Weston McKennie

Weston James Earl McKennie (born August 28, 1998) is an American professional soccer player. He plays mostly as a midfielder for Juventus in Serie A and for the United States national team. Because he can play almost any outfield position, people often call him a "Swiss Army Knife."

McKennie came up through the FC Dallas youth system. Instead of signing with them, he moved to Germany in August 2016 to join Schalke 04's academy. By May 2017 he had been promoted to the senior squad, making his first-team debut as a substitute on May 20. He became a regular starter during the 2017–18 season at age 19, playing 22 Bundesliga matches. Over the next two seasons he grew into a key player, scoring his first Champions League goal in a win over Lokomotiv Moscow. In May 2020, during a match against Werder Bremen, he wore an armband reading “Justice for George” after the murder of George Floyd.

In August 2020, McKennie joined Juventus on a year-long loan for €4.5 million, with an option to make the move permanent for €18.5 million. He debuted in Serie A on September 20, starting a 3–0 win over Sampdoria. His first Juventus goal came on December 5 in the Derby della Mole against Torino, and three days later he scored a scissor-kick volley against Barcelona in the Champions League. The loan became permanent in March 2021. That season he won the Supercoppa Italiana and the Coppa Italia. In 2023 he was loaned to Premier League side Leeds United, then returned to Juventus and won another Coppa Italia in 2023–24.

McKennie made his senior U.S. debut in 2017. He helped the team finish as runners-up at the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup and win the CONCACAF Nations League in 2021, 2023, and 2024. He was named the best player of the 2021 Nations League tournament. In 2020 he won the U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year award.

He was born at Fort Lewis, Washington, but considers Little Elm, Texas, his hometown. From age six to nine he lived in Kaiserslautern, Germany, because his father was stationed at Ramstein Air Base. He started playing for local club FC Phönix Otterbach in 2004. After returning to the U.S., he spent seven years in the FC Dallas youth system (2009–2016). His move to Schalke prompted FC Dallas to create their reserve team, North Texas SC. In February 2016 he signed a letter of intent to play for the University of Virginia but turned down that scholarship to go professional.