on sale now at SportingKC.com. Pulido and Sporting will host rivals Houston Dynamo on March 7 in the club’s home opener at Children’s Mercy Park after kicking off the 2020 MLS campaign at Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Feb. 29.
At the international level, Pulido has bagged five goals for Mexico’s senior team and was part of the El Tri squad at the 2011 Copa America and the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He also led the Mexico U-23s to the 2012 Concacaf Olympic Qualifying Tournament championship at Children’s Mercy Park as the top scorer of the competition.
Born and raised in Ciudad Victoria, Mexico, Pulido developed in the heralded Tigres UANL youth academy before breaking into the first team in 2009 as an 18-year-old. He made an instant impact by helping Tigres to the 2009 North American SuperLiga title, starting in two of three tournament appearances. Two years later, Pulido scored in the decisive second leg of the 2011 Liga MX Apertura Final as Tigres won its first league championship since 1982.
Pulido enjoyed a breakout 2013-14 campaign with 25 goals in all competitions during his final season at Tigres, scoring in the 2014 Copa MX Clausura Final to spark a 3-0 win over Oaxaca and finish as the tournament’s golden boot winner.
Following a successful stint at Tigres, Pulido signed for Greek outfit Levadiakos and scored on his Super League debut before transferring to Greek powerhouse Olympiacos in July of that year. He notched six goals throughout the 2015-16 campaign as Olympiacos claimed the Super League title by a 30-point margin, with Pulido also competing in the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Champions League qualifying during his time with the club.
Pulido returned to Liga MX in August 2016, joining C.D. Guadalajara on a club-record transfer fee where he began a prolific spell at Mexico’s most supported club. His first full season with Chivas yielded 14 goals in all competitions, including goals in both legs of the 2017 Liga MX Clausura Final that propelled Guadalajara to a 4-3 aggregate win over his former club Tigres. Pulido also guided his side to the 2017 Copa MX Clausura title during a double-winning campaign that culminated with his first Liga MX Best XI selection.
Pulido reached even greater heights in 2018, leading Chivas to the Concacaf Champions League title and the club’s first continental championship in 56 years. He played an instrumental role in both legs of a thrilling final against Toronto FC, scoring a brilliant free kick in a 2-1 first-leg win at BMO Field in Toronto and converting his penalty kick in a victorious shootout at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara after the series finished tied 3-3 on aggregate. Pulido’s strike in Toronto was selected as the Goal of the Tournament and he was later named a finalist for the 2018 Concacaf Player of the Year.
The Champions League triumph sent Chivas to the 2018 FIFA Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, where Pulido started in a narrow second-round loss to Japanese side Kashima Antlers. Guadalajara’s appearance in the Club World Cup came midway through a 2018-19 Liga MX season in which Pulido had a team-best seven goals.
An imperious run of form this fall saw Pulido hit 12 goals in 18 Liga MX appearances. He ended the Apertura campaign atop the league’s scoring charts, netting a brace in his final Chivas appearance on Nov. 24 to spur a 3-1 defeat of Veracruz.
Internationally, Pulido has represented Mexico at the U-20, U-23 and senior levels. He led Mexico to the 2011 Concacaf U-20 Championship title, scoring three goals at the tournament, before making five appearances at the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Colombia as El Tri finished in third place.
Pulido and the Mexico U-23s hoisted the Concacaf Olympic Qualifying Tournament title at Children’s Mercy Park in April 2012. The semifinal and final matches both took place in Sporting’s home stadium as Pulido scored in a 3-1 semifinal victory over Canada. He finished as the competition’s leading scorer with five goals, helping Mexico book their place at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, and guided El Tri to the Toulon Tournament championship later that year in France.
Pulido made his senior international debut on Jan. 29, 2014, scoring a hat-trick in a 4-0 friendly win against South Korea in San Antonio, Texas. He added another goal in a 2-2 friendly draw with the United States over two months later and was selected to Mexico’s 23-man squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Pulido scored his fifth Mexico goal in a friendly win over Iceland in February 2017 and last played for El Tri in November 2018, featuring in a friendly loss to Argentina.
For a full list of Sporting's offseason roster moves, visit SportingKC.com/tracker.
Transaction: Sporting Kansas City (MLS) acquires forward Alan Pulido as a Designated Player in a transfer from C.D. Guadalajara (Mexico).
VITALS
Alan Pulido (AH-lahn poo-LEE-dough)
Number: 9
Position: Forward
Born: 3/8/1991 (28 years old)
Height: 5-9
Weight: 150 lbs.
Hometown: Ciudad Victoria, Mexico
Birthplace: Ciudad Victoria, Mexico
Citizenship: Mexico
Former Club: C.D. Guadalajara (Mexico)
Twitter: @alanpulido
Instagram: @alan_pulido17
Alan Pulido – Club Honors
- 2009 North American SuperLiga winner (Tigres)
- Two-time Liga MX champion (2011 Apertura, Tigres; 2017 Clausura, Guadalajara)
- Two-time Copa MX champion (2014 Clausura, Tigres; 2017 Clausura, Guadalajara)
- 2015-16 Super League Greece champion (Olympiacos)
- 2018 Concacaf Champions League winner (Guadalajara)
Alan Pulido – Mexican National Team
- 2011 Concacaf U-20 Championship winner
- 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup Third Place
- 2011 Copa America squad
- 2012 Concacaf Olympic Qualifying Tournament champion (U-23s)
- 2012 Toulon Tournament Champion (U-23s)
- 2014 FIFA World Cup squad
Alan Pulido – Individual Achievements
- 40 goals for Tigres in all competitions (2009-2014)
- 41 goals for Guadalajara in all competitions (2016-2019)
- Five goals in 13 appearances for Mexico Men’s National Team
- 2012 Concacaf Olympic Qualifying Tournament top scorer (Mexico U-23s)
- 2014 Copa MX Clausura top scorer (Tigres)
- 2017 Liga MX Clausura Best XI (Guadalajara)
- 2018 Concacaf Champions League Goal of the Tournament (Guadalajara)
- 2019 Liga MX Clausura top scorer (Guadalajara)
