RoboCop. Truffles. Pizza Acrobatics. Yeah, This Trip Had Everything
When it comes to international pizza showdowns, the U.S. Pizza Team doesn’t just show up—they show out. At the 2025 Campionato Mondiale della Pizza (World Pizza Championship) in Parma, Italy, 11 flour-dusted gladiators entered the global arena of crust, cheese and sauce and left a mark the industry won’t soon forget.
This wasn’t just a competition. It was a pizza pilgrimage. Between 4 a.m. prep sessions, collaborative 
culinary experiments and the kind of camaraderie that only sleepless nights and espresso-fueled days can forge, the team bonded like true dough brothers and sisters.
Their journey also included a front-row tour of an authentic Parmesan factory, tracing that golden wheel of dairy goodness from pasture to pizza. Armed with a deeper understanding of Italian ingredients—what makes them tick, stink and sing—our pizzaioli sharpened their edge before stepping in front of the judges.
And when they weren’t flinging dough? They were eating their way across Parma. From decadent gelato to savory tigelle and espresso so strong it practically unlocked time travel, the U.S. Pizza Team dove headfirst into the culture that shaped the craft.
Team Highlights: Who Brought the Heat?
McKenna Carney of The Nona Slice House in Safety Harbor, Florida, was a breakout star. She not only captured Best in the USA for her stellar Pizza Classica creation but also landed 15th overall out of 354 international competitors in the category with her creation featuring a lemon parsley cream sauce, seasoned roasted cherry tomatoes, sliced zucchini, capers, and finished with a parsley-dill chimichurri, fresh dill and fresh lemon zest. It’s just fun to say. Chimichurri!
And as if that wasn’t enough, Carney earned the Premio Fair Play Award—an honor that goes way beyond smiles and good sportsmanship. Think Miss Congeniality if she were powered by a wood-fired oven. But this award isn’t just about being liked—it recognizes integrity, camaraderie and the kind of spirit that lifts the whole industry. Simply put, it’s one of the highest compliments a pizzaiolo can receive on the world stage.
Meanwhile, Chef Vitangelo Recchia of Bella Napoli Pizzeria & Restaurant in Port Charlotte, Florida, came in hot with his Roman-style Pan Pizza creations. Recchia snagged 11th place out of 113 competitors in the highly competitive Pizza in Teglia category with his white base pie, showcasing porcini, oyster and pioppini mushrooms, Galbani Wm mozzarella, guanciale di sano, pecorino romano, pasteurized egg yolk, and grated black truffle His Teglia game is so strong, it’s like his pans were forged in the same lab that built RoboCop—indestructible, precise and programmed to serve…slices.
David Sommers of Mad Mushroom kept the adrenaline pumping with his performance in the dough-slinging athletic events. He scored 9th place overall in the Largest Dough Stretch event, stretching a pizza wider than most European hotel beds while singing along to AC/DC like a true rock star. Sommers also placed 33rd in Pizza Classica and 21st in Fastest Pizza Maker.
Patt Miller of Pizza Patt’s Slice House – Café – Creamery in Columbus, Ohio, rejoined the team after a decade-long break, coming out of pizza retirement like John Wick stepping back into the game. Miller broke into the top 50 in Pizza Classica while dazzling with his dough-slinging skills in the acrobatics division—backrolling and tossing like no time had passed.
Rising High in Every Event
The U.S. Pizza Team didn’t just shine in one category. From Gluten-Free and Roman Style to Pizza a Due, the team cracked the top 100 in every single category they entered. Members like Giovanni Labbate, Tore Trupiano and Sean Dempsey brought innovation, creativity and enough flour to get an extra TSA screening.
While the crowns weren’t all ours this year, the U.S. Pizza Team left Parma stronger, more inspired, and even hungrier for what’s next.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
None of this would be possible without the unwavering support of our incredible sponsors. Special thanks to Platinum Sponsor Galbani Professionale US, Gold Plus Sponsor Margherita Meats, and Gold Sponsor REAL California Milk. Like we always say: They support the team that supports the industry. And with their help, we’ll keep slinging world-class pizzas until the last oven cools.
Stay tuned to USPizzateam.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram for all the doughy adventures, travel tales and upcoming pizza shenanigans. Because when it comes to the U.S. Pizza Team…the oven is always lit.
