By Brian Hernandez
Venezuela’s baseball team already took the “we ate sushi” line at Japan, then moved on to pizza in a 4-2 win over Italy, claiming their spot in the World Baseball Classic title game. So when Team USA came up, you had to wonder what the next menu-item flex would be. Hamburgers? Probably. It’s weird, and apparently it’s become the Venezuelans’ thing. Maybe it’s a matter of translation. Honestly, I’d bet it sounds sexy as hell in Spanish.
And now that the game’s over, we know how this one ended: Venezuela beat Team USA 3-2 on Tuesday, so the chirping is only going to get louder.
That’s where PMQ’s U.S. Pizza Team comes in. While Venezuela’s using pizza as a punchline, the USPT is heading straight to Parma, Italy, for the Campionato Mondiale della Pizza—the actual World Pizza Championship, the big one. The official event describes it as a worldwide gathering of hundreds of pizzaioli competing across multiple divisions, and the 2026 edition is set for April 14 through 16 in Parma.
And the U.S. won’t show up waving little flags and hoping for a participation ribbon. This team comes correct.
In 2023, Chef Vitangelo Recchia of Bella Napoli Pizzeria & Restaurant finished second in the world in Pizza in Teglia, while the USPT posted multiple top finishes in Parma.
In 2024, the squad was back on that stage, with Recchia finishing as the highest-scoring American and Michael LaMarca of Master Pizza calling the event the one where “it’s all about prestige.”
In 2025, the USPT cracked the top 100 in every category entered, with Recchia taking 11th out of 113 in Pizza in Teglia and Patt Miller landing in the top 50 in Pizza Classica.
Related: PMQ’s U.S. Pizza Team Shines on Global Stage at the World Pizza Championship in Parma, Italy
So yeah, if we’re talking about Americans and pizza, let’s do it right. Not with some goofy chant. With a passport and a peel in Italy.
This year’s Americans heading to Parma include:
- Damiano Trupiano—Mangia e Bevi
- Tore Trupiano—Mangia e Bevi
- Mike Pitera—Pizza a Modo Mio
- Michael LaMarca—Master Pizza
- Brian Hernandez—U.S. Pizza Team
- Rico Lunardi—Slice on Broadway
- Luca Lunardi—Slice on Broadway
- Chef Vitangelo Recchia—Bella Napoli Pizzeria
And joining them are winners of the Galbani Pizza Cup and the REAL California Pizza Challenge:
- Patt Miller—Pizza Patt’s Slice House – Cafe – Creamery
- Alejandro Burgaleta—Pizza Point Miami
- Juan Robles—Triple Beam Pizza
This is a team that’s ready to do some culinary damage. So while Venezuela is in the dugout doing open-mic lunch material, the U.S. Pizza Team will be heading to Parma to do what America does best: show up on the biggest pizza stage, talk a little smack, and let the performance do the rest.
Brian Hernandez is PMQ’s associate editor and coordinator of the U.S. Pizza Team.
