_(close-up).jpg) McKennie with theUnited States in 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Weston James Earl McKennie[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1998-08-28)August 28, 1998 (age 27) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Fort Lewis, Washington, U.S.[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Juventus | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 22 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2009 | FC Phönix Otterbach | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2016 | FC Dallas | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Schalke 04 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2021 | Schalke 04 | 75 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | →Juventus (loan) | 21 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021– | Juventus | 125 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | →Leeds United (loan) | 19 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | United States U17 | 6 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | United States U19 | 9 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | United States U20 | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017– | United States | 62 | (11) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of November 8, 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of October 14, 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weston James Earl McKennie (born August 28, 1998) is an American professionalsoccer player who plays primarily as amidfielder forSerie A clubJuventus and theUnited States national team. A highly versatile player, he has been described as a "Swiss Army knife" and is deployed throughout several positions as amidfielder,forward, anddefender.[4][5][6]
A youth prospect fromFC Dallas, McKennie began his senior club career atBundesliga sideSchalke 04 after rising through the team's academy sector. In2017–18, he established himself as a first team player, playing 25 games in all competitions. After three seasons, McKennie moved to Serie A champions Juventus on loan, with the deal becoming permanent in March 2021. With Juventus he won the2020Supercoppa Italiana and theCoppa Italia in2020–21 and2023–24.[7]
McKennie has represented the United States internationally at both the youth and senior levels. He made his senior debut in 2017 and has finished runner-up in the2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup and won theCONCACAF Nations League in2021,2023, and2024, winning the best player award of the 2021 tournament. Individually he won aU.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year award in 2020.
Although he was born atFort Lewis,Washington, he considersLittle Elm, Texas, his home town.[2][8] McKennie lived inKaiserslautern, Germany, from age six to nine as his father, aUnited States Air Force officer, was stationed at nearbyRamstein Air Base.[9] McKennie started playing soccer for the local club FC Phönix Otterbach in 2004, before moving back to the United States.[10] McKennie played for the youth system ofMajor League Soccer sideFC Dallas for seven years from 2009 to 2016, before moving toSchalke.[11] His transfer to Schalke was the main catalyst for FC Dallas to create their reserve team,North Texas SC, which played inUSL League One.[11]
In February 2016, McKennie signed aNational Letter of Intent to play for theUniversity of Virginia,[12] but he subsequently turned down the scholarship offer to play for the Cavaliers, and instead sought to go professional.[13]
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In July 2016 McKennie declined to sign aHomegrown Player contract withFC Dallas.[14] He joined GermanBundesliga sideFC Schalke 04 in August 2016.[15]
After spending less than a year with Schalke's academy team, McKennie was promoted to the first-team squad in May 2017.[16] He made his professional debut on May 20, 2017, as a 77th-minute substitute during a 1–1 draw withFC Ingolstadt 04.[17] This was his only appearance during the2016–17 season.[18] McKennie made his first start in September 2017 and signed a five-year contract shortly after.[19] During the same year, McKennie made 21 appearances and scored 4 goals with Schalke's U-19 team.
During the 2017–18 season, McKennie cemented his place as a member of the Schalke first team at the age of 19. He made 22 appearances in the Bundesliga.[20] He finished the2017–18 season with 25 appearances in all competitions.[21] Further, he proved to be a valuable asset to Schalke given his versatility, with McKennie playing multiple positions in the midfield and defense for the team.[22]
During the 2018–19 season, McKennie further increased his position with the Bundesliga club, starting 25 games for the club in both theBundesliga,DFB-Pokal, andUEFA Champions League.[20] Overall, McKennie made 33 appearances for the club and scored 2 goals in all competitions,[20] in which he scored his first Champions League goal in a 1–0 away win overLokomotiv Moscow.[23]
Under new managerDavid Wagner, McKennie further established himself as an important part and valuable asset of a team that struggled to deal with theCOVID-19 pandemic.[24] McKennie made a total of 28 appearances and scored three goals for Schalke in the Bundesliga.[20] McKennie made a further four appearances in the DFB-Pokal for the club.[20]
On May 30, 2020, during a 1–0 loss toSV Werder Bremen, McKennie wore an armband that said “Justice for George” following themurder of George Floyd in the United States.[25]
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On August 29, 2020, it was announced that McKennie joinedSerie A sideJuventus on a year-long loan.[26] In doing so, he became Juventus' first player—and Serie A's fifth—from theUnited States.[26] The move was structured as an initial year-long loan for a fee of €4.5 million, with an option to make the loan permanent at the end of the season.[26] However, if McKennie met certain performance incentives, the option would automatically trigger, and the deal would become permanent.[26] In both scenarios, the deal would be for €18.5 million, which could rise an additional €7 million.[26] On September 7, McKennie had his introductory press conference and was given the number 14.[27]
McKennie made his league debut for Juventus on September 20, starting and playing the full 90 minutes in a 3–0 league home win againstSampdoria.[28] McKennie made hisChampions League debut for the club in the second match of the group stage, coming on in the 75th minute of a 2–0 home defeat toBarcelona.[29] On November 1, McKennie got on the score sheet for the first time for Juventus, earning an assist on the opening goal byÁlvaro Morata in a 4–1 win againstSpezia.[30] On November 24, McKennie started a Champions League match againstFerencváros, becoming the first American international in Italy to do so.[31] McKennie scored his first goal for Juventus on December 5, in theDerby della Mole againstTorino; he scored the equalizer of the match, which eventually ended in a 2–1 win.[32] Three days later, McKennie scored his first Champions League goal for Juventus—ascissor kick on the volley—againstBarcelona,[33] helping his team win 3–0 away from home and finish in first place in their group.[34] On January 6, 2021, McKennie scored a goal against league-leadersMilan in a 3–1 away win; it was Milan's first league defeat in 27 games.[35]
On March 3, 2021, Juventus exercised their purchase option for €18.5 million, plus €6.5 million in potential bonuses, on a four-year contract.[36] McKennie started for Juventus in theCoppa Italia Final againstAtalanta; he assistedDejan Kulusevski for the team's first goal in an eventual 2–1 win.[7] McKennie finished the2020–21 season with six goals in 46 appearances in all competitions.[20]
McKennie scored his first goal of the season in a 2–1 loss toSassuolo on October 27, and followed it up with a second goal in another 2–1 loss toHellas Verona three days later.[37][38] On January 12, 2022, McKennie scored the opener in the2021 Supercoppa Italiana match, which the team eventually lost 2–1 againstInter Milan.[39] On February 22, in a Champions League game againstVillarreal, McKennie injured his metatarsal following a foul byPervis Estupiñán, forcing him to prematurely end his season.[40]
On January 30, 2023, McKennie joined English sideLeeds United on loan for the remainder of the2022–23 season.[41] He made his Leeds debut on February 5, 2023, as a second-half substitute in the Premier League 1–0 defeat toNottingham Forest.[42] He made 20 appearances for the team across all competitions, including 16 starts in the Premier League, but failed to score any goals before Leeds were ultimately relegated on the last day of the season.[43]
After his Leeds loan, McKennie returned to the Juventus first team for the2023–24 season and took the number 16.[44] On September 16, 2023, he made his 100th appearance for Juventus, creating a long ball assist in the 3–1 victory overLazio.[45]
Reestablished as a starter in the Juventus midfield, on December 23 he created an assist in the 2–1 win overFrosinone. On January 11, 2024, McKennie created two assists in the 4–0 victory over Frosinone in the2023–24 Coppa Italia quarter-finals.[46] On January 21 he recorded a league assist in the 3–0 victory overLecce.[47] On February 25, he repeated the same feat against Frosinone by creating two assists in league play.[48] On March 10, he created two league assists in the 2–2 draw toAtalanta.[49] On April 2, 2024, he recorded his season-record 10th assist (7th season league assist) againstLazio in the2023–24 Coppa Italia semi-finals, helping them to the cup final.[50] McKennie started in the2024 Coppa Italia final and played the full 90 minutes, where Juventus won 1–0 and he secured his second Coppa Italia trophy.[51]
On August 22, 2024, McKennie extended his contract with Juventus until 2026.[52] On September 17, he scored in the club's openingUEFA Champions League game, a 3–1 win overPSV.[53] On October 27, he recorded two assists in the 4–4 draw withInter Milan.[54] In the following game on October 30, he scored in the 2–2 draw againstParma.[55] On December 11, he scored a volley goal in the 2–0 win overManchester City in the Champions League group stage.[56] On February 11 in theChampions League knockout phase, he scored against PSV again winning 2–1.[57]
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McKennie has played with various United States youth teams, including the under-17 and under-20 national teams. McKennie earned his first senior team callup for the United States' friendly againstPortugal on November 14, 2017, scoring on his debut.[58][59]
McKennie's first international assist came in the opening game of the2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup againstGuyana atAllianz Field in a 4–0 win. McKennie scored the lone goal for the U.S. on June 30, 2019, to help them secure a 1–0 win in the Gold Cup quarter-finals againstCuraçao. McKennie notched his second goal in the semi-finals againstJamaica in the 19th minute.
On October 12, 2019, McKennie scored the fastest hat-trick in the U.S. men's national team's history, scoring three goals in thirteen minutes in aCONCACAF Nations League game againstCuba.[60]
On June 6, 2021, McKennie scored a decisive 2–2 equalizer in the2021 CONCACAF Nations League Final against rivalsMexico, bringing the game toextra time.[61] The game ultimately ended 3–2 to the United States, and McKennie was nominated Player of the Tournament.[62]
On September 7, 2021, during thefinal round of2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying, McKennie was dropped from the national team for breakingCOVID-19 team protocols by bringing a guest into his hotel room while the team was inNashville, Tennessee, for their match againstCanada. As a result, he missed the final two matches of the series.[63][64]
He won the2023 CONCACAF Nations League againstCanada and the2024 CONCACAF Nations League againstMexico, where he assistedTyler Adams for the opening goal inthe final.[65]
In June 2024, McKennie along with US teammatesFolarin Balogun,Chris Richards andTimothy Weah all sufferedracist abuse after the national team lost in the2024 Copa América to Panama.[66]
McKennie is known for his versatility as a player. During his time at Schalke, McKennie played in numerous positions including in midfield, as a center-back, full-back, and even as astriker.[67] In addition, he is an often-utilized proponent of the long throw-in, deploying an unorthodox sideways wind-up technique prior to launching.[68] However, he has primarily played as either a box-to-box midfielder or in a deeper-lying defensive role.[69] During his time with Juventus, he has been used in several midfield positions, including as awide midfielder, in aholding role, or even as a moreoffensive-mindedcentral midfielder, known as themezzala role in Italian soccer jargon.[70]
McKennie's primary attributes are his defensive skills and work rate, as well as his ability to win back the ball.[69] Furthermore, his passing allows him to dictate the flow of the game and push the ball forward fromdeep-lying positions in midfield.[71] His ball-winning qualities, combined with his positioning, tactical intelligence, eye for goal from midfield, and ability to make late attacking runs into the box led Alberto Mauro ofIl Messaggero to compare him to former Juventus midfieldersEdgar Davids andArturo Vidal; McKennie's technical ability was cited as an area in need of improvement, however.[70]
McKennie has been a fan of theWizarding World since first reading aHarry Potter book at the age of 6.[72] He has a Harry Potter lightning bolt tattoo[73] and his signature goal celebration involves waving his hand as if using a wand to cast a spell.[74][75][76]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Schalke 04 | 2016–17 | Bundesliga | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2017–18 | Bundesliga | 22 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 25 | 0 | |||
| 2018–19 | Bundesliga | 24 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 6[b] | 1 | — | 33 | 2 | ||
| 2019–20 | Bundesliga | 28 | 3 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 32 | 3 | |||
| Total | 75 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 1 | — | 91 | 5 | |||
| Juventus (loan) | 2020–21 | Serie A | 21 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 7[b] | 1 | 1[c] | 0 | 33 | 5 |
| Juventus | 2020–21 | Serie A | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | — | 15 | 1 | |
| 2021–22 | Serie A | 21 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6[b] | 0 | 1[c] | 1 | 29 | 4 | |
| 2022–23 | Serie A | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5[b] | 2 | — | 21 | 3 | ||
| 2023–24 | Serie A | 34 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 38 | 0 | |||
| 2024–25 | Serie A | 32 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 9[b] | 3 | 5[d] | 0 | 48 | 5 | |
| 2025–26 | Serie A | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4[b] | 0 | — | 14 | 0 | ||
| Total | 125 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 25 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 165 | 13 | ||
| Leeds United (loan) | 2022–23 | Premier League | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 20 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 240 | 15 | 24 | 0 | 38 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 309 | 23 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2017 | 1 | 1 |
| 2018 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 12 | 5 | |
| 2020 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2022 | 13 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 8 | 2 | |
| 2024 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 62 | 11 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | November 14, 2017 | Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa,Leiria, Portugal |  Portugal | 1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 2 | June 30, 2019 | Lincoln Financial Field,Philadelphia, United States |  Curaçao | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
| 3 | July 3, 2019 | Nissan Stadium,Nashville, United States |  Jamaica | 1–0 | 3–1 | 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
| 4 | October 11, 2019 | Audi Field,Washington, D.C., United States |  Cuba | 1–0 | 7–0 | 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League A |
| 5 | 2–0 | |||||
| 6 | 4–0 | |||||
| 7 | June 6, 2021 | Empower Field at Mile High,Denver, United States |  Mexico | 2–2 | 3–2 (a.e.t.) | 2021 CONCACAF Nations League Finals |
| 8 | November 12, 2021 | TQL Stadium,Cincinnati, United States | Mexico | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 9 | February 2, 2022 | Allianz Field,Saint Paul, United States |  Honduras | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 10 | March 24, 2023 | Kirani James Athletic Stadium,St. George's, Grenada |  Grenada | 3–0 | 7–1 | 2022–23 CONCACAF Nations League A |
| 11 | 4–1 |
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