Road to World Cup 2026: McKennie Hits Standout Mark Amid Stellar Form
Not many other Serie A players can compare to U.S. men’s national team star Weston McKennie right now.
The Juventus midfielder has simply been that good in the last four months and continued to show it with a goal in Sunday’s 2–2 draw against Lazio. McKennie has now became the Serie A midfielder with the most goals in all competitions since Oct. 30, the day Luciano Spalletti took over as manager from Igor Tudor.
To say the shift in managerial outlook has been a lifeline for the 27-year-old would be an understatement.
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Suddenly, McKennie has gone from a player on an expiring contract that the Bianconeri did not seem interested in renewing to one of their most essential pieces in a dramatic turnaround. Against Lazio, his goal sparked a comeback to secure a valuable point, even though the Turin-based side were by far the better team, outshooting their opponents 34–9.
Juventus fought back from a 2–0 deficit after Pedro and Gustav Isaksen scored on the bookends of halftime. McKennie’s goal came in the 59th minute, as he headed home a cross from Andrea Cambiaso in a fervent spell of attacking pressure.
WESTON MCKENNIE IS SCORCHING FOR JUVENTUS! pic.twitter.com/wBPHm0xQ0S
— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) February 8, 2026
That marker turned the tide, leading to Pierre Kalulu's equalizer in second-half stoppage time.
Outside of the goal, McKennie had five shots and completed 28 of his 33 attempted passes as he helped Juventus maintain fourth place in Serie A, holding a three-point buffer on the final Champions League spot, ahead of Roma.
For McKennie, the focus remains on keeping form. In just over a month, he will likely return to the USMNT fold under manager Mauricio Pochettino and his newfound versatility and confidence could be key in friendlies against Belgium and Portugal, leading into the World Cup this summer.
Eyes on 2030 Potential
As much as the core of the 2026 World Cup squad has likely been determined, there remains the possibility of bringing an athlete as a training player to the camps in March or June.
While Gianluca Busio may not be exceptionally young at 23, his potential with the USMNT is still an enigma. Last week he found the back of the net for the fifth time in 2025–26 with Venezia, as they look to make the jump back to Serie A from the second tier after last season’s relegation.
This week, he was once again omnipresent, creating three chances through the full 90 minutes in a 2–1 win over Frosinone, who sit second in the table. With that win, Venezia are on a five-game wining streak and have a four-point buffer at the top of the table, all with Busio playing a significant role.
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Meanwhile, in Eastern Europe, a dual-national prospect has caught some headlines.
Rokas Pukštas, who has played for U.S. youth teams, scored his fifth goal of the season for Croatian giants Hajduk Split, lifting them to a 2–0 win over NK Slaven Belupo and keeping them within five points of league-leading Dinamo Zagreb.
A product of the Sporting Kansas City academy, Pukštas has not been capped by either Lithuania or the U.S., but has been getting consistent minutes in a solid league and could be a name to watch for the future. The 21-year-old is also under the guidance of former Barcelona star Ivan Rakitić, who is now the club’s technical director after playing alongside Pukštas in 2024–25.
Pochettino may have effectively closed the door on new faces to his team for this summer’s World Cup, but both Busio and Pukštas could be names when the quadrennial shifts to 2030, potentially even as extra bodies this summer to kickstart that process.
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