DOHA: Tim Weah is relishing the chance to play on the one stage his famous footballing father never graced when he takes to the field for the United States at the World Cup.
The 22-year-old Lille winger is a key part of a talented United States squad in Qatar which is plotting to spring a surprise in Group B where the Americans face England, Wales and Iran.
Weah’s father George long dreamed of playing in the World Cup, but was never able to guide Liberia to the tournament during a club career that saw him acclaimed as one of the greatest players in history.
“My dad wanted the opportunity to play in a World Cup with his country but never got the opportunity to do it,” Tim Weah told reporters on Tuesday. “Now he’s kind of reliving that through me.”
Twelve years ago, Weah was a wide-eyed 10-year-old football fan accompanying his father as a guest at the 2010 World Cup final, watching in awe as Andres Iniesta’s extra-time winner sealed the title for Spain.
“Just watching that, and watching all my favorite players on the field was a dream come true,” Weah told AFP at the team’s training base on Tuesday.
“To be in that same position now is crazy, kind of surreal. I guess when you’re in the position that I’m in now you don’t really realize how blessed you are.
“This is something that we’ve been working on for such a long time. To be here is an amazing feeling...It hasn’t really hit me yet if I’m being honest.”
Comfortable operating as a conventional winger or as wing-back, Weah says he hopes to crown his World Cup debut with a goal — preferably against Group B opponents England on November 25.
“I’m not going to lie. The whole world admires England. I admire England. The players they have, the talent they have, the history that they have,” Weah said.
“It’s definitely something big when you score against a team like that. But it’s a World Cup — I’ll take a goal against anyone.”
With an average age of just under 25, the United States has the youngest squad at the World Cup.
Weah however brushes off suggestions that inexperience may hamper US chances of performing well, citing the experience of elite European club football gleaned by many of his team-mates.
“I feel like right now, the way football is, age is just a number,” Weah said. “Some of the best players in the world are not even 24 yet.
“Individually we all have our own experiences, and we’re all bringing our own maturity to the team...I feel like when we all come together we bring our own level of maturity,” Weah said.
“And even though we’re young, we’re not young-minded. It’s not an immature group at all. It’s a group of guys who know what they want. We’re all just hungry and want to get started.”
Weah relishing ‘surreal’ World Cup experience
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Weah relishing ‘surreal’ World Cup experience
- Weah's father George long dreamed of playing in the World Cup, but was never able to guide Liberia to the tournament
- "My dad wanted the opportunity to play in a World Cup with his country but never got the opportunity to do it," Tim Weah told reporters
Canada’s Lee sets pace, Kim in the hunt for LIV Golf wild card spots
- LIV Golf Promotions in Florida offers top 3 finishers a chance to play in 2026 regular season
LECANTO: Canada’s Richard T. Lee has proved the player to watch during the first three days at LIV Golf Promotions and is now well-placed for a wild-card spot in the 2026 LIV Golf season.
Anthony Kim, meanwhile, found another gear on the back nine on Saturday, putting him in a better position to return to full-time status in the league.
The final 18 holes of the 36-hole shootout at Black Diamond Ranch take place on Sunday with a potentially career-changing reward for the top three finishers — guaranteed LIV Golf wild-card status for 2026. In addition, the top 10 and ties earn exemptions into the Asian Tour’s International Series.
For the second time this week, Lee led the field with a bogey-free 6-under 64. The 35-year-old will take a two-shot lead over his closest pursuers going into Sunday, giving him a significant advantage. However, he does not plan to take his foot off the gas.
“Honestly, I don’t think it would be comfortable for any player to have a two-shot lead on the last day,” said Lee, who has two eagles, 13 birdies and just one bogey in his 54 competitive holes this week. “I’ll just put my hat on and just play my golf.”
Kim is among three players who are tied for second after shooting a bogey-free 4-under 66, along with South Africa’s Oliver Bekker and Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond. Denmark’s Lucas Bjerregaard is solo fifth after his 3-under 67, with five other players lurking at 1 under.
Kim, who played as a wild card in the past two seasons following his return to competitive golf after a 12-year retirement, was just 1 under through 12 holes on Saturday. But he made consecutive lengthy birdie putts at the 13th and 14th holes, birdied the par-5 16th, then saved par with a 15-footer at the par-4 18th that circled the cup before dropping.
“I have an opportunity to get one of those spots,” said the 40-year-old, the only American to advance to the weekend. “That’s what I asked for coming into this week and put myself in a good position. Now I’ve just got to go finish.”
Kim would not be in this position had he not made an 8-foot birdie putt on the 18th on Friday to make the cut on the number.
“I knew that if I didn’t make birdie on 18 [Friday] that my chances of playing on LIV next year were gone, and to me that’s a big deal,” Kim said. “I’d like to play at the highest level against the best players. It meant a lot to me.”
Bekker was part of LIV Golf’s inaugural field at the 2022 London tournament. Four seasons later, he’s excited about the opportunity to return to the league as a full-time member.
“Thinking back on it now, I had the opportunity to play a few more events, and now I’m like, well, maybe I should have played them,” he said. “The water was a bit rough at that stage and didn’t know what was going to happen, so I played it a bit safe. Luckily, I’ve been given another opportunity this week, and hopefully I can take it.”
Janewattananond won four tournaments in 2019 when he became a top 50 world player and, aged 30, still has years left in his competitive career. After shooting a second-round 67 to advance to the weekend, he shot a 66 on Saturday that included four birdies in a six-hole stretch to end his front nine.
“It’s a very big prize at the end of the day,” he said. “Those three spots up for grabs, it would give me freedom to play wherever I want and security for my family.”
The 34-year-old Bjerregaard, a two-time winner on the DP World Tour, said earning full-time LIV Golf status would be career-changing.
“Where I am in my career right now, it’s probably that or retirement,” he said. “Yeah, that would mean a lot for sure.”
Although nothing is guaranteed, Lee has played so well this week that there may be just two spots available for the remainder of the field.
“We’re not playing for one spot,” said Janewattananond. “I don’t have to worry about him. I just have to worry about myself.”
“He played great today,” added Bjerregaard, playing in the same group as Lee on Saturday. “But I would be happy with any of the other two spots, so that’s fine. I can finish third. I wouldn’t mind.”
