Durban - Timothy Weah, the son of only African Ballon d'Or winner George Weah, turned out for US in their World Cup opener against Wales.
Born of football royalty, the 22-year-old was determined to make his own mark and step out of the shadow of his father, who also happens to be the President of Liberia.
The US flew out of the starting blocks against Wales and absolutely battered them before Weah broke through their last defensive line and emphatically fired past goalkeeper Wayne Hennessy, announcing his arrival on the biggest stage of them all.
Timothy's father, George played for some of the biggest clubs on the planet, turning out for the likes of Chelsea, Man City, AC Milan and Marseille but had never played at a Fifa World Cup, which makes Timothy's latest accomplishment even more special for the Weah legacy.
Weah, who is also the main-man at French Ligue 1 side Lille has had questions posed to him for his decision to represent the USMNT instead of his father's country of birth Liberia.
Timothy Weah becomes the first son of a former Ballon d’Or winner to feature at the FIFA World Cup.
— Usher Komugisha (@UsherKomugisha) November 21, 2022
His father is George Weah also Liberia’s President who was the first and only African to win the prestigious individual award back in 1995. pic.twitter.com/mncwqpbFEb
However, following his rise through the youth ranks in the US, he explained that having given the subject great thought it only made sense to him that he represent the country that gave him everything.
"I was born in New York and raised in the US, where I started playing football very early in the national team’s youth squads," he told Italian media back in February.
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He also added that: “There has always been a special feeling, so the choice was natural. The fact that my father is the President of Liberia did not influence my decision. "
"My parents have always given me a lot of freedom and I think I’ve taken the right decision given that we are about to qualify for the World Cup, it would be a dream."
@SmisoScribe
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