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While star winger Christian Pulisic holds the title of “Captain America” of American soccer, one of his teammates holds the title of “most important player.”
As Pulisic deals with a drop in form and questions about his on-field attitude, FOX Sports analysts and former American players Stu Holden, Alexi Lalas and Maurice Edu debated whether it is Weston McKennie who really is the heartbeat of the midfield.
McKennie is coming off what some observers consider the most impressive season of his Juventus career, which saw him land at No. 72 in FOX Sports’ rankings of the top 100 World Cup players.
After years of being passed over by various coaches and facing uncertain transfer windows, the midfielder from Little Elm, Texas, has cemented his place in Turin. He recently extended his contract with Juventus, signing a new contract that keeps him at the club until June 30, 2030.
The evolution of a ‘player’
Holden says McKennie is no longer just a defensive workhorse; He has become a versatile offensive threat.
“We talk about it so often that people dismiss it,” Holden said. “The coaches come in, they don’t hire him… No, the guy just signed a new contract with Juventus. He’s showing that he can score goals and create assists. He’s a player.”
Edu shared a similar sentiment, noting that while there was once a debate about McKennie’s best position, whether as a late-arriving “number eight” or a more advanced forward, the argument has now shifted to his importance to the United States. It is that versatility that put McKennie above Pulisic, number 78 in the ranking.
“He’s an asset to this team and, to me, he’s becoming probably the most important player on this team,” Edu said. “Now, [Pulisic] He is obviously the star. He makes the difference when we talk about scoring goals, winning games and advancing to the next stage. But Weston brings this whole group together.”
Holden was quick to try to correct Edu.
“I’m just going to add that he’s probably not the most important player,” Holden said of McKennie. “He is the most important player.”
A team ready to make noise
As the United States prepares to co-host the World Cup, Lalas believes the tournament will serve as a massive “introduction” for a casual American audience that is about to enter the “soccer tent” for the first time.
While Pulisic is better known, Lalas suggested that McKennie’s personality might actually be the more magnetic of the two.
Amid the comparison and contrast between the two stars, the mental makeup of the players has become a topic of conversation. Pulisic has recently been described as “sensitive” by his own club’s manager, but Lalas points out that McKennie brings a different energy.
“No one is going to call Weston McKennie sensitive in the best possible way,” Lalas said.
Better than the rest?
Lalas didn’t just compare McKennie to his American teammates. In a bold assessment of McKennie’s current level, Lalas placed him above some of the world’s most touted stars, including AC Milan’s Rafael Leão (ranked 71st).
“I agree that Weston McKennie is better than Leão,” Lalas said. “I think he is better than all the players in this group of five.”
The United States will play a pair of warm-up exhibitions against Senegal on May 31 and Germany on June 6, before the country’s World Cup opener against Paraguay on June 12 in Los Angeles.
The Stars and Stripes will then travel to Seattle to face Australia on June 19 before closing out the group stage in Los Angeles against Türkiye on June 25.
FIFA World Cup 2026: How to watch
The World Cup will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The 104 matches of the tournament will be broadcast live on FOX (70) and FS1 (34) and each match will be broadcast live and on demand both within the fox one and the FOX Sports app. A record 40 matches, more than a third of the tournament, will be broadcast in prime time on FOX (21) and FS1 (19).
The June 11 opening match between Mexico and South Africa (3 p.m. ET) will stream free on tubias well as the United States’ opening match against Paraguay on June 12 (9 p.m. ET).
