Cristiano Ronaldo’s extreme work ethic in focus as USMNT’s Weston McKennie shares stunning Juventus anecdote: ‘I needed to see with my own eyes to believe’

Turin, Italy – When Weston McKennie arrived at Juventus on loan from Schalke in the summer of 2020, he stepped into a dressing room already vibrating from the gravitational pull of Cristiano Ronaldo. One season, 28 shared competitive matches, and a single anecdote later, the United States midfielder says he finally understands why the Portuguese’s reputation for relentless professionalism is “something I needed to see with my own eyes to believe.”

McKennie, now a cornerstone of the U.S. men’s national team, offered the reflection during a new interview for DAZN’s Remember the Name series. Speaking candidly about their brief overlap in Serie A, the 25-year-old recalled moments that left an indelible mark on his definition of elite preparation.

“We’d come back from games at 3:00 AM, and he’d go for an ice bath instead of going home,” McKennie said. “The morning after a tough game, he’d be in the gym training his whole body. It was incredible to play with him. When I met him, I thought that everything you hear about his professionalism is completely true.”

Those habits helped Ronaldo compile staggering numbers during his three-year stint in Turin. Signed from Real Madrid in July 2018 for a fee exceeding $117 million, the forward struck 101 goals in 134 appearances and collected two Serie A titles, a Coppa Italia, and two Italian Super Cups. Yet for all the individual brilliance, the Champions League trophy that Juventus craved remained elusive, with promising runs repeatedly stalling short of the final.

The 2020-21 campaign, played under rookie head coach Andrea Pirlo, was particularly turbulent. Juventus finished fourth domestically, flashes of excellence undercut by stretches of inconsistency. McKennie, operating as a hybrid box-to-box presence, often ghosted into advanced zones to complement Ronaldo’s penalty-area instincts. Their synergy peaked in a December 2020 group-stage clash against Barcelona: McKennie lashed in a spectacular volley and Ronaldo converted twice to seal a statement 3-0 win at the Camp Nou.

Despite such highlights, the season ended without silverware in league or Europe. Pirlo was relieved of his duties, and Ronaldo returned to Manchester United in August 2021. McKennie, meanwhile, remained in Turin, tasked with re-calibrating his role in a squad no longer orbiting a global superstar.

Looking back, the Texan credits those late-night ice baths and dawn gym sessions with reshaping his own standards. “You hear stories, but when you witness that discipline up close, it flips a switch,” he told DAZN. “If the guy who has everything still works like that, what’s your excuse?”

Juventus supporters never saw the Champions League trophy paraded alongside Ronaldo’s prolific highlight reels, yet inside the club’s training complex his everyday example still echoes—now through a young American who discovered that greatness, at its core, is engineered one relentless repetition at a time.