The polluted Delhi air could not choke Timothy Weah. At 28 seconds past 52 minutes, the American took the ball on the left wing during a FIFA Under-17 World Cup match against Paraguay on October 16. The Paraguayans were attacking and the US were under pressure to keep the one-goal lead Tim had given in the 19th minute.
The boy from Queens, New York, ran at Paraguay’s right-back Jesus Rolon, and with a feint, cut past the defender and sent a curving shot into the top-left corner of the goal. It took all of five seconds.
His third goal of the match—the team’s fourth—in the 77th minute was historic, as Tim became the first US player to score a hat-trick in the knockout stages of the U-17 World Cup. And he did it with absurd ease.
It was not the first time the Weah surname weaved magic on the football field. Tim’s father, Liberian striker George Weah, was selected by FIFA as the world’s best player in 1995—the only African player ever to win the award. He entered politics after his retirement in 2003 and contested the 2005 Liberian presidential election unsuccessfully. Now he is the favourite to win the 2017 presidential election.
During the unrest in Liberia in the 1980s and 1990s, thousands immigrated to the USA. George had friends and family in the USA, and met his wife Clar, a Jamaican immigrant, at a bank. Tim was born as their third child on February 22, 2000, in Brooklyn, New York. His elder brother George Weah Jr is also a professional footballer and has played for the USA U-20 team.
Different skill set: George Weah campaigning in Monrovia, Liberia, on October 8 | Getty Images
Tim was introduced to football at the Rosedale Soccer Club in Queens, owned by his maternal uncle Michael Duncan. In the 2013-14 season, he played for the New York Red Bull’s U-14 team. He joined French giants Paris Saint-Germain’s youth system in 2014 and signed a three-year professional contract in 2017. Interestingly, Weah senior had played for PSG, helping the French team win Ligue-1 in 1994.
After his team’s 4-1 quarterfinal defeat against England in Goa on October 21, Tim still kept his head high. “You win some, you lose some,” he said. Scoring the hat-trick against Paraguay and signing the professional contract with PSG were the two best moments in his life, Tim told THE WEEK. “It was really amazing to score a hat-trick here,” he said. “In such a beautiful tournament, in such a beautiful country.” Tim can make it to the senior US team, but he has the option to play for three other countries. Liberia through his father, Jamaica through his mother and France through residency. He is fluent in French and English, and understands Italian and Dutch.
FIFA allows players to switch to other countries they are eligible to represent till they make their senior competitive debut. Asked whether his father’s political career or the chance to play for France will have an influence on his senior international career, Tim said the US was the best place for him. “My parents let me make my own decisions,” he told THE WEEK. “And I have been playing in America since childhood. I know the system very well.”
Tim has not visited Liberia for a long time. “Honestly, I have been very very busy trying to improve my game,” he said. “But I hope my dad wins. He was supporting me in this tournament. Now I have to support him in what he is doing. In case he wins, maybe I’ll go there in the summer and help out. I am just really glad he is doing what he likes.”
Being a legendary striker’s son must mean a lot of pressure. “Not really,” said Tim. “It is not difficult having a father who played the game at such a high level and was a classy player. I use it as an advantage. When I am on the field, I just play my game and don’t really think about it too much.” He idolises his father, and his heroes include Neymar, Edinson Cavani and Kylian Mbappé. “They play for PSG and are really classy players. So being able to one day play with them will be great.”
Does Tim have what it takes to rub shoulders with the Neymars of this world? Former Indian ace I.M. Vijayan said his touches were exceptional. “Though he missed good chances to score in Goa, his class was there for all to see,” he told THE WEEK. “But I felt he was not really running hard in this match and he looked like a moody player.”
Against England, Tim was the most obvious outlet for the USA and all the passes went to the left wing in the early exchanges. But as England settled, his teammates failed to find him frequently and he got visibly frustrated. He was seen talking to the coach more than once.
Said US coach John Hackworth: “Timmy felt like he needed to come inside to help. We call that a false 7 [the false winger is a tactic where players drift in from the flank to shoot or pass instead of staying wide and crossing or attacking the wing-backs] and I thought it was false too much.” The coach said he had instructed Tim to stay on the wing so that the team could spread out.
According to Vijayan, Tim may have felt shackled by the coach’s decision. “He seems to enjoy drifting in, rather than staying on the wings,” he said. “He is also tall for his age [185cm]. His father revolutionised forward play, so he could go on to become a world-class player like him.”
When on song, Tim is a treat to watch. And when not playing, he is on to music. Tim is a lyricist and Trap Soul artiste. (Trap Soul is a sub-genre of Rhythm & Blues that infuses Soul and Rap.) He has recorded six songs so far and uploaded one called Paris Interlude (X-rated) featuring DJ Fleetzy on Soundcloud.
“In New York, the hip-hop culture is really big,” said Tim. “I was 2000s, so though Biggie [The Notorious B.I.G.], Tupac [Shakur] were not around, they were still trending and were big stars. I am just a person who loves music and I thought why not create something. Some of my friends are DJs and when I visit we see what we can do. It is just fun.”
In Paris Interlude, Tim sings: “Paris, she’s the baddest since she has it.... You can comment on the magic.... She walks by stopping traffic....” The song is about a woman named Paris, but could be very well about Tim, who is on the fast lane to football’s hall of fame.
