ไทย
English
中國人
In just over a month, players from the U.S. men's national team will gather in Los Angeles from across the globe, with standout midfielder Weston McKennie set to lead the way.
The Stars and Stripes kick off their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign against Paraguay on June 12 at SoFi Stadium, and McKennie, despite returning to his home country, will be among those making one of the longest journeys to get there.
The 27-year-old from Little Elm, Texas, is currently based in Italy, excelling in Serie A with Juventus and delivering the finest football of his career—a source of immense pride for both himself and the country as the world's biggest tournament draws near.
"Right now, I'm fully in club mode, focused on the goals we're trying to achieve here," McKennie told Sports Illustrated as part of a Purina campaign. "I'm locked in here at the moment, but I think as the tournament gets closer, it'll start to sink in and hit me like, 'Oh, it's almost time.'
"I'm feeling great and confident. This has been my best season yet, and there's no better moment to be performing like this than heading into a World Cup."
It's not only McKennie's recent form—where he's recorded a career-high 15 goal contributions across all competitions as a key figure for the Italian club—that fuels optimism for a national team hoping for a fairytale run on home turf this summer, but also his belief in his now-experienced teammates and head coach Mauricio Pochettino.
A USMNT Squad Full of Seasoned Veterans
When the USMNT took the field at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, it marked the squad's first tournament appearance since 2014, following their failure to qualify for the 2018 edition. As a result, only one player on the 2022 roster had prior World Cup experience—DeAndre Yedlin.
This time around, Pochettino is expected to have at least 12 players on his roster who featured in Qatar, where the USMNT's run came to an end in the round of 16. McKennie is among them, and he believes that experience will be a crucial factor in their success.
"It definitely makes a difference," says McKennie, who started all four matches in 2022. "It's like sitting an exam once and then having to retake it a year later. It helps you mentally and allows you to prepare in a completely different way.
"This time, with so many guys on the team who've already been to a World Cup and understand what each match demands and what it takes to win, that experience goes a long way."
The eighth-ranked Netherlands eliminated the young Americans in the round of 16 with a 3–1 victory at Khalifa International Stadium, as the U.S. fielded four of the five youngest starting lineups at that World Cup. Even so, McKennie wouldn't change his approach heading into this tournament, trusting in the mindset that has sustained his professional career over the past decade.
"Personally, going into every game—whether it's a friendly, a World Cup match, a club game, or a five-a-side street game—I'm incredibly competitive," he says. "I want to win everything, so it's not like I went into the last World Cup thinking, 'It's fine either way.' I want to win, so mentally, my preparation won't change.
"It's more about taking what I experienced in the last one and using the feeling of being knocked out as fuel for this time around."
Mauricio Pochettino's Tactical Style
McKennie, who made his national team debut back in 2017, has worked under several USMNT managers over the years, including Gregg Berhalter and B.J. Callaghan, with the most recent being Pochettino, who stepped into the role in September 2024 with the specific aim of guiding the team to a strong World Cup showing.
The midfielder says he has adapted well to the former Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, and Tottenham Hotspur boss.
"As a player and athlete, you go through coaching changes throughout your career—it's inevitable," McKennie says. "You learn to adjust to new approaches, new styles, new techniques, and new tactics across the board.
"The most important thing we all share at the national team, Pochettino included, is that we're here on a mission to win games and put our best foot forward. Our relationship is built around that, and that's what makes it work—we have a shared goal. When you have that common purpose, you do everything possible and bounce ideas off each other to make it happen."
McKennie has particularly embraced Pochettino's high-press philosophy, which is sure to be a defining feature of the team's play next month.
"I'm an energetic person—I can run, and I love chasing the ball," he says.
"I don't like sitting back and waiting for it to come to me. His high-press mentality really resonates with the way I play."
Before the World Cup gets underway, McKennie and the squad will play two warm-up friendlies against Senegal and Germany later this month in Charlotte and Chicago, respectively.
As he prepares to fly back to the States, McKennie will unfortunately have to leave his three dogs behind in Italy—Lola, an American Akita; Sky, a Siberian Husky; and Roxy, a miniature dapple Dachshund—but he's thrilled that they'll still be cheering on the Stars and Stripes from home, decked out in Purina's custom USMNT pet jerseys.
"At the end of the day, as a footballer who's always on the road, having my dogs to come home to for emotional support and the energy they bring me—they're part of my family," he says. "My dogs are definitely going to be repping the team for sure. I used to dress them in my own jerseys back in the day, so having ones that actually fit them properly is amazing."