Champions, rising stars, and a proven coach head to Parma with purpose.
There are pizza competitions, and then there is Parma.
For the U.S. Pizza Team, the trip to Italy is never just another event on the calendar. It is a chance to step onto one of the world’s most respected stages for pizza, to test American talent against international competition, and to represent the craft at the highest level. This year’s delegation heading to Parma and the Campionato Mondiale della Pizza (World Pizza Championships) brings together an impressive mix of pizzaioli, leaders, and rising stars in a field expected to include nearly 1,000 competitors from more than 30 countries.
Representing the U.S. Pizza Team in Parma are Tore & Damiano Trupiano of Mangia e Bevi in Oceanside, Calif.; Mike Pitera of Pizza a Modo Mio in Charleston, S.C.; Brian Hernandez of PMQ Pizza Magazine & the U.S. Pizza Team in Batesville, Miss.; Rico & Luca Lunardi of Slice on Broadway in Pittsburgh, Pa.; and Chef Vitangelo Recchia of Bella Napoli Pizzeria in Port Charlotte, Fla.
Joining the trip as winners of U.S. Pizza Team-hosted competitions are Alejandro Burgaleta of Pizza Point Miami in Miami, Fla.; Juan Robles of Triple Beam Pizza in the Los Angeles area; and Patt Miller of Pizza Patt’s in New Vienna, Ohio. While they are not official U.S. Pizza Team members, they earned the opportunity to be part of the Parma experience through standout performances in USPT events. Burgaleta is attending as a winner sponsored by Galbani Professionale, Robles is attending as a winner sponsored by REAL California Milk, and Miller is the Galbani Pizza Cup Acrobatic Champion.
Together, the group reflects the depth and diversity of the American pizza scene. In Parma, they will compete in Italian Classic, Pizza in Teglia, Pizza in Pala, Roman-style, gluten-free, and Pizza a Due, as well as the full slate of acrobatic events, including freestyle. Just as important, they will visit flour mills and immerse themselves in the ingredients, traditions, and techniques that continue to shape pizza at its highest levels.
A major reason this year’s delegation feels so well-positioned is the leadership of Chef Vitangelo Recchia, who serves as USPT culinary coach. Recchia knows the demands of this stage firsthand having studied just down the road from our hotel in Parma. In his first outing at the event in 2023, he earned second place, helping prove that American competitors can stand shoulder to shoulder with some of the best pizza makers in the world.
Recchia has framed this trip as something bigger than medals alone. “As Culinary Coach, I couldn’t be more proud of this team heading to Italy. This isn’t just a trip, it’s a statement,” he said. He also emphasized the responsibility that comes with competing in Parma: “They’re not going over there just to participate. They’re going to represent something bigger than themselves.” For Recchia, the real story is also what the team has become in the process: “Sharper. Hungrie
r. More connected. That’s what makes a real team. That’s what makes champions.”
Rico Lunardi will make the trip with his son, Luca, who will be traveling to Italy for the first time. This gives this adventure an added father-son dimension rooted in legacy as much as competition. As Rico put it, “Going to Italy to compete is always big, but bringing my son with me is next level. That’s legacy. That’s what all this work is really about. That’s something we both will never forget.”
That same generational energy runs through the Trupianos. Tore Trupiano, captain of the U.S. Pizza Team and one of its winningest members, is also making the trip with his son, Damiano. Together, the Lunardis and Trupianii show that even on one of pizza’s biggest stages, the craft is still built on mentorship, tradition, and what gets passed down.
Damiano and Luca are more than new faces. They’re the next wave, learning how to compete on an international stage under the guidance of fathers who have already earned their place in the industry. For them, the World Pizza Championships is more than a competition; it’s a chance to experience the craft at its highest level with the mentors who built their foundation.
As the group heads to Parma, Recchia’s final message may say it best: “You’ve earned your place. Now go over there and show them exactly who you are.” That is the mission for the U.S. Pizza Team and the sponsored pizza champions joining them—to compete hard, learn deeply, represent proudly, and remind the world that American pizza talent belongs among the best. The field will be loaded, the pressure will be real, and the stage will be historic. And this group is ready to make some noise.
By Brian Hernandez, PMQ Assoc. Editor & U.S. Pizza Team Dir.
