By Florence Mafomemeh
Timothy Weah scored the first goal for the United States Men’s National Team in their opening FIFA World Cup Group B match against Wales on Monday. This was the first goal scored by the team in eight years.
Timothy, the son of legendary African soccer super star George Weah who is now president of the African nation of Liberia was born in Brooklyn, raised in Queens and moved to Paris as a teenager.
In addition to the United States, Weah, who was eligible to represent France, Jamaica, and Liberia, through residency and his parents’ citizenships, said that his decision to represent the United States “wasn’t hard at all” and was based on his love of the country and his teammates.
The 22-Year-Old, who has made 25 appearances for the U.S. national team and has scored three goals and assisted two, plays for Ligue 1 club Lille. He was with Paris Saint Germain till 2019 before being released by the club. Weah has won the Ligue 1 title three times, twice with PSG and once with Lille. Timothy also played for Celtics on a six-month loan spell where he reached the Scottish Cup final.
Timothy is the fifth youngest scorer in the USMNT’s history. He scored the goal in his second appearance against Bolivia in 2018. He has also played for USA’s Under-17 and Under-19 teams.
Weah is a talented soccer player just like his father, George Weah who played for Monaco, Paris Saint Germain and A.C. Milan, and won the Ballon D’Or in 1995 with the Rossoneri. He’s been president since 2018.