McKennie Blazes Trail to 2026 World Cup with Record-Breaking Performance
Few Serie A players can match the current form of U.S. men's national team standout Weston McKennie.
The Juventus midfielder has been exceptional over the past four months and demonstrated this again with his strike in Sunday's 2–2 stalemate with Lazio. McKennie has now established himself as the Serie A midfielder with the highest goal tally across all competitions since Oct. 30, when Luciano Spalletti replaced Igor Tudor as head coach.
Describing the managerial change as a career revival for the 27-year-old would be putting it mildly.
McKennie has transformed from a player with an expiring deal that the Old Lady seemed reluctant to extend into one of their most crucial assets during this remarkable resurgence. Against Lazio, his strike ignited a fightback that earned a crucial point, despite the Turin club dominating proceedings and registering 34 shots compared to their rivals' nine.
WESTON MCKENNIE IS SCORCHING FOR JUVENTUS! pic.twitter.com/wBPHm0xQ0S
Juventus rallied from being 2–0 down after Pedro and Gustav Isaksen found the net either side of the interval. McKennie's strike arrived in the 59th minute, as he powered home Andrea Cambiaso's delivery during an intense period of offensive dominance.
His goal shifted momentum, paving the way for Pierre Kalulu's leveler deep into added time.
Beyond his goal, McKennie registered five attempts and successfully completed 28 of 33 passes as he helped Juventus retain fourth position in Serie A, maintaining a three-point advantage for the final Champions League qualification spot ahead of Roma.
For McKennie, the priority remains sustaining this excellent run. Within five weeks, he will presumably rejoin the USMNT setup under head coach Mauricio Pochettino, and his enhanced adaptability and self-belief could prove vital in upcoming matches against Belgium and Portugal before this summer's World Cup.
Eyes on 2030 Potential
Eyes on 2030 Potential
While the foundation of the 2026 World Cup roster appears largely settled, opportunities exist to include a player as a training participant in March or June camps.
Though Gianluca Busio isn't particularly youthful at 23, his USMNT prospects remain unclear. He recently netted his fifth goal of the 2025–26 campaign with Venezia, as they pursue promotion back to Serie A following their previous season's demotion.
This week, he was again influential, generating three scoring opportunities across the complete 90 minutes in a 2–1 victory over second-placed Frosinone. Following this triumph, Venezia extended their winning run to five matches and hold a four-point lead atop the standings, with Busio contributing significantly throughout.
Elsewhere, in Eastern Europe, a dual-eligible talent has generated attention.
Rokas Pukštas, who has represented U.S. youth sides, netted his fifth goal this season for Croatian powerhouse Hajduk Split, securing a 2–0 victory against NK Slaven Belupo and keeping them within five points of table-toppers Dinamo Zagreb.
⚽️HAJDUK - SLAVEN BELUPO 1:0 - Nije se dugo čekalo na vodeći pogodak Hajduka, Pukštas je još jednom bio na pravom mjestu. #hnl #sshnl #supersporthnl #hajduk #slavenbelupo pic.twitter.com/ImNR6ZmlBC
An alumnus of the Sporting Kansas City development system, Pukštas remains uncapped by Lithuania or the U.S., but has been earning regular playing time in a competitive league and represents an intriguing future prospect. The 21-year-old also benefits from working under former Barcelona legend Ivan Rakitić, who serves as the club's technical director after being Pukštas's teammate in 2024–25.
While Pochettino appears to have essentially finalized his squad for this summer's World Cup, both Busio and Pukštas could emerge as candidates when focus turns to 2030, possibly even as additional personnel this summer to begin that development cycle.