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USMNT’s Weston McKennie Starts 2026 in Style As Mauricio Pochettino’s Bet Pays Off

Weston McKennie scored his first Serie A goal of the season in a 1–1 draw with Lecce.

Ben Steiner

Weston McKennie has five goal contributions in the last nine matches across all competitions.
Weston McKennie has five goal contributions in the last nine matches across all competitions. / Daniele Badolato/Juventus FC/Getty Images

U.S. men’s national team midfielder Weston McKennie is leading the way for Juventus and isn’t concerned about the dropped points against Lecce in the Bianconeri’s 1–1 draw to start 2026 and the World Cup year.

“I don’t think this match should scare us,” McKennie said after Saturday’s contest, having scored his first Serie A goal of the season on a night where Canadian international Jonathan David missed a potential game-winning penalty. 

“We played a good game. We were missing the final pass, and penalties can be missed by anyone. That’s football, you have to move on and focus on the next match.”

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The 27-year-old American has quietly become one of Juventus’ most essential players over several seasons and has found more success in a recent spell under manager Luciano Spalletti. 

In his last nine matches in all competitions, he has three goals and two assists, after recording just a single assist in the previous 31 games, most of which came under Juventus’ previous manager, Igor Tudor, who the club parted with in October. 

While the dropped points against the relative minnows bumped the Turin club down the table, McKennie’s performance showed his qualities and the type of leader he has become over his 205 appearances with the club. 

“Yes and no,” he said of whether the draw felt like a missed opportunity to climb the standings. “Matches like this can help you move up the table, so of course, you feel a bit frustrated. But you can’t think about missed chances. You have to keep going forward.”

Juventus now sit fourth in Serie A on 33 points through 18 games, five points back of Christian Pulisic’s AC Milan, who have a game in hand. 

Pochettino’s November USMNT Camp Bet Pays Off

Mauricio Pochettino
Mauricio Pochettino hopes McKennie will elevate his Juventus form after exclusion from the November USMNT roster. / John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images

Saturday’s match saw McKennie play a more advanced role in the attack than the defensive midfield and right wingback positions he has spent much of the season in. His durability, availability and consistency have allowed him to build trust with Spalletti, in part thanks to his exclusion from the November USMNT camp. 

While McKennie remains one of the most essential American players, USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino opted not to call him into the final camp in 2025, instead suggesting that his rest over the international break could help him strengthen his position under Spalletti at the club level.

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“With a new coach arriving in a new club, you can see that Weston is playing all the games. With the new coach there, it’s important for Weston to be there and try to convince the coaches,” Pochettino said at the time. “It’s more important for him to be with us because we already know what he can provide the team.”

Pochettino’s dreams for McKennie have now come true and the midfielder will hope to maintain that form through the rest of the season, leading into the USMNT’s 2026 World Cup group stage against Paraguay, Australia and one of Türkiye, Romania, Slovakia or Kosovo. 

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Ben Steiner
BEN STEINER

Ben Steiner is an American-Canadian journalist who brings in-depth experience, having covered the North American national teams, MLS, CPL, NWSL, NSL and Liga MX for prominent outlets, including MLSsoccer.com, CBC Sports, and OneSoccer.

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