Weston McKennie reveals his USMNT game day beauty ritual
USMNT midfielder Weston McKennie told PEOPLE he once followed a locker-room beauty routine before every match—showering, then face cream, body oil, hair oil, and chapstick—summed up by his motto: look good, smell good, play good. The mckennie usa soccer star says the ritual helped him shift focus from pre-game nerves ahead of World Cup duty with Team USA. He now admits he does not follow the full routine as often as he once did.
Key Takeaways
- McKennie described a multi-step pre-match routine: shower, then face cream, body oil, hair oil, and chapstick in the locker room.
- His motto is look good, smell good, play good—a phrase he used when coaches questioned whether he was prepping for a runway instead of soccer.
- He called the ritual calming and meditative, saying hot water and grooming helped shift his focus away from match-day nerves.
- Before joining Team USA for this year's World Cup, he followed the ritual before every game but now does it less often.
- McKennie has not said whether he will keep the full routine during U.S. World Cup matches this summer.
What Is Weston McKennie's Game Day Ritual?
In a new interview with PEOPLE, Weston McKennie broke down a pre-competition habit he followed before nearly every match. When he arrived in the locker room, he would shower first, then move through what he called a whole beauty routine.
Step by step, that meant face cream, body oil, oil in his hair, and chapstick. McKennie, a USMNT soccer star and Chobani Nutrition Ambassador, said former coaches would rib him for looking ready for a modeling shoot rather than a soccer pitch.
His response became a catchphrase: look good, smell good, play good. The routine was not just about appearance—it was part of how he prepared mentally before stepping onto the field.
Why Does McKennie Call the Routine Calming?
Beyond skincare, McKennie described the process as meditative. Hot water relaxed him, and focusing on grooming let him take his mind off the game for a few minutes.
That pause, he explained, helped him arrive at kickoff feeling settled. Once the match began, he could flip the switch: All right, it is time.
He is not alone among high-profile performers with pre-show habits. PEOPLE noted that Coldplay's Chris Martin brushes his teeth before every concert, while Serena Williams once tied her shoes a specific way before matches. McKennie's locker-room ritual fits that same pattern of small, repeatable steps before a big moment.
Will He Keep the Ritual at the 2026 World Cup?
McKennie has not confirmed whether he will follow the full multi-step routine while playing for Team USA this summer. He told PEOPLE he does not do it as much anymore, even though he once treated it as a pre-game staple.
What is clear is his excitement about soccer's rising profile in the United States. He called it a worldwide sport and pointed to the World Cup as the biggest stage, noting that billions of people watch the tournament.
For more athlete lifestyle and red-carpet-adjacent stories, follow our Celebrity Breaking News coverage as the USMNT continues its World Cup run.