Big finishes. Big pride. Big week in Parma.
The U.S. Pizza Team went to Parma, Italy, and did what good teams are supposed to do on the world stage: compete hard, represent well and 
make sure that United States pizza gets the international attention it deserves. At the 2026 Campionato Mondiale della Pizza, the USPT put together a week full of strong finishes, breakout moments and a couple of father-son storylines that gave the trip some real emotional weight.
Tore and Damiano Trupiano gave Team USA one of its best results and one of its best family storylines in Parma. Tore Trupiano of Mangia e Bevi in Oceanside, Calif., earned Best from the USA honors as the top-scoring American competitor at the event, led by an 11th-place finish out of 71 in Pizza Senza Glutine. He also competed in Pizza Classica, Pizza in Teglia and Pizza a Due, where he joined his son, Damiano, who also competed in Pizza Classica, Pizza Senza 
Glutine and Pizza in Teglia, with his best individual result coming in Pizza Classica. Together, the Trupianos brought a strong father-son moment to the competition floor, pairing a standout result with the kind of shared experience that made Parma about more than placements alone. As Tore said of his Bets in US score, “I’m grateful for the recognition, but this win belongs to so many people. I didn’t get there alone. I brought my teammates, Oceanside, California, and the United States of America with me.”
The U.S. Pizza Team’s trip to Parma was powered in large part by platinum sponsor Galbani Professionale US, which helped send top 
American talent to compete on pizza’s biggest international stage. That support was especially meaningful for Alejandro Burgaleta of Pizza Point Miami, who earned his trip by winning the Galbani Pizza Cup. Burgaleta said the opportunity meant a great deal to him both professionally and personally.
“When I won the trip to Italy, it was amazing because it’s a new experience, a new way to show my product, show my brand to other people,” Burgaleta said. He also praised Galbani’s presence on the ground in Parma, adding, “The Galbani support was very good, because when we arrived to Italy, they sent a lot of cheese, a lot of product. We were covered.”
Another of the team’s top moments came in Pizza a Due, where USPT Culinary Coach Vitangelo Recchia of Bella Napoli Pizzeria & Restaurant in Port Charlotte, Fla. and Juan Robles of Triple Beam Pizza in LA finished 16th, giving Team USA one of its best placements of the event. Recchia described the partnership like this: “Pizza a due with Juan Robles is where there’s no hiding. Two hands, one dough, complete trust. We brought red and green moles, pork tenderloin, a 72 hour veal reduction, pickled red onions, radish, burrata avocado into a Roman foundation. It was a success. The dough, the bake, the topping and ultimately the story spoke louder.” That result backed up the words. So did Recchia’s individual performance in Pizza Classica, where he finished 46th out of 354, placing him in the top 13% of the field.
Juan Robles came to Parma as the REAL California Pizza Challenge champion, with his trip made possible through the support of REAL California Milk. Competing in Italy for the first time, he called it “an amazing and life-changing experience, and an opportunity to both learn and grow.” He said the trip gave him the chance to represent California on the world stage while bringing California products into competition for judges in Italy. He also spoke proudly about competing as a first-generation Mexican American and showing others that “if you put the hard work into it, and you’re relentless, you have that grit and passion, and everything else will follow suit.”
Mike Pitera of Pizza a Modo Mio in Charleston, SC. also turned in one of the team’s strongest all-around weeks. He placed 48th out of 354 in Pizza Classica and 29th out of 115 in Pizza in Pala, putting him in the top quarter of that field. He also competed in Pizza in Teglia and teamed up with Patt Miller in Pizza a Due.
Meanwhile, Miller of Pizza Patt’s Slice House -Cafe – Creamery in New Vienna, OH. brought serious versatility to the trip, competing in Pizza a Due, Pizza Classica, Pizza in Teglia, Fastest and Largest dough stretches and Freestyle. He also arrived in Parma with extra hardware as the Galbani Cup Acrobatic Champion, giving the USPT delegation a little added style along with the substance.
The trip also saw another meaningful family moment through Rico and Luca Lunardi of Slice on Broadway & Lucatino in Pittsburgh, Pa. Rico competed in Pizza Classica, Pizza in Teglia and Pizza a Due, while Luca Lunardi made his first competition appearance in Italy in Pizza Classica and Pizza a Due. Rico’s 43rd-place finish out of 88 in Teglia put him in the top half of the field, but the more memorable takeaway was seeing father and son share the floor together in Parma. Coming after the Trupianos’ run, the Lunardis gave the USPT another father-son storyline that added heart to the week beyond the score sheets.
Recchia addressed that side of the week directly: “Coaching in Parma this year wasn’t about me, it was about watching first-timers step onto the world’s biggest stage and perform like they belonged. Seeing fathers and sons compete side by side, sharing that moment, elevated everything. They didn’t just show up, they delivered under pressure against elite competition. Every detail mattered and they honored the craft. I’m proud of the results, but even more proud of the standard, discipline, and unity we built together.”
When the flour dust settled, Team USA left Parma with strong results, valuable experience and the kind of shared moments that matter long after the score sheets are packed away. Some competitors brought home standout finishes. Some got their first taste of the world stage. Some got to do it alongside family. All of them added something important to the story.
