Timothy Weah set to realise his World Cup dreams for the US in Qatar

When Timothy Weah was 10, his father took him to the World Cup final and inspired a dream.

It certainly wasn’t a vintage game that night at Soccer City in Johannesburg. The Netherlands betrayed their ‘Total Football’ legacy with a display of cynical tackles to stifle Spain’s beautiful tiki-taka – not least when Nigel de Jong kung-fu kicked Xabi Alonso in the chest.

But in the end, ‘good’ dominated as Andreas Iniesta won the game well into extra time.

“It was one of the first times I went to a football game, so I was there and saw that atmosphere in what was one of the best World Cups of all time…” Weah recalls.

‘South Africa was amazing, the vuvuzelas everywhere, you couldn’t ask for a better experience.

“From that time on, it has always been a dream of mine to play in the World Cup and represent my country.”

Ten years later, Weah is poised to make that dream a reality when he lines up for the United States in Qatar later this month.

The 22-year-old winger, who plays his club football for Lille in France, will be a key creative force for the USMNT as they try to work their way out of a tricky group that includes England, Wales and Iran.

Coach Gregg Berhalter and fans everywhere will look to Weah to deliver those genius moments that decide top-level games.

Of course, Weah’s father George was one of the best football players to ever come out of Africa.

Weah Snr has played for some of Europe’s top clubs, including Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan. In 1995 he won the Ballon d’Or as the best football player in the world.

But he never graced a World Cup. His country Liberia never qualified, finishing in 2002 when they finished one point behind Nigeria in their qualifying group.

Finally, the Weah family will be represented.

“I know deep down he’s excited because he didn’t get a chance to play with his country in a World Cup,” Weah Jr. said. to DailyMail.com. ‘I feel that he is experiencing that moment through me.

“He’s excited like any mom or dad would be. They want me to do my best and I just want to perform.”

It should be noted that 56-year-old George is now the president of Liberia, but strangely enough, his busy schedule will leave enough time in the coming days to go to Qatar, along with his wife Clar and a large entourage of relatives.

“It’s the biggest tournament of all, playing for your family and being able to have your name on the back of your jersey is a great feeling,” Weah says.

“I know my mother will cry, she will get emotional. We’ve been through everything together, from not playing in America, sitting on the bench with club teams, when I was younger to where I am now.

“I hope I make them proud.”

Tim could have played for Liberia – or France or Jamaica for that matter – but it would always be the United States for this Brooklyn native.

He has scored three goals in his 25 appearances and has felt the unwavering support of Berhalter and his staff during the setbacks from injuries that have impacted his young career.

For example, problems during his debut season at Lille, which he joined from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2019, have limited him to just three games.

And at the start of the current campaign, with the World Cup on the horizon, a foot injury prevented him from making his first club appearance until October 9.

“It’s lonely being injured, it’s tough. But the recovery process and the people around you help you recover quickly,” Weah says.

“Gregg and the national team coaches, the doctors and the physios have always supported us. Coach Gregg always texts me, just to make sure I’m okay, the doctors text me.

‘You feel at ease. They have supported me from day one. It’s crazy to think that I was injured before our last qualifying round before that, but he still called me and gave me a lot of playing time.

“That shows how much faith he has in me, so I just want to fight for him and help the team.

“I’m happy with how the season has gone so far. I’m coming back into the team and into the rhythm. Hopefully I can just grab this momentum with my club team and take it to the World Cup.”

The US kicks off their World Cup against Wales in Al Rayyan on November 21. Four days later, the eyes of the whole world will be on their encounter with England at the Al Bayt Stadium.

Weah acknowledges the magnitude of the game and the daunting challenge of last year’s European Championship finalists.

“When you look at the England national team, you can’t help but think that it’s a great team with great players,” he says.

“There are guys I played with, like Reece James when I was testing at Chelsea. Raheem Sterling and I are signed to the same brand, New Balance, and he’s like a brother from a different mother.

“But in this case it’s a competition, so we have to take the game very seriously. They are one of the best teams in the World Cup, even if they are not in the best shape at the moment.

“We have to make sure we come with everything we’ve got, stay humble and make sure we get the job done.”

In the aforementioned 2010 World Cup, most people expected England to roll the US in what was an opening match.

That certainly proved to be the case when Steven Gerrard scored after four minutes. But a vintage American side featuring Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore came through Dempsey just before halftime and held out for a famous draw.

“The past matches between the US and England have been great, it was good to see that group of players fight out and equalize,” said Weah.

“I know it’s going to be a big game, everyone will be talking about it, it’s going to be the talk of the World Cup because of the history between the United States and the UK.

“It’s going to be fun, I can’t wait, it’s going to be a great experience.

‘I once played against England at Wembley and we lost’ [3-0 in 2018] so hopefully we can give them more of a challenge this time around.”

This unique winter World Cup, which runs from November 20 to December 18, will be on a tight schedule, but Weah hopes he can take some of the other action during the downtime.

“Looking forward to seeing my French boys, Kylian . to see [Mbappe]Kingsley Coman, the whole French team,” he says.

‘Of course you can watch’ [Lionel] Messi and Neymar compete at the highest level and perform to the best of their ability.

“These are guys I looked up to when I was younger and I do to this day, so it’s definitely an honor to be at the same tournament.

“This will be the last World Cup ever for Messi, so it will be a special moment. He is one of the best ever and I am happy to live in this period to see him do what he does.”

As Messi’s World Cup journey draws to a close, Weah’s journey has only just begun.

Tim Weah, USA Men’s National Team and star of LOSC Lille, is a Team New Balance athlete. You can buy the 574 shoes from New Balance here1080 shoes hereor new Headline Taker boots here.