On Friday, Juventus announced the contract extension of a critical player who appears to be part of manager Thiago Motta's plans. Meanwhile, another standout for the Old Lady received a call-up to represent their national team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
When Weston McKennie went on loan to Leeds United in 2023, many assumed the player's future wasn't in Turin. However, the situation has changed, with new manager Thiago Motta now on the sidelines.
Juventus announced on Friday that the 25-year-old's contract has been extended, keeping him with the Serie A side until June 2026.
McKennie joined the Italian club from Schalke 04 in 2021 and the American midfielder has appeared in 134 matches across all competitions, scoring 13 goals and registering 15 assists.
During his four years with Juventus, the former FC Dallas player has multiple trophies, including two Italian clubs and an Italian Super Cup. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for McKennie under Motta.
Danilo receives call-up for World Cup qualifiers
Another Juventus player who received news on Friday was Danilo as the veteran defender got a call-up from the Seleção. Brazil have two World Cup qualifying matches against Ecuador on September 6 and against Paraguay on September 10.
The Confederação Brasileira de Futebol announced that the 33-year-old will join a backline that includes Paris Saint-Germain's Lucas Beraldo and Marquinhos, Borussia Dortmund's Yan Couto, FC Porto's Wendell, Arsenal's Gabriel Magalhães, Real Madrid's Éder Militão, and Atlético Mineiro's Guilherme Arana.
📋✏️ Seleção Brasileira convocada para os próximos dois jogos para as Eliminatórias da Copa do Mundo 2026.
— CBF Futebol (@CBF_Futebol) August 23, 2024
Confira a lista completa do técnico Dorival Júnior🫵🏽
THIS IS BRASILLLLL 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/0msHosfwMA
Danilo has made 61 appearances for the Brazil national team since breaking into the first team in 2011. Dorival Júnior and his team need to end 2024 on a positive note since the Brazilian side had an underwhelming performance at the 2024 Copa América, losing to Uruguay in the quarterfinals.
Brazil have also had a poor 2026 World Cup qualifying process as they're currently sixth in the standings with seven points.