When the U.S. co-hosts the 2026 World Cup next summer, matches will span the whole of North America. From Los Angeles to Miami, Mexico City to Toronto, the stakes will be high, the stage the grandest—and vastest. A fact not lost on U.S. men’s national team playmaker Malik Tillman.
“Everything is huge [in the United States]. I mean, everything is just bigger,” the Bayer Leverkusen playmaker says. “If you look at the highway, sometimes you have eight lanes! And [in Germany] probably the max is four. So. yeah, it’s crazy ... it’s so special when I go there.”
Tillman has been described by U.S. men’s national team manager Mauricio Pochettino as one of the biggest talents on the roster and is pushing to play a major role next summer. That Tillman represents the USMNT at all, let alone at next summer’s World Cup is a story in itself. His journey was more unorthodox than most. After all, he had never been to the U.S. before his first USMNT camp in 2022.
“Playing for your national team is probably the biggest [level] you can [reach] in football,” Tillman says. “It’s a lot of people who want to be in your spot and you’re there. ... It makes you realize it’s what you dream of being as a kid.”
The Journey to Represent the USMNT
Born in Nuremberg, Germany, Tillman is a dual national born to an American father and a German mother. Having represented both countries at youth level, he found success coming through the Bayern Munich academy, where his USMNT recruitment began.
“It’s always been in my mind,” Tillman says. “My first camp for the U.S. was under-14s. They played in Croatia so I went there. And then I chose to play for Germany, mostly because it was closer. I didn’t have to travel. Obviously the World Cup came, I think I talked to the under-20s coach back then like a few months before [the 2022 World Cup]. Also, because we had two Americans at Bayern—Chris Richards and Taylor Booth—they always told me, ‘Come play for us.’
“We need someone like you,” Tillman recalls being the main pitch of Richards’s recruitment strategy. Little did Richards know how prescient he was.
As he navigated a complex international career at a young age, the allure of playing for the USMNT was too much to resist, despite the loyalty he felt to the German soccer system that benefited him in his formative years.
“I’ve seen the potential in the team we have,” Tillman says. “[Choosing the USMNT] was more about playing for a first team as early as you can. Without them, I probably wouldn’t be the same player I am today. To make that decision was a really tough one. Obviously I grew up in Germany, I was born in Germany. Grateful to have Germany in me, but also to have an American side.”
It will surprise some people that Tillman considers himself more American than German despite growing up in Germany and not visiting the U.S. until he was an adult.
German Soccer Education vs American Influence
“I grew up in Germany. I take a lot from Germany. I’m grateful for Germany. But then on the other hand, I always had in mind there's also a possibility in my life that it could change one day or that I could play for years in the future, which happened, which I’m also very grateful for. I take a lot from both sides.
“I mean, from the not taking life too serious [American side]. And then from Germany, I also take this seriousness in some ways, in terms of discipline, in terms of routines. I think I’m more American than German. But then when it comes to discipline, when it comes to structure in life, I think I’m quite German, to be honest.”
And Tillman believes his German soccer education and American influence has given him a strong combination of on-field qualities.
“It’s mixed in Germany because you came through the system,” he says. “But then obviously you’re on a national team with the U.S. It’s a nice blend. Same again. Discipline, structure German. But then also freedom, maybe quite American.”
Tillman officially chose the U.S. in May 2022. Amid sporadic appearances in international friendlies, he continued to prove himself at the club level, waiting for an opportunity to show what he could do on the international stage. Enter this summer’s Gold Cup.
The Connection with Mauricio Pochettino
The 2025 Gold Cup was known more for who wasn’t on the U.S. roster than those who were, but it may yet pay dividends for the stars it helped develop. The bond that Tillman and Pochettino formed shaped the USMNT’s Gold Cup run, and could set the stage for success in 2026. Pochettino publicly lauding Tillman helped, too.
“It’s great,” Tillman says of Pochettino’s praise. “I have a good connection to him. I mean probably this summer was like the camp where he understood me and I understood him the most. It takes time to grow a relationship with someone. And this was the case with us as well.
“By now, he understands how I am as a person and as a player, or what he needs to do for me to be able to perform. And then obviously hearing this is, yes, it’s amazing. I mean, he’s one of probably the best coaches in the world.”
Tillman may give the impression of being laid back, but there’s a confident determination about him. He backs himself.
“I don’t really take life too serious. I don’t want to change for anyone. I’m just myself on that,” he says. “I probably played most of my life against older guys. So there’s no point to be afraid of someone. I mean, I’m quite confident. I believe in myself. And then why not do it against anybody in this world?”
Pochettino's History of Trusting and Developing Young Creative Talent
A driving force behind a run to the final, Tillman started every Gold Cup match, scoring three goals and assisting two more. Pochettino, who cut his managerial teeth in Europe, handed the creative keys to a 23-year-old still unknown to the masses. It wouldn’t be the first time Pochettino had trusted younger players to unlock his team’s creativity, while at the same time supercharging their development.
This is the coach who in guiding Southampton to their, at the time, joint highest Premier League finish in 2013–14, helped Adam Lallana get his first England call-up and a big-money move to Liverpool. A manager who developed Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli at the height of Tottenham Hotspur’s modern era. The man who took charge of Cole Palmer’s breakout season at Chelsea where observers soon stopped referencing the $57 million fee the Londoners paid Manchester City for the 21-year-old, such was his impact.
These were young players who thrived in the creative responsibility Pochettino gave them, that flourished in the environment the Argentine fostered at these clubs. Tillman has both the potential and the profile to emulate that success for USMNT, and his role in achieving that is clear.
“For me, No. 10 is the best number you can have in football,” Tillman says of the creative fulcrum that dictates play, a position attractive on the eye and crucial in Pochettino’s preferred 4-2-3-1. If the formation is a car, the No. 10 is the steering wheel.
Tillman's Role for the USMNT
Since Pochettino took the USMNT job, fans have seen Christian Pulisic, Diego Luna and Tillman notably fill that assignment. The U.S. has searched for a dependable player in the role, hoping Pochettino could create another star.
Pulisic, in the best form of his life with AC Milan, thrives off the flanks as a winger. Luna, while building his status as a young, cult hero, can be a game-changer from the dugout. But realizing Tillman’s potential is critical in more ways than one—putting him in the key position to thrive will further unlock the USMNT.
Something Pochettino, a man under pressure, needs to happen. He is leading a host nation at the FIFA World Cup in less than eight months and results have been mixed, the team is struggling for consistency and Pochettino has been visibly irritable with the media recently.
He even altered his formation after losing to South Korea in September hoping for another spark—out went the 4-2-3-1, in came a 3-4-3. While performances have improved, there’s no natural No. 10 role in such a formation.
“I’m happy wherever,” Tillman says. “On the ball, I think, just give me some freedom. I always look for the spaces, and then I can really show what I can do.”
The Most Recent Games
Pochettino trusted his budding star with another opportunity, and Tillman rewarded him by thriving against Ecuador in a 1–1 draw.
Tillman started on the left wing and was given freedom, importantly, to roam. He created six chances, the most of any player, linking up with Folarin Balogun throughout the night. Tillman assisted Balogun for the equalizing goal in a team performance considered one of, if not, the best of the Pochettino era.
He, like others, transmitted non-negotiables to fans watching: heart, desire, a willingness to win all while adapting to a new system. Having played the full 90 minutes versus Ecuador, Tillman was rested against Australia to close the October window as Pochettino mixed up the talent available to him.
While many fans might still not feel like they really know much about Pochettino beyond his press conferences, Tillman has built up a strong rapport with his manager.
“He wants to have a close connection to every player,” Tillman says. “He’s very personal. He wants to have conversations with everyone. He wants to have fun on the pitch. When it comes to being serious, he’s really serious and he’s really intense in what he does. He wants us to do the best we can. Show intensity, show character. I think that’s what separates him from others.”
This intensity and character will be tested next summer when the World Cup begins. A spectacle like no other in sport. A production amplified by the fact that it takes place on U.S. soil.
But Tillman is clear on how he and his national team succeed.
“If we’re one team, if we have close connections and we fight for each other, we can really achieve things,” he says. “Have a clear way how we want to play, have structure, be disciplined, be mentally there and focused.
“Coming out of the group, and then I think everything can happen. Obviously we go there to try and win it. We should all have this mentality ... I think we can beat anyone.”
While USMNT stars like Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Tim Weah have dominated headlines in recent times, Tillman formed close connections with his U.S. teammates Ricardo Pepi, Sergiño Dest and Richard Ledezma at PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands, where they collected consecutive Eredivisie titles. Tillman credits the Champions League experience he earned there as a driving force behind his rise.
The US Vibes at PSV
Anyone who watched him play for PSV will have been immediately impressed by his precise long-range shooting, finishing in tight spaces and accurate set-piece delivery. But it was his quick feet, neat exchanges with teammates and powerful, direct running with the ball from midfield that were his trademark assets. At PSV, he rapidly progressed the play forward—often evading robust tackling—and laid off big chances for better-placed teammates, often Pepi, as they struck up a good rapport for both club and country.
As Tillman’s star rose, the opportunity to return to the superior Bundesliga arrived. Bayer Leverkusen, entering a new era, signed Tillman for $41 million this past summer, the second-most expensive U.S. transfer ever, behind the $73 million Chelsea paid for Pulisic in 2019.
Tillman has had a bright start to life at Leverkusen despite a challenging introduction. Manager Erik ten Hag—who signed Tillman—was let go just two games into the Bundesliga season despite only arriving in July, replaced by the former Denmark manager Kasper Hjulmand. The team is unbeaten since his arrival, with Tillman a mainstay in the lineup.
The World Cup hype and pressure are building every day, but Tillman says he’s not letting it dominate his thoughts.
Arriving at the World Cup Fully Prepared
“I mean, obviously [the World Cup] is the big goal,” Tillman says. “[But] I’m here now, it’s about the club now, it’s a long season. We want to be successful and win titles. I have to focus on this first, and the World Cup comes in eight months.”
While trying to remain grounded at his new club, anticipation has swelled and the USMNT’s goals next summer are clearly outlined.
“If you want to be at the World Cup, you have to play as much as you can and be in the best shape possible,” Tillman says. “It plays a role in coming [to Leverkusen], the surroundings I have here, the system we play, the coach. It’s not my decision if the coach picks me for the World Cup, so I just have to give my best.”
For now, the World Cup can wait. Tillman, via Pochettino, still has time to further nurture and develop his influence and impact on this team. But when things get serious next summer, the USMNT will need Tillman at his creative best, unlocking the keys to success.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why Malik Tillman Is the USMNT’s Key to Success at the 2026 World Cup .