Considering his effervescent personality and obvious on-field impact, not to mention the prominence of his name, it’s easy to forget that 12 months ago, Tim Weah was an almost totally unproven senior international. Untimely injuries had limited his time with the U.S. men to about 40 minutes across the preceding two-and-a-half years.
What he was at that point, however, was a newly crowned French champion. While waiting to reestablish himself with the national team, Weah helped lift Lille to an unexpected 2020–21 Ligue 1 title, appearing in 28 of 38 league games and scoring three goals (he added another pair in the Europa League). That success seemed to lift him in turn.
“I feel much more confident now going into a game than I’ve ever felt before,” he told ESPN around this time last year. “I just feel like I’m important to the club now and important to the national team. So you know, it’s a good feeling.”
