US ready to prove they can beat top teams, says McKennie

The Americans play the four-times champions on Saturday in East Hartford, Connecticut, in what may be a rare opportunity to face a major European power before co-hosting the 2026 World Cup.

Uzbekistan’s Farrux Sayfiev (4) heads the ball to teammate Jaloliddin Masharipov (10) as United States’ Weston McKennie (8) defends during the first half of an international friendly football match. | Photo Credit: Jeff Roberson/ AP

The U.S. men’s national team are ready to show it can beat the world’s top teams, midfielder Weston McKennie said on Wednesday, as it prepares to face Germany in a home friendly.

The Americans play the four-times champions on Saturday in East Hartford, Connecticut, in what may be a rare opportunity to face a major European power before co-hosting the 2026 World Cup.

“We always compared ourselves in terms of, you know, we wanted to compete with top-level countries,” McKennie told reporters. “We expect ourselves to win these games now instead of just competing with them.”

The Juventus player helped the U.S. to the round of 16 in last year’s World Cup in Qatar following its humiliating failure to qualify for the 2018 tournament.

It heads into Saturday’s game on a 13-match unbeaten streak with another friendly against Ghana set for Tuesday in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Americans have claimed a spot at the 2026 tournament as co-hosts.

“It’s a great opportunity to kind of see where we’re at,” said McKennie.

“And (to) win these type of games because (they are) the type of games that we have to win to advance the program forward, to advance ourselves forward and to be successful in the coming years.”

Germany faces Mexico, also on Tuesday, in Philadelphia. It is hungry for a chance at redemption after exiting at the group stage for the second World Cup in a row.