1. Overview
Timothy Tarpeh Weah (born February 22, 2000) is an American professional soccer player who primarily plays as a winger or forward. He currently plays for Serie A club Juventus and represents the United States national team. Weah is notably the son of George Weah, a former Ballon d'Or winner and the 25th President of Liberia. His career has seen him play for prominent European clubs, including Paris Saint-Germain, Celtic, and Lille, before joining Juventus. He has achieved success at both club and international levels, winning multiple league titles and domestic cups, and contributing to the United States' victories in the CONCACAF Nations League.
2. Early Life and Personal Background
Timothy Weah's early life was shaped by his family's rich background in both sports and politics, providing him with a unique upbringing that influenced his path into professional football.
2.1. Birth and Family
Timothy Weah was born on February 22, 2000, in Brooklyn, New York, United States. He stands at 72 in (182 cm). His father is the renowned Liberian former professional soccer player George Weah, who achieved global fame by winning the Ballon d'Or in 1995. George Weah later transitioned into politics, becoming the 25th President of Liberia in 2018, following a three-year tenure in the Senate of Liberia. Timothy's mother is Clar Weah, who is Jamaican. He has two older siblings, George Jr. and Tita. His cousin, Kyle Duncan, is also a professional soccer player who plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer. Timothy Weah is not related to Liberian-born soccer player Patrick Weah.
2.2. Childhood and Education
Weah spent his early childhood in Brooklyn, New York, before moving to Valley Stream, New York, and later to Pembroke Pines, Florida. His initial exposure to soccer came from his father, who taught him the fundamentals of the game. He began his youth football career playing for West Pines United in Florida. After returning to New York, he joined the Rosedale Soccer Club in Queens, New York, which was owned by his uncle. He played three seasons with BW Gottschee, a team within the U.S. Soccer Development Academy system, before transferring to the New York Red Bulls Academy in 2013. At the age of 13, he had a trial with English club Chelsea. In 2014, Weah relocated to France to join the prestigious Paris Saint-Germain Academy. In his very first start for the academy team, he showcased his talent by scoring a hat-trick in an 8-1 victory against Bulgarian side Ludogorets Razgrad in the UEFA Youth League.
2.3. Personal Life and Interests
Beyond his professional football career, Timothy Weah maintains a diverse set of personal interests. He is fluent in both English and French, a skill that has likely aided his transitions between clubs in different European countries. Weah also has a passion for music, particularly enjoying the production of trap soul music. He maintains close friendships within the soccer community, notably with fellow American soccer player Tyler Adams, as well as his former Lille teammates Jonathan David and Angel Gomes.
3. Club Career
Timothy Weah's professional journey has taken him through several prominent clubs in Europe, where he has steadily developed his skills and contributed to significant team successes.
3.1. Youth Career
Timothy Weah's foundational training began in the United States, where he was taught soccer by his father and played for West Pines United in Florida. Upon moving back to New York, he joined the Rosedale Soccer Club in Queens, owned by his uncle. He further developed his skills over three seasons with BW Gottschee, a team in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy system, before transferring to the New York Red Bulls Academy in 2013. At the age of 13, he underwent a trial with Chelsea. In 2014, he made a significant move to France to join the Paris Saint-Germain Academy, where he quickly made an impact by scoring a hat-trick in his first start for the academy team in an 8-1 win over Ludogorets Razgrad in the UEFA Youth League.
3.2. Paris Saint-Germain
On July 3, 2017, Timothy Weah signed a three-year professional contract with French club Paris Saint-Germain, following in the footsteps of his father who had also played for the club in the 1990s. During his initial period, he spent most of his time with the club's reserves in the Championnat National 2 and the under-19 squad in the UEFA Youth League.
Weah was included in the first-team squad for a Ligue 1 match against Troyes AC on March 3, 2018, as the club's regular starting forwards were rested for an upcoming Champions League fixture. He made his professional debut in that match, coming on as a substitute in the 79th minute. He nearly scored in stoppage time, but his effort was saved by the Troyes goalkeeper. Weah made his first senior start for Paris Saint-Germain in a 0-0 draw against Caen on the final day of the Ligue 1 season.
His first competitive goal for PSG came on August 4, 2018, in a 4-0 victory against Monaco in the Trophée des Champions. A week later, he scored his first league goal in the club's season opener, a 3-0 win over Caen. During his tenure with Paris Saint-Germain, Weah contributed to the team winning the Ligue 1 title twice (in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons) and the Trophée des Champions once (2018).
3.3. Celtic F.C. (Loan)
On January 7, 2019, Weah joined Scottish club Celtic on a six-month loan deal. He expressed his affection for the club, stating he was "in love" with it. He made his debut on January 19, coming on as a 69th-minute substitute in a Scottish Cup fourth-round match at home against Airdrieonians, scoring in a 3-0 victory. Weah's second goal for Celtic, and his first in the league, was scored on January 23 in a 4-0 win over St Mirren. In February 2019, he was added to Celtic's Europa League squad. During his loan spell, he contributed to Celtic winning the Scottish Premiership title. His loan was terminated early by Celtic in May 2019 after he was selected for the United States squad for the Under-20 World Cup, which meant he would miss the Scottish Cup final.
3.4. Lille OSC
On June 29, 2019, Timothy Weah signed a five-year contract with French club Lille, with the deal becoming effective on July 1. The transfer fee was reported to be around 10.00 M EUR. He made his debut for Lille on August 11, starting in a 2-1 home victory over Nantes, playing 68 minutes before being substituted.
Weah's first season with Lille (2019-20) was significantly impacted by injuries. He made only three appearances, missing most of the season due to two separate hamstring injuries. The first injury, sustained in a game against Amiens, kept him out for six months, and the second occurred during his first match back with the team against Marseille. He underwent successful surgery in March 2020 in Turku, Finland, performed by surgeon Lasse Lempainen.
He made his return from injury during Lille's second match of the 2020-21 Ligue 1 season, coming on as a substitute in the 79th minute against Reims. On December 10, 2020, Weah started and scored his first goal for Lille in a UEFA Europa League match, a 3-2 loss against his former club Celtic. On December 16, he scored his first Ligue 1 goal for Lille after coming on as a substitute against Dijon, sealing a 2-0 victory. He played 28 games and scored three goals as Lille won their first league title in a decade during the 2020-21 Ligue 1 season. On August 1, 2021, Lille also won the 2021 Trophée des Champions with a 1-0 victory over PSG, with Weah playing the final 14 minutes.
On March 19, 2022, Weah was sent off in a 1-0 win at Nantes for a foul on Samuel Moutoussamy. He did not score again until May 14, in the penultimate league fixture, a 3-1 win at Nice. A week later, he scored both goals in a 2-2 home draw with Rennes.
3.5. Juventus
Following four seasons with Lille, Timothy Weah signed for Serie A club Juventus on July 1, 2023. He signed a five-year contract that runs until June 30, 2028. The financial details of the transfer included an initial base fee of 10.30 M EUR payable to Lille over two years, a maximum of 2.10 M EUR in add-ons depending on sporting conditions, and 1.00 M EUR in incidental charges.
On January 4, 2024, Weah scored his first goal for Juventus in a 6-1 victory against Salernitana in the round of 16 stage of the Coppa Italia. Juventus went on to win the Coppa Italia, defeating Atalanta in the final.
4. International Career
Timothy Weah has represented the United States national soccer team at various levels, from youth tournaments to senior international competitions, making a significant impact on the team's performance.
4.1. Eligibility and National Team Choice
Due to his diverse family background and residency, Timothy Weah was eligible to represent multiple nations in international football, including the France, Jamaica, and Liberia, in addition to the United States. However, Weah stated that his decision to represent the United States was "not hard at all," attributing it to his deep love for the country and his teammates. He reportedly declined an offer from the French Football Federation to join their national team program.
4.2. Youth International Career
Weah's international career began with the United States youth national teams. He received his first call-up to train with the under-14 team in 2012. He was selected for the under-15 team to compete in the Tournament delle Nazioni in Italy, where he scored the winning goal in the final against Austria.
In December 2015, he was called up to the under-17 team, under the management of his former under-15 coach John Hackworth, for a series of friendly matches in Florida. Weah joined the team for the Montaigu Tournament, which the United States won after he scored in the final against host nation France. In another set of friendlies in Florida, he made three substitute appearances and scored twice. He was part of the under-17 squad that finished as runner-up in the 2017 CONCACAF U-17 Championship, where he scored two goals.
Weah was selected to represent the United States at the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India. In the team's first knockout stage match, he scored a hat-trick in a 5-0 victory over Paraguay. This hat-trick was historic, being the first recorded by a United States men's national team player at any level during the knockout stages of a World Cup, and the fifth overall for any American male player at a World Cup.
He was also named in the United States squad for the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland. During this tournament, he scored two goals: one against Qatar in the group stage, which helped the team qualify for the knockout stage, and another against Ecuador in their quarterfinal defeat.
4.3. Senior International Career
Timothy Weah made his full debut for the senior national team on March 27, 2018, in a 1-0 friendly win against Paraguay. He entered the match as a substitute in the 86th minute, becoming the first player born in the 2000s to earn a senior cap for the United States. During a friendly against Bolivia on May 28, 2018, in his first international start, Weah scored his first international goal, becoming the fourth-youngest player to score for the United States, just after Josh Sargent, who scored earlier in the same match.
On June 6, 2021, Weah came on as a substitute in the 60th minute of a 3-2 overtime victory over Mexico in the 2021 CONCACAF Nations League Final in Denver. He was part of the squad that won the CONCACAF Nations League in 2021, 2023, and 2024. His first competitive international goal was scored on November 16, 2021, opening a 1-1 tie away to Jamaica during 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification.
Weah was included in the American squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where the team reached the last 16. He scored against Wales in the 1-1 tie during the first group game. He was also selected for the 2024 Copa América hosted on home soil. In their second group stage match against Panama, Weah was controversially sent off with a straight red card, upgraded from a yellow after a VAR review, for striking Panamanian defender Roderick Miller in the head. The U.S. ultimately lost the match 2-1. Following this incident, Weah, along with teammates Folarin Balogun, Chris Richards, and Weston McKennie, reported suffering racist abuse.
5. Career Statistics
5.1. Club
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Paris Saint-Germain II | 2017-18 | Championnat National 2 | 12 | 2 | - | - | - | 12 | 2 | |||
| 2018-19 | Championnat National 2 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | 3 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 15 | 4 | - | - | - | 15 | 4 | |||||
| Paris Saint-Germain | 2017-18 | Ligue 1 | 3 | 0 | - | - | - | 3 | 0 | |||
| 2018-19 | Ligue 1 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | |||
| Total | 5 | 1 | - | - | 1 | 1 | 6 | 2 | ||||
| Celtic (loan) | 2018-19 | Scottish Premiership | 13 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | 17 | 4 | |
| Lille | 2019-20 | Ligue 1 | 3 | 0 | - | - | - | 3 | 0 | |||
| 2020-21 | Ligue 1 | 28 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 2 | - | 37 | 5 | ||
| 2021-22 | Ligue 1 | 29 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 3 | |
| 2022-23 | Ligue 1 | 29 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | - | 32 | 0 | |||
| Total | 89 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 107 | 8 | ||
| Juventus | 2023-24 | Serie A | 30 | 0 | 5 | 1 | - | - | 35 | 1 | ||
| 2024-25 | Serie A | 18 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 6 | |
| Total | 48 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 65 | 7 | ||
| Career total | 171 | 19 | 16 | 2 | 21 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 211 | 25 | ||
Notes:
- National Cup includes Scottish Cup, Coupe de France, and Coppa Italia.
- Continental appearances include UEFA Europa League and UEFA Champions League.
- Other appearances include Trophée des Champions and Supercoppa Italiana.
5.2. International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2018 | 8 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 11 | 2 | |
| 2023 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 7 | 2 | |
| Total | 42 | 7 | |
Scores and results list the United States' goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Weah goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 28, 2018 | Talen Energy Stadium, Chester, United States |  BOL | 3-0 | 3-0 | Friendly |
| 2 | November 16, 2021 | Independence Park, Kingston, Jamaica |  JAM | 1-0 | 1-1 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 3 | June 1, 2022 | TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, United States |  MAR | 2-0 | 3-0 | Friendly |
| 4 | November 21, 2022 | Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar |  WAL | 1-0 | 1-1 | 2022 FIFA World Cup |
| 5 | September 9, 2023 | CityPark, St. Louis, United States |  UZB | 1-0 | 3-0 | Friendly |
| 6 | June 8, 2024 | Commanders Field, Landover, United States |  COL | 1-2 | 1-5 | Friendly |
| 7 | November 18, 2024 | CityPark, St. Louis, United States | JAM | 4-1 | 4-2 | 2024-25 CONCACAF Nations League A |
6. Honors
6.1. Club Honors
- Paris Saint-Germain
- Ligue 1: 2017-18, 2018-19
- Trophée des Champions: 2018
- Coupe de la Ligue: 2017-18
- Celtic
- Scottish Premiership: 2018-19
- Scottish Cup: 2018-19
- Scottish League Cup: 2018-19
- Lille
- Ligue 1: 2020-21
- Trophée des Champions: 2021
- Juventus
- Coppa Italia: 2023-24
6.2. International Honors
- United States U17
- CONCACAF U-17 Championship runner-up: 2017
- United States
- CONCACAF Nations League: 2019-20, 2022-23, 2023-24
7. Other Activities
Beyond his active playing career, Timothy Weah has also ventured into other areas within the football world, demonstrating a broader interest in the sport's development.
7.1. Club Ownership
On May 28, 2024, the American second-division club Brooklyn Football Club announced that Timothy Weah had joined its ownership group. This move marks his involvement in the administrative and developmental aspects of football, particularly in his home country.