Weston McKennie: 5 Things To Know About World Cup US Soccer Star & His Viral Hair

Weston McKennie turned heads erstwhile the United States men’s nationalist team’s official Twitter account shared an image of him with a marque caller and colorful ‘do. The 24-year-old midfielder dyed the bleached streak helium had successful his hairsbreadth for rather immoderate clip up of the USA’s archetypal 2022 World Cup crippled against Wales connected Monday, Nov. 21 to red, white, and blue, showing his pridefulness for his location country. Before that, helium spoke astatine a property league with his erstwhile hairdo and said helium was “ready” to play immoderate superior ball. Of course, determination is overmuch much to Weston McKennie than his ever-changing hair. Read connected to larn 5 things astir the talented shot pro.

Weston McKennie debuted his red, white, and bluish hairsbreadth for the 2022 World Cup (Photo: Heuler Andrey/SPP/Shutterstock)

Weston Grew Up With A Brother And A Competitive Edge

Weston is the younger brother of John McKennie Jr., who helped make his competitory edge. “Given the information that my member was older than me, I ever had to vie due to the fact that I hated losing,” the pro shot subordinate told The 18, a shot quality site. “Obviously I mislaid much times than I won against him, but those times that I did triumph was conscionable like, ‘Oh my gosh, this feeling’s amazing,’ truthful I’ve ever wanted to win.”

Giving much penetration into his competitory edge, his father, John McKennie Sr., recalled to the outlet that Weston would not springiness thing up arsenic a kid until helium nailed his extremity oregon won. “He, for deficiency of a amended term, would conscionable get irritated that someone’s telling him that helium couldn’t bash something, and helium would effort to beryllium them incorrect like, ‘Oh, I tin decidedly bash this.’ He would conscionable enactment astatine it implicit and implicit and implicit until helium could execute the instrumentality oregon the drill,” helium said.

Weston Plays Professionally for Italy, But Got His Start In Germany

Although he’s from America, Weston has played for Italy’s elite Juventus Football Club since 2021. He besides grew up playing shot successful Germany and landed connected his archetypal pro squad successful the European country.

Weston was calved successful Fort Lewis, Wash. to John McKennie Sr., a subordinate of the U.S. Air Force whose occupation took him and his household each astir the satellite to fulfill his duty, according to The 18. Weston and his household moved to Germany erstwhile helium was 5 years old, which is wherever helium was introduced to shot by a schoolhouse friend. His household rapidly realized helium had a earthy endowment for the sport. “I knew helium was bully and what helium was susceptible of due to the fact that erstwhile helium was 6 years aged successful Germany helium was playing up with 14-year-olds,” his mother, Tina McKennie, told the outlet.

Weston McKennie dribbles the shot for Juventus FC successful a 2022 lucifer against Torino FC (Photo: Fabrizio Carabelli/SOPA Images/Shutterstock)

Weston was instructed by a young but anxious manager for the adjacent 3 years earlier returning to America. Once backmost successful America — this clip successful Texas — helium trained relentlessly and moved from trainer to trainer to cleanable his craft. By the clip helium was a elder successful precocious school, helium had an connection to spell pro with FC Dallas and a full-ride assistance to the University of Virginia. While helium was primitively acceptable connected heading to Virgina to further his education, Weston’s satellite changed erstwhile helium received an connection from Germany’s pro club, FC Schalke 04. He instantly knew that was his adjacent move.

“Schalke came into play and it was my dream. I ever said it was if I played pro, I privation to spell backmost to Germany, and I wasn’t going to beryllium ace picky if I got an connection from anyplace successful Europe, I would’ve gone, but I truly wanted to spell backmost to Germany due to the fact that it was similar a 2nd location for me. I was familiar,” helium explained to The 18. “The connection came connected the array with Schalke, and arsenic soon arsenic that happened my caput was made up. I was like, ‘Yo, I’m going.'”

Weston Broke His Foot In 2022

Weston’s shot vocation hasn’t been wholly flawless — successful aboriginal 2022, helium suffered a ft injury. The Washington autochthonal fractured his ft during the UEFA Champions League crippled agaiforSpain’s Villarreal Football Club successful February. The wounded was expected to sideline him for 2 months and forestall him from qualifying from the 2022 World Cup, according to CBS Sports. Clearly, his ft wounded did not clasp him back.

Weston Has A Silly Side

Weston has made his consciousness of wit known connected and disconnected the field. For instance, successful a Sept. 2022 property conference, helium slid person to his teammate, Tyler Adams. He knew helium was being comic and had a mischievous look crossed his face. Despite his efforts, his comic concern did not impressment Tyler.

Weston McKennie conscionable wanted to beryllium a small spot person to Tyler Adams 😂🤣

(🎥: @USMNT, @ussoccer) pic.twitter.com/GlToiqj9ZS

— USMNT Only (@usmntonly) September 22, 2022

Then, during the USA men’s opener for the 2022 World Cup, helium went viral aft helium wiped his sweaty hands connected a cameraman’s overgarment during the game. Although it doesn’t look arsenic if Weston intended to beryllium funny, helium surely got a laughter from viewers online.

Weston McKennie conscionable wiped his hands connected the photographer's vest 🤣🤣@USMNT pic.twitter.com/VECBtkaiI9

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) November 25, 2022

Weston Says His Success Is His Family’s Success

The rising shot prima is rather adjacent with his household and said helium owes a large woody of his occurrence to his supportive family. “They tin spot this conscionable arsenic overmuch arsenic an accomplishment for them arsenic it is for me. They were determination for maine done heavy and thin,” helium explained to The 18. “They were determination for maine erstwhile I had, I wouldn’t accidental intelligence breakdowns, but yes, erstwhile I thought I couldn’t bash it, erstwhile I thought I wasn’t bully enough, erstwhile I thought I couldn’t marque it oregon erstwhile radical brought maine down. They were ever determination successful my country to archer maine that I can, and that I americium bully enough, and that I could bash it and my dreams would travel true.”