U.S. soccer star Timothy Weah is a member of one of soccer’s royal families.
So much so that his father George Weah, an icon in the sport who went on to become president of Liberia, is referred to as “King George.”
“Growing up, you have the pictures all over the house and his jersey, so you kind of have an idea of what his career was like,” Timothy said on NBC and Telemundo’s “My New Favorite Futbolista.” “We went to the World Cup in South Africa and just seeing his interaction with people and fans, you kind of pick up on, ‘Ok, he was pretty much a big deal.’”
It’s in those moments throughout his life that Timothy says he has “experienced my dad’s stardom.”
Now he’s experiencing his own stardom, as soccer’s king of Queens.
Heavy is the crown, but the kid who grew up in Queens, New York, with a famous last name wore it well. The 26-year-old forward plays for Olympique De Marseille in France and is competing in his second World Cup. He’s also using his own fame to help inspire young players who look up to him the way others once looked up to his dad.
“It’s just beautiful being at the forefront of the national team and being able to influence the younger generation,” Timothy said. “Because that’s literally it. That’s who you have to influence. Once kids see you on TV, once kids can relate, that’s what they’re going to want to become.”
Timothy seemed to know what he wanted to become at a very early age, having started playing soccer at just 18 months old.
“As soon as he could walk, he was on the soccer field,” said Timothy’s uncle Michael Duncan. “I remember one day I saw him kick the ball and I said that it’s amazing that a little boy could kick the ball so hard.”
Telemundo play-by-play announcer Luis Omar Tapia explains the challenges of carrying the Weah name and how Timothy Weah has emerged as a standout player in his own right.
Playing amongst his older brothers and cousins, Timothy said he would “always magically find a ball and end up kicking it.”
His soccer success wasn’t strictly a product of the name and genes given to him by his father. He recalls his uncle being the one to teach him how to juggle and taking him to summer camps.
“Definitely takes a village to raise a kid,” Timothy said.
Timothy was raised in the diverse neighborhood of Rosedale in Queens, an area that celebrates the various cultures of its residents, including his mom’s native Jamaica and his dad’s native Liberia.
“Culturally you learn a lot because we didn’t grow up on the islands,” he said. “We didn’t grow up in Africa directly, having Jamaica and having Liberia or whatever African country that we had. Everything was represented in that one area.”
That area was also home to the Rosedale Soccer Club, a community program run by his uncle since 1999.
“I just pretty much grew up out there,” he said.
The program aims to better the community through soccer.
“It’s my second love and I’ve been at it forever,” Duncan said. “It was a family thing with Timothy being there, his mother, his brother and his sister. We just didn’t go there to play soccer. It was a family environment from morning until evening. Sometimes we were there from eight o’clock in the morning until six, seven o’clock in the evening. So, it becomes like a way of life for Timothy and the rest of the family.”
It helped propel Timothy to do something that is father, the 1995 Ballon d’Or winner, never did in his career: play in a World Cup.
Folarin Balogun’s two-goal performance helped the United States make multiple pieces of World Cup history in a 4-1 win over Paraguay.
Timothy made his World Cup debut in 2022, scoring the team’s first goal in eight years during a 1-1 draw against Wales. He’s now looking to help the U.S. get back to the round of 16 or beyond.
And as far as his career takes him, the soccer king of Queens always returns to his castle.
Timothy, who in 2024 became one of Brooklyn FC’s owners, regularly makes appearances at the Rosedale Soccer Club to speak with the young players.
“There’s some good little players out there and just knowing that they can see someone that came from their community, their skin color, is wonderful,” Timothy said. “So, hopefully I can inspire the next generation.”
You can tune into “My New Favorite Futbolista” wherever you listen to podcasts, with episodes featuring Weah and more World Cup stars.
Mike Gavin
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