US Star Weston McKennie Makes Young Fan Cry at World Cup

The U.S. men’s and women’s national team players are constantly asked about “growing the game” in the United States - a unique burden that is not shared by their international counterparts.

The USMNT were given a generational opportunity to grow the game when the United States was named a co-host nation of the 2026 World Cup - the first time the FIFA men’s World Cup has been played on U.S. soil since 1994 - and, so far, they’re meeting the moment.

Juventus and USMNT midfielder Weston McKennie went above and beyond in Seattle this week.

A young boy named Noah was stationed outside the USMNT’s hotel in Seattle and caught the attention of Auston Trusty, who came over to sign Noah’s shirt and agreed to deliver a Pokémon card to McKennie.

Shortly thereafter, McKennie made his way over to Noah to sign the Pokémon card and his shirt. Noah was uncontrollably sobbing and, according to the caption, “overwhelmed seeing his heroes in front of him.” The interaction was brief, as McKennie had to leave for training, but the memory will follow Noah for a lifetime.

On the pitch, McKennie has been crucial to the USMNT’s hot start to the World Cup. One of the most versatile midfielders in the world, McKennie’s movement and, as Stu Holden put it, ability to “interpret space” has created chance after chance and confounded opponents through the first two matches.

To start, the USMNT blew the doors off Paraguay in a defining 4-1 victory at SoFi Stadium on June 12 - the most goals ever scored in a match at the World Cup.

Then, the USMNT proved that their electric opening performance was anything but a mirage by defeating Australia 2-0 at Lumen Field in Seattle on June 19. The win marked the first time the USMNT has won two consecutive matches at a World Cup since 1930, per OptaJack, and, more importantly to us in 2026, sent the U.S. through to the knockout stage.

While it’s more of a formality now, the USMNT still has to wrap group play. They’ll face Turkiye at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Thursday, June 25.

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This story was originally published June 19, 2026 at 4:06 PM.