The United States men’s national team (USMNT) has yet to announce its squad for the FIFA World Cup, set to take place this summer. And, USMNT legend Landon Donovan has named one American star who should be considered undroppable now.
USMNT Star Receives Special Praise Ahead of 2026 FIFA World Cup
During the latest episode of the “Unfiltered Soccer” podcast, Donovan and his former USMNT teammate Tim Howard discussed Weston McKennie’s role in the USMNT. The pair started by noting that the midfielder was absent from his national team’s squad for around 7 months in 2025 and that his recent form at club level has changed his luck.
“The questions were real, by the way. The questions were, where is he? Give me the top 10 best national teams in the world and give me their top two players and they’re there every single time I’m asking,” Howard opined on McKennie’s absence from the USMNT.
“It’s weird to say this now, but there was a time where we were kind of not sure if Wes was even going to be in the mix with the national team (for the 2026 FIFA World Cup). But now you’re saying, how do you leave him off the field?,” Donovan commented.
A right-footed versatile operator, McKennie is relishing a great run of form at club level now, as he has scored four times in his last eight total appearances for Juventus.
McKennie, 27, did not feature for the USMNT from late March to mid-October last year. But his recent fine performances for Juventus have arguably made him one of the first names to be included in his national side’s 2026 FIFA World Cup teamsheets.
Sharing additional thoughts on the tireless midfielder, Howard stated, “His talent has never been in question. It’s whether he aligns with the manager… it’s a maturation process. This team can do some special things (at the FIFA World Cup with him in it).”
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Donovan also suggested that McKennie has been the Serie A’s best performer over the last two months, hinting that he has been better than AC Milan’s Christian Pulisic of late.
“That’s why people get excited. He’s playing at Juventus, a top-four team, and has probably been the best player in that league over the past couple of months. Christian has been the best player in the league for a few years. This is real stuff… we didn’t do this in the past,” the former Los Angeles Galaxy and San Jose Earthquakes forward concluded.
So far this campaign, McKennie has registered six goals and four assists in 31 outings in all competitions, including 27 starts, for the Luciano Spalletti-coached club.
