McKennie, Weah Look to Lead US in 2026 World Cup

Juventus' American midfielder #16 Weston McKennie celebrates scoring his team's first goal with Juventus' American forward #22 Tim Weah (R) during the Italian Serie A football match between Juventus and Parma, at the Allianz Stadium, in Turin, Italy, on Oct. 30, 2024. Marco Bertorello/AFP via Getty Images

Weston McKennie and Timothy Weah represent the new generation of American soccer players looking to make a deep run at the 2026 World Cup that will be played on home soil.

In addition to playing for the U.S. National Team, McKennie and Weah are teammates at Italian power Juventus. The duo are also making their mark in the competitive Serie A.

McKennie and Weah came up huge for Juventus this week, each scoring goals in a 2–2 draw against Parma. The tie kept Juventus unbeaten in league play but put them in fourth place with 18 points, behind Napoli (25 points), Inter Milan (21), and Atalanta (19).

McKennie, 26, was the first American to play for Juventus after making his pro debut in the German Bundesliga for Schalke 04 as an 18-year-old in May 2017. He made 25 appearances for Schalke 04, eventually earning him a spot on the U.S. National Team.

McKennie, who was born in Texas, scored in his debut in a friendly against Portugal and has been a mainstay in the starting lineup since that performance. He also became a regular starter for Schalke and scored five goals in 91 appearances as a key playmaker in the midfield.

McKennie joined Italian Serie A giant Juventus on Aug. 29, 2020. He scored his fourth Serie A goal in Juve’s 3–0 win against Crotone on Feb. 22, 2021, surpassing Michael Bradley as the Americans’ all-time leading scorer in the Italian top league.

He has made 55 appearances for the U.S. National Team, scoring 11 goals with five assists. New U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino expects McKennie to play a key role as the team prepares for the World Cup.

Weah is one of the best young American strikers. He was born in New York City and is the son of George Weah, the former president of Liberia. The younger Weah is a former striker who starred for AC Milan, PSG, and Monaco. He is playing in Serie A for the first time in his career and has made eight appearances with three goals and one assist in matches with Juventus.

Weah relies heavily on his versatility. He can also play in the midfield and is one of the fastest players on the U.S. National Team.

Despite being 24 years old, Weah is also one of the most experienced American players competing in some of Europe’s top soccer leagues. Weah made his debut for Paris Saint-Germain in March 2018 when the club won the French Ligue 1 title.

Weah joined Lille in 2019 and later won another French title in the 2020–21 season. He also had a brief stint with Scottish power Glasgow Celtic on a six-month loan in the January 2019 transfer window, winning a second league title and reaching the Scottish Cup final.

For the U.S. National Team, Weah has scored six goals and five assists over 40 appearances. He scored his first international goal in his second appearance, a 3–0 win against Bolivia on May 28, 2018, making him the fifth youngest goal scorer in U.S. National Team history.

Weah and McKennie have a strong bond at Juventus. That could also help with the chemistry on the U.S. National Team. Weah admitted that McKennie was the primary reason he was comfortable joining the Italian giant.

Last year, the two celebrated Thanksgiving together while in Europe. Now, they are hoping to have more victory celebrations.