Timothy Weah, son of Liberia President George Weah, has become the first child of a former Ballon d’Or winner to score at the World Cup.
The 22-year-old scored the opener in the Group B game between the United States and Wales. Although his father played for the Liberian national team and is currently president of the West African country, Weah decided to represent America – the country of his birth.
Timothy Weah has become the first son of a former Ballon d’Or winner to score at the World Cup.
The Lille attacker gave USA the lead after 36 minutes, but a late Gareth Bale penalty ensured Wales got a point from the game.
The United States will next face England on Friday, before rounding up their group with a clash against Iran. Fulfilling his father’s dream George Weah had a legendary career, playing at some of the big clubs in Europe including AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain. At AC Milan, he scored 58 goals in 157 games. With the Liberian national team, Weah scored 16 goals in 60 matches. He won the 1995 Ballon d’Or, becoming the only African player to achieve that feat. However, failure to qualify for the World Cup remains his biggest regret. “Being from Liberia and becoming a professional soccer player was already like a dream. Then I won titles, even a Ballon d’Or, and I came back to be president! I missed playing in a World Cup. Maybe my son will fulfill his dream and fulfill it for me,” said Weah in a previous interview as quoted by VarskySports. (SportsBrief)