World Cup 2026: How Juventus Stars McKennie and David Are Shaping Up for Tournament on Home Soil | OneFootball

The 2025/26 football season might be coming to a close in Europe, but excitement is building as the 2026 World Cup draws near. And two Juventus players, Jonathan David and Weston McKennie, will be shouldering the hopes of two host nations this summer.

Both will play key roles for the United States and Canada, albeit in very different ways. Fans will hope that their respective teams can impress on the world stage, despite sportsbooks offering long odds on both countries when examining who has the best chance at winning the World Cup. To cause any major upsets, they will need established internationals like David and McKennie at their absolute best.

However, the Juventus pair have endured very different seasons in Italy. With just weeks to go until their opening matches, each player has a different challenge in front of them that they need to overcome if they are to make a significant impact.

Jonathan David – In Need of Form Quickly

Although he has featured in 34 Serie A games over the course of the season, Jonathan David has left a lot to be desired since moving to Juventus in the summer of 2025. A hot streak at the start of 2026 saw him score four times in five matches, but he has found the back of the net just once since scoring against Parma on February 1.

Canada’s record goalscorer has been given several opportunities to improve that tally, both as a starter and from the bench, but he has not made the required impact. He has missed 13 big chances this season – more than any other Juventus player – and, even more concerningly for Jesse Marsch, his star attacker has seen his minutes dwindle recently. He was an unused substitute in Juventus’ 2-0 loss against Fiorentina and only played seven minutes against Lecce.

A lack of form and match sharpness hardly makes for an ideal combination as Canada make their final preparations for the group stages. But David remains a potent threat for his country, notably scoring twice against Iceland in March. He will need to make the most of warm-up games against Uzbekistan and the Republic of Ireland to hit the ground running at the World Cup and put a frustrating first year in Turin behind him.

Weston McKennie – A Great Season, but Worries of Burnout

While McKennie was viewed as a rotational player for Juventus in the past, he has become increasingly relied upon. This year, under Luciano Spalletti, he’s grown into an indispensable star, playing a variety of roles including out wide on the right.

While his relentless energy has made him an effective box-to-box presence, he has previously lacked consistent output in the final third. He has refined that more this year, with nine goals in all competitions, including a run of scoring in three consecutive Champions League games. But has also been a creative threat, with eight assists over the course of the season. Only Kenan Yildiz has more goal contributions in the Serie A for Juventus than the American.

While Christian Pulisic has traditionally flown the flag as the USA’s most important player, it is now more justifiable than ever to put McKennie in that conversation. Mauricio Pochettino won’t need to worry about playing him into form. Instead, the focus is on managing his minutes so that the midfielder can be at his best in Group D against Paraguay, Australia, and Turkey.

McKennie has played over 3,800 minutes of football this season for Juventus, having played over 3,300 in 2024/25. Factor in the Club World Cup last summer, and he has barely had a break. If Pochettino can keep him fresh, the USA’s hopes of reaching the knockout stage will improve dramatically.