USMNT midfielder Weston McKennie has possibly drawn the ire of US soccer fans who get to watch Lionel Messi week in, week out.
McKennie, who is currently with Juventus but is rumoured to be on the way out of the club, is involved in the Old Lady’s preseason training. He sat down with GOAL USA to discuss his career and his next steps.
The 25-year-old was then posed the question that has sparked an endless debate among football fans by the host: “Messi or Ronaldo.” The midfielder, ignoring his roots and choosing to favour his European employers, chose the Portugal superstar over the Argentine maestro who is revered by his countrymen for what he has done to their soccer landscape.
Answering the question of who he would put in his dream 5-a-side team, McKennie said: “Ronaldo,” then immediately added, “I got to say that.”
Both players shared a dressing room for one season in 2020/22 where they won the Coppa Italia but finished fourth in the league in what would be Andrea Pirlo’s debut senior managerial stint. That was also Ronaldo’s last year at Juventus before he returned to Manchester United for an ill-fated second spell.
McKennie also had a stint in the Premier League with Leeds United, which also contributed to his selecting the five-time Ballon d’Or winner ahead of Messi.
That selection might end up being a very awkward one if he moves back to the MLS. There are reports of Inter Miami lining up a €14 million move for the midfielder, which could see him play competitively for the first-time ever in his home country. The 25-year-old left the youth ranks of FC Dallas for German Bundesliga side FC Schalke 04 in 2016 and has been in European football ever since.
His selection of Messi over Ronaldo might not sit well with Inter Miami fans if the move ends up happening, which shows how difficult answering this question can get for most active professionals.
Juventus have already replaced him with Douglas Luiz from Aston Villa and are looking to move him on, but the links to Inter Miami are still being studied.
Fellow Serie A club Fiorentina has also shown interest in the player but a deal for him hinges on them completing other deals due to their financial limitations.
McKennie also made some selections which raised eyebrows when presented with two options for each position in his dream 5-a-side team. The midfielder picked Vinicius Jr over Kylian Mbappé, Karim Benzema over Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka over Mohamed Salah and Alphonso Davies over Trent Alexander-Arnold.
