USMNT's Tim Weah on World Cup Dreams, the American Idea... and Wu-Tang

He is the realest member of Team USA — an activist athlete, from Brooklyn and the African diaspora, choosing to represent a divisive nation as it tries bringing the globe a little closer together. In a rare sit-down ahead of the U. S. men's national team match against Australia, Timothy Weah explains the pressure of this moment, the power of soccer over politics... and why the Knicks' good-luck charm might need to strike again. • Listen to The Athletic FC Podcast https://pod.link/1488521447 • Listen to Tifo Football Podcast https://pod.link/1227699368 • Subscribe to The Athletic https://theathletic.onelink.me/eNRy/ptfo Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Pablo Torre?

  Welcome to Pablo Torre Finds Out. I am Pablo Torre and today, we're gonna find out what this sound is.

• 0:06Speaker 01

  People think that, you know, you can't play for the country of your birth and still wave the flag of your, you know, other, you know, your parents' countries and in your background while doing so. I think that's completely wrong.

• 0:21Pablo Torre?

  Right after this ad.

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• 0:50Pablo Torre?

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• 1:35Pablo Torre?

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• 1:59Pablo Torre?

  So it's a rare opportunity, Tim Weah, to talk to a member of the US Men's National Team during the World Cup. But thank you for joining us, man. Can you tell us, for those who aren't watching, where are you right now? Where are we talking to you from?

• 2:14Speaker 01

  I'm currently at home base in Laguna. We're at the Team Hotel. And we are in room [BLEEP].

• 2:23Pablo Torre?

  Can you explain what room [BLEEP] is like these days?

• 2:26Speaker 01

  The vibes have been great, obviously. Getting over that first game and getting over the nerves. And, yeah, I mean, it's been amazing. I think everyone's on a high. And we're just ready. We're preparing for Australia next, so, yeah.

• 2:40Pablo Torre?

  So the game that we're talking about that happened is the game against Paraguay. And can you take me inside? I mean, look, you're a veteran at 26, but the World Cup is the World Cup. And so what is the nerve situation like before a game like that?

• 2:56Speaker 01

  This World Cup was a bit different than the last, obviously. In Qatar was my first, so, I mean, just the nervousness was crazy. I was a kid living out my dreams. I'm still living out my dreams to this day. But I think we were, I myself, as an individual, was a little bit, you know, much more calmer this time around. And, you know, I'm just super confident in this group. So, I mean, the nerves were, I was pretty chill. Honestly, I was pretty chill.

• 3:21Pablo Torre?

  The sensation for me, as somebody who's, I've covered a World Cup before, I'm sort of like a casual soccer fan. But if I'm representative of Americans, it's in the following way, which is, I turned on this game and just said to myself, "Holy [BLEEP]. We got some dudes."

• 3:39Speaker 03

  I cannot believe what my eyes have just seen.

• 3:41Speaker 04

  I actually had to check that this was a US team I was watching.

• 3:44Speaker 03

  He said, "The dream big." And today was a dream start. There was a complete dominance.

• 3:50Speaker 05

  Take away the first two minutes, and it truly was all the United States. I do not think I had seen this good a performance from the US Men's National Team at any level of the game. The first half couldn't have been any better. I haven't seen a US team play that well in a long time.

• 4:06Speaker 03

  US soccer for 40 years. This was the best game they'd ever played on international stage.

• 4:11Pablo Torre?

  One of the top three performances of a US team the last 20, 25 years.

• 4:16Speaker 03

  The first half was as good as I've seen any national team play in any tournament, let alone the World Cup.

• 4:23Pablo Torre?

  What was it like to watch how that game unfolded? In terms of your teammates, this team announcing itself to the world like that?

• 4:31Speaker 01

  Yeah, it was amazing. I knew we were gonna do something special. I fully believe in this group, I believe in our qualities. But that was buzzing. I mean, the support that we got from the fans was amazing. Like I said, when you want to start a World Cup strong, you want to start like that. You want to dominate. And I think we did exactly that and we looked amazing while doing it. I think in a lot of our past games, we struggled with being aggressive and adding that killer touch when we needed to. And I think, you know, we found it. I think that's what friendlies are for. And now, like I said, it counts when you're in the World Cup. So it was wonderful seeing everything unfold.

• 5:31Pablo Torre?

  So this is where I need to say that when we first asked if Tim Weah could spend a little bit of time with us during the World Cup itself, it was before the US beat Paraguay 4-1 in Los Angeles. And the biggest reason we had asked Tim for some time is because of a remarkable biographical detail about the 26-year-old forward. A detail without any real comparison in sports, to my knowledge. Which is that Tim Weah was born here in New York City. But his father, in case you did not know this, is George Weah. Who, until just two years ago, was the president of Liberia.

• 6:15Speaker 04

  The former star footballer George Weah has been named winner of Liberia's presidential election, easily beating his rival in the country's first democratic transfer of power in seven decades. According to the National Election Commission, with 98% of all votes counted, Weah received more than 60%.

• 6:36Pablo Torre?

  In case you did not know, George Weah also happens to be one of the greatest professional soccer players of his generation. This was back in the 90s, playing at Monaco and 3-0 Man and AC Milan and Chelsea. And so we will get to some of that story here. But the thing that changed, the thing that opened eyes all around the world, happened against Paraguay. When we all watched Tim Weah and his teammates do something very special on their home turf. In fact, Tim's friend and fellow forward Flo Balogun did something very special twice. What was your favorite of all the goals? I don't want to lead the jury. Yeah, I was gonna say that second goal from him was.

• 7:21Speaker 01

  Because not only just the finish, I think the build-up, you know, he showed his strength. He showed that, you know, the action never dies. A lot of strikers, you know, when they get hit in the back in the box, they could have fell over and he chose to stay up and then go all the way.

• 7:48Speaker 01

  And then the placement of the finish was just world-class. So, you know, I know Flo's my boy, I know he can deliver and he showed us, he showed on the big stage, so I'm super proud of him.

• 8:00Pablo Torre?

  And then, in the closing minutes, for good measure, the United States began to string together pass after pass after pass after pass. This truly musical sequence of 26 passes in all, from left to right, culminating in Tim Weah and Alex Freeman and Gio Reyna.

• 8:20Speaker 01

  And then, you know, I just remember receiving the ball from Freeman and having enough space to drive.

• 8:47Speaker 01

  And then, out of my peripheral, I was in the pocket. So I was blocking the pass to Gio. And when I gave it back to Freeman, I heard Gio scream for the ball behind me. So I moved out of the pocket and Gio was right there.

• 9:01Pablo Torre?

  The US men's national team, of course, has never won the World Cup before. But that win over Paraguay wound up being the most-watched telecast in the history of the team, averaging 18 million viewers. And so, with the United States playing again today against Australia, I wanted to try and understand this moment through the eyes of a player who did not have to represent the United States, but chose to.

• 9:33Pablo Torre?

  The announcement to the whole country was like, "This is a TV show you're gonna want to watch." And how much pride is there in just that communication? Because there's a lot going on right now that you guys are competing with in terms of the attention span of Americans.

• 9:48Speaker 01

  You know, when you're playing in a competition like this, whether it's on home soil or not, you want to have your people behind you. And that was our plea from the start, was just bringing everyone together, no matter your religion, no matter your race. Just bringing everyone together in love and support for their country. And we got their attention now, so it's a beautiful thing to see. You know, when you have a big sporting moment like this, it's important to make sure that you perform at a certain level to where you can attract the eyes and the crowd and the support. And I think everyone's on notice now. It's a beautiful thing. So I think the support throughout the rest of the tournament and other games are gonna be unbelievable. So I'm super excited and I'm just happy to be a part of this group and to be representing my country. It's a blessing.

• 10:32Pablo Torre?

  The recurring sort of conversation among a lot of Americans is this sort of thought experiment of what if America's best athletes played soccer? And you're familiar with this, obviously, this sort of like debate, talking point. And at this point, I'm wondering what you think when you hear that line of argument, given obviously what that that match was like, but given also what the evolution of this team has been. How do you explain that to people?

• 11:01Speaker 01

  I mean, you don't really explain it to people. You just let people say what they want. I think that we were all destined to do something in this life, whether that's play basketball, whether that's play soccer, whether that's play football. So of course, I think that in a sense, if you know, football was a bit more accessible and in the States, you would definitely have different amount of talent come out and it would be crazy. But at the end of the day, we're young in the sport in that sense compared to all the other countries, and we're still growing. And you know, I'm just happy to be at the forefront of that now. And the future is bright. I think, you know, depending on what we can do as a group in this tournament and how we can, you know, grow the sport in America,

• 11:45Speaker 01

  it's going to be something that's beautiful for the sport. So I don't really get into the debate of what if our best athletes play this sport. I think, you know, the current the current athletes that we have are great in their space and what they do. And you know, we just, we're just working hard to be great in our space too. So hopefully, hopefully we can do the job and yeah.

• 12:04Pablo Torre?

  I mean, look, that's a very humble and diplomatic answer, but my reaction watching you guys in that match against Paragai was like, yo, we got the athletes, they're here. You can stop wondering what it looks like.

• 12:16Speaker 01

  We have the talent and when you think about it, like I always say, you know, when I was growing up, soccer wasn't the biggest sport in the States. It was always basketball, American football, baseball, hockey. And you know, soccer was just our niche, soccer was just our our home. It was, we had the love for the game. But I think the current team that we have now has has a whole bunch of quality and we're growing. A lot of the guys are playing overseas. We have MLS guys who are doing amazing at their clubs and you know, that just meshes well together. And I think what we needed was time to show the world that, you know, we're capable of competing with the best.

• 12:51Pablo Torre?

  I mean, for people who don't know your background, where you came from, there's a lot to your story, but I think you self identify almost first and foremost as a New Yorker, right?

• 13:00Speaker 01

  Hundred percent, yeah, definite.

• 13:03Pablo Torre?

  So I grew up, born and raised in Manhattan, lived here my entire life, forty years. Can you explain to me what it was like to be a young Tim Weah, growing up, I think in Brooklyn and then in Queens? What's that scene like?

• 13:15Speaker 01

  Yeah, growing up, I mean, so born in Brooklyn, we moved to Florida for a little bit and then moved back to Queens when I was a a younger kid. Growing up in, in, in New York was, just as a kid, was fun. A melting pot of different cultures, different religions, you learn to love everybody. You learn to, to share, um, place with everybody. I think that's the, that's the most beautiful thing, um, about New York. Football was always, always around, every single day, every, every weekend. We would go to my uncle's team in Rosa and we'd kick ball. We'd train, we'd, we'd have fun. I think, um, New York gave me such a wonderful childhood. And still to this day, when I go back home, I still have the same friends, the same community.

• 13:57Speaker 01

  And I see the same people, so it, it is definitely wonderful. And being a kid and having that experience is, is definitely something special, so. Yeah, I hope New York very close to my heart.

• 14:09Pablo Torre?

  I mean, being a Knicks fan, there are a lot of you guys, it seems, on this team, on the US Men's National Team.

• 14:16Speaker 01

  I don't know, there's some questionable fans, I don't know. I've never heard a lot of, a lot of the guys who talk about the Knicks now, talk about the Knicks before, so, no.

• 14:26Pablo Torre?

  Okay, so hold on, because the scene that went viral, I want to replay this video that you posted. This is from after game four, which I consider as good a game as there will ever be in the history of sports.

• 14:48Speaker 01

  We were in the players lounge, so we have this nice setup like we had in Qatar, where it's just like a whole bunch of seats and like a huge, uh, screen that you could just go in there, watch shows, watch the games, watch the walk-up games, sports in general. So that's where we're, like, that's where we hang out most of the time.

• 15:04Pablo Torre?

  The person who looked very sad, that you were sort of like, you're doing like a Spike Lee Dolly shot on him, like zooming way in.

• 15:12Speaker 01

  Oh, that was Haji, that was Haji, he had his braids out. That was Haji, Haji, right.

• 15:17Pablo Torre?

  So why, why were you choosing to torture him?

• 15:20Speaker 01

  So Haji is a Lakers fan. And for some reason, he was hate-watching the Knicks throughout the whole playoffs. I was like, okay. All right, but it's against you. So it was, it was funny in that moment. He was just, he was just sick. It was, it was fun.

• 15:36Pablo Torre?

  How much did you let yourself be what all New Yorkers can be? When they are feeling themselves, which is truly obnoxious. How much did you let that version of New York come out in that room? And over this past week with the Knicks?

• 15:51Speaker 01

  Not even just in that room, like the whole week. I was on Haji the whole week. I was like Knicks that, Knicks that, Knicks that. It was, it was Knicks everything that weekend. He was hate-watching, so it was a lot of going back and forth with me and him. But, you know, we ended up on top, so definitely super happy about that.

• 16:07Pablo Torre?

  What was it like to watch your hometown, New York City? Have the celebration of all time? While you're of course on a different mission?

• 16:17Speaker 01

  It was amazing. I mean, you know, my lifetime, being a part of, of something so historic that is the Knicks winning. It's just a morale boost. It's, it's something that, it's something that dreams are, are made of. It's something that makes you want to dream to, to win something. So I think, you know, experiencing that and the joy that, you know, they gave us. That's kind of the same feeling that we can give to people who support us and our supporters who are watching this. So I think, you know, they, they kind of just pumped us up for, for what's to come. So I'm super, I'm super proud of them and I'm happy that, you know, we all got that experience as a team.

• 16:52Pablo Torre?

  Have you already made a call to Wu-Tang Clan? That if things get a little hairy, that you'll get Method Man to perform at halftime?

• 16:59Speaker 05

  Knicks in five, what y'all talking about? Let's go Knicks, let's go Knicks!

• 17:05Speaker 01

  Funny enough, I was at, I think it was either game three versus Cleveland and Method Man had a performance. He performed that night.

• 17:12Pablo Torre?

  Oh, you were there?

• 17:13Speaker 01

  Yeah, I was at the Garden when he performed. But I was in, I was in the, I was up in the boxes. We couldn't get floor seats because everything was so, so sold out. But, um, it was, it was amazing.

• 17:23Pablo Torre?

  Hold on, this is the inflection point you find yourself at, which is you're not yet floor seat guy. There should be a moment in Tim Weah's trajectory when it should not be a question that the US Men's National Team gets on the floor of a Knicks playoff game. That feels like-

• 17:41Speaker 01

  No, man, I'm just one of those guys who, I'll say anywhere, I'll say in the nose of these men. Once I'm supporting the Knicks, once I'm there in that energy, I'm cool. I had a blast, I had a blast watching them. It's always an amazing experience being at the Garden.

• 17:58Pablo Torre?

  Yeah, I mean, look, the story that you have on the back of your trading card, it's been hard for me to not mention your dad up until this point because that's the obvious thing, is that you are the son of George Weah, who is a historical figure. He is the only African still today to win the Ballon d'Or in 95, played for PSG, played for AC Milan, 18 years as a pro.

• 18:33Pablo Torre?

  Became the president of Liberia from 2018 to 2024. But for you, everything I've learned about you from afar, when it comes to the origin story of you and soccer, is that, yes, your dad is a formative figure, but also you make a point to mention your mom.

• 18:49Speaker 01

  I could talk about my mom all day. I think my mom is the backbone of our family. She pushes me to be the best that I can be. My father set the bar super high and, you know, he's always supporting me, but, you know, it's my mom who's always like behind me and telling me to do this, do that. She was my first coach, so now having both parents present in my life and so supportive and they're actually here right now and they come to every game, so, you know, just having that is an amazing feeling and to have two wonderful parents who support, who take and tend, so yeah.

• 19:21Pablo Torre?

  What was your mom like as a coach? How would you describe her coaching style?

• 19:25Speaker 01

  She was a coach when I was young, so my mom was just like, go to go, go to go, go to go. Nowadays, it's more like constructive criticism, obviously, because I'm older and I can handle it. If I have a bad game, she'll get on me, but, you know, for the most part, she's just mom, so it's wonderful having someone who can, you know, be real with you, but also, you know, give so much love and empathy towards you in moments that you need it the most, so yeah.

• 19:50Pablo Torre?

  It sounds like when there is something that she thinks that Tim needs to fix or that Tim messed up on, she is not shy about telling you that.

• 19:58Speaker 01

  She's definitely not shy. I have a uh, uh, old school Caribbean mama. So you know, she's gonna, she's gonna tell you what's, what's on her mind. You know, it's amazing having someone that could be so real with you. And as, as an athlete, as a professional, you want that. Cause then that just translates to how you interact with your coaches and, and everyone else. And then obviously just growing up in, in my household, it was all about respect and, um, and hard work. So, you know, having, having a mother like that is, is amazing.

• 20:28Pablo Torre?

  Your dad in 2024, politically, he does something that's pretty astounding to, to read about again from afar, which is that he does something that had not been done because Liberia, there were eight coups that unfolded in the previous eight years. Presidents have extended term limits. Elections have been in question. And your dad, this, you know, historical footballer turned president, he concedes defeat on state radio amid this really contested election before the official result is declared.

• 21:01Speaker 06

  A few moments ago, I spoke with president-elect Joseph Nyamboaka to congratulate him on his victory. Tonight, as we acknowledge the result, let us also recognize that the true winners of these elections are the people of Liberia. Through your peaceful and orderly exercise of your constitutional right to vote, you have once again demonstrated your commitment to the democratic principles that bind us together as a nation.

• 21:34Pablo Torre?

  And we are living at this time right now when that is not what people expect leaders anywhere to do. And yet he went out of his way to do that. But when that was happening, what did that feel like to you as the son of George Weah?

• 21:51Speaker 01

  Being there throughout my, my dad's election time and the election period when the elections were going on, it was inspirational. Cause I think it's one thing to be an inspiration as an athlete or as a, you know, a popular figure, but to go back in Asia country that, that, that needed the love, that needed the support, um, was amazing. And you know, I grew up in a, a very Pan-Africanist household. My uncle was a part of the NAACP, so. I mean, just going back to like the Marcus Garvis of the world, the Puti Slimomba's, to, you know, the Thomas Nkara's. When you think about African greatness, having a father that embodies that was amazing. And it's inspiring and it's wonderful.

• 22:33Speaker 01

  I think, you know, he, he took Liberia at a time of need. And it was so important to, to, to be present in that moment because, you know, a lot of us, you know, when you're, when you're part of the diaspora and you're, you're not, you're not physically born in the country, you can, you can get a bit disconnected to your roots in your country. And I think, you know, having that experience just made me, you know, love it even more. I'm Liberian to the core. I'm Jamaican to the core. So, you know, being there for my people and, and helping the country in itself just elevate is, is always a goal of mine. And flying, flying like high.

• 23:10Pablo Torre?

  A lot of what I love about sports is that you end up learning about things that you didn't ask to learn about, but sports presents in front of you and you have a choice. Do I learn more about what the Pan-African diaspora is like? Do I want to know more about Liberia? And this is a whole textbook, it's a whole course, but like for people who don't know about Liberia, how do you explain what it is to someone who's not super well-read about it?

• 23:33Speaker 01

  I always tell people, even though Liberia had a history of, you know, civil war, it's a peaceful country, a wonderful country to visit. For me, when I go back, it's, it's like a comeback down-to-earth moment. You know, when you're in Europe, you, you, you have this lifestyle of, you know, you're seeing all these fancy cars, you're seeing all these clothing stores, you're seeing all these things. But, you know, real luxury is when you, when you get to come home and, and connect with the people that love you the most, connect with your blood. And I think, you know, Liberia always gives me that. And that goes for the whole of Africa. Whenever I'm in Ghana, whenever I'm in Liberia, whatever, you know, 2010, I went to South Africa and getting to see all the memorials and learning more about apartheid and, and

• 24:18Speaker 01

  connect with that was, was amazing. And I think as a young black man, that's what you need. You need to know where you come from, you need to know the history of your people and you need to... To reconnect with with the motherland. And I think just going back each year is always an amazing experience. So I would, I would definitely recommend it to anyone for sure.

• 24:36Pablo Torre?

  Yeah, I mean, you're talking about the first African republic to get its independence. It's Africa's oldest continuously independent country. It's founded by three people of color from the United States. I mean, this is, it's, it's a place that, of course, as you're putting it, is, is leaving a mark, even if you weren't the son of one of the presidents of the country. But it sort of like sets up this question for me, which is when you leave the United States at age 14 and you go to France and you play at PSG's academy, there is this question of what is the life that you are dreaming of? What was that adjustment like?

• 25:13Speaker 01

  It was really easy for me, honestly. I, I think at a young age, I knew what I wanted to do. And I knew I had family behind me that, that supported me fully. I think getting over the hump of learning the language and, and making new friends was really the only thing. And, you know, I was determined enough to learn the language in six months and connect with people. I'm, I'm a people's person, so, you know, I love connecting and learning new traditions and, and also sharing mine. I think, you know, being that I, I moved to France, I didn't feel like I was out of my comfort zone because, you know, I saw kids that looked exactly like me. I saw kids of the diaspora, whether they were from Côte d'Ivoire or they were from Ghana or they were from Algeria or Morocco.

• 25:58Speaker 01

  I had my African brothers with me as well as learning a new tradition that was French. So I had the French guys who can teach me new things, teach me about their culture as well, which was wonderful. And that's what you want. You want to learn about new cultures. You want to bring people together. You want to spread love and joy. And, you know, having that made it, um, made it super easy to, to connect with everyone and kind of make that transition. And like I said, coming from New York, I'm used to connecting with the diaspora. I'm used to connecting with my Italian friends. One of my best friends is, is half Japanese, half Italian. So I'm just so used to connecting with different cultures. And then obviously when I learn the language and get my passport, it's home.

• 26:38Pablo Torre?

  Yeah, I mean, look, you're articulating this pride in the diaspora in this larger sort of history, and you see how people are exported all around the world and how they are moved, sometimes against their will, all around the world, sometimes via immigration, all around the world. You're describing a certain kinship that you are feeling with people who look like you, who do not have the same passport perhaps, but have been, of course, exported all around this world and now this sport. And for people who are watching at home, of course, you're identifying everybody via what country they're playing for. But you're suggesting that there is something deeper that you're also taking pride in when

• 27:18Pablo Torre?

  the World Cup comes around, which is seeing all of the Pan-African demographic sort of change the face of sports in all of these countries. Now, the United States, obviously, really included in that.

• 27:31Speaker 01

  You know, not to be too deep, but I think when you look at slavery, slavery was such a hurtful thing to happen to a group of people. And I think as a young African man living in present day, I think now it's our job to reconnect, obviously with our roots, but to reconnect with each other and change the way we're viewed in sports. I think now representation is the most important thing. And if I can represent my people, represent my ancestors, and still do great stuff and inspiring the next generation, I think it's amazing. I think now when you look at all these different teams, like myself, I'm of

• 28:15Speaker 01

  Liberian Jamaican descent, you have Folareen Balogun, who is Nigerian, you have Serge, who has a background, a Caribbean background as well.

• 28:28Pablo Torre?

  Suriname, yeah.

• 28:29Speaker 01

  Yeah. When you look at that, it's a beautiful thing, knowing that, you know, we can wave the flag of our countries and still represent the US in such an important manner. I think that's the most beautiful thing with the US as well, is we all come from different places, different cultures, different religions, but we're all fighting for one common goal.

• 28:58Pablo Torre?

  The end of June and July can be a really rough period for sports fans with football still a few months away and basketball and hockey ended. But this year, we're pretty lucky because not only is there a World Cup, there is a World Cup in our backyard. And so make sure to check out the Athletic Podcast Network to stay up to date on all things related to the World Cup. You can wake up with the Totally Football Show from LA, then dive deep into the biggest talking point of the day with the Athletic FC Podcast. And you can watch the Tifo Podcast fool around on their daily live streams in the afternoon. All shows are free to watch or listen on your favorite podcast platform.

• 29:41Pablo Torre?

  The thing that I've been reflecting on a lot lately about the United States, my family from the Philippines, I'm a first generation American. What is it about America that sports can sort of cause us to reflect on? And I will get deep here for a second, so thank you for breaking the seal on the think piece here. But it is that America is an idea. America as a country is not blood and soil, it is ideas. And the foremost idea that I grew up with in the city is that a multicultural America is a stronger and better America, that we are all going to benefit from that melting pot. And it is something that I grew up with to the point where it became a cliche. But recently, I've been realizing that's something that we really need to say to ourselves.

• 30:25Speaker 01

  100% agree. And that's, I think, that's the beauty of having the World Cup here. It's about the football, obviously, but it's not only about the football. It's about bringing joy to different groups of people, us coming together as one. And I think that's what the world needs more of, and I think that's what we've been missing a lot of.

• 30:43Pablo Torre?

  Well, the impact that you can make as an American, as a member of the US Men's National Team, when you look back at this decision, and you've been asked about it over and over and over again, as you were alluding to, right? You could play for Liberia, you could play for France, you could play for Jamaica, where your mom's from. But you choose to play for the United States, and you've always said that this was not a hard decision. And the conversation we just had sort of to me explains why it would be so enticing. There is this potential that is special and is unlike the other opportunities available to you. And I wonder if that also factored into how you calculated your decision.

• 31:20Speaker 01

  Yeah, 100%. I mean, when it comes down to my decision, I was with the US Federation since I was 15. They believed in me from a young age. And you know, this is where I grew up. These are my brothers. Some of the guys that are on the team now, I've been playing with them since I was 10, nine years old. So, you know, it always felt like the right decision for me and I'll never regret the decision. People think that, you know, you can't play for the country of your birth and still wave the flag of your, you know, other, you know, your parents' countries and in your background while doing so. I think that's completely wrong. I think, you know, I have even bigger platform now to bring awareness and to,

• 32:03Speaker 01

  to bring love and to bring joy to Jamaica and Liberia. And I carry that flag and that pride of being from both those places. And like I said, the US was always an easy choice to play for. And, you know, I'm just making sure that my other countries, Liberia and Jamaica, don't get lost while I'm, while I'm waving the US flag. You know, I wave all three flags with pride and joy. So, yeah.

• 32:28Pablo Torre?

  And that's being a New Yorker, by the way.

• 32:30Speaker 01

  100%.

• 32:31Pablo Torre?

  That's what that means. It's like the number of parades that happen in the city. They happen because everybody wants to acknowledge that you can be a New Yorker and an American and also exactly the representative that the place your parents came from was hoping you would be. And then, by the way, I didn't even talk about Flo Balagans, his whole origin story, which is as crazy as anybody's. How is it that that guy wound up your teammate? I mean, do you know the story well enough to just tell?

• 33:00Speaker 01

  I actually, no. I never really asked him about it, but I'm sure, I'm sure his mom was pregnant at the time. And I think she was maybe. Too close to, you know, giving birth that she couldn't, she couldn't be on a flight?

• 33:14Pablo Torre?

  Yes.

• 33:15Speaker 01

  Ended up having him in New York.

• 33:18Pablo Torre?

  Right. I mean, the idea that, again, he, Flo has this choice. I can do England, I can do Nigeria, I can do the US in terms of who I represent. He obviously chooses the US. And it's because when it was time for his mom to visit New York on vacation, she was already very pregnant.

• 33:33Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 33:33Pablo Torre?

  And when she was flying home to London, the airline would not let her board because she was so pregnant. And all I want to find out, this is a show called Pablo Torre Finds Out, in which I ask questions out of my curiosity. I want to know which airline was it and which flight attendant was it so we can thank them?

• 33:53Pablo Torre?

  Because she ends up being forced to stay and Flo is born in Brooklyn. He becomes a New Yorker, just like us. And eventually the family, months later, goes back to London and he grows up there. But this is a country of immigrants in which the people who wind up inside of our borders, we welcome them. And sometimes they make us better. They make us, by the way, as that second goal indicated, they make us a lot [bleep] better. And that's the glory of what sports can teach us about what it means to be open to the world.

• 34:26Speaker 01

  Totally agree.

• 34:28Pablo Torre?

  So the one thing that your dad was not able to do, as many soccer fans know, is play in a World Cup, which is kind of wild. You've now played in two. Have you told your dad what it's like? Has he been curious what it's been like to actually compete in this thing? What have you said to him?

• 34:44Speaker 01

  I think he just lives it through me. I think, you know, it was his dream and I think, you know, seeing your kid get to live that dream is always a wonderful thing. I think that's the beauty of having kids and a lineage. I think he's having the best time of his life here. He's, he's in all the games. He went to the Iran, uh, New Zealand game yesterday. So he's, he's all over the place. He enjoys when it's tournament time. So I'm happy that he gets to be that kid again and, and enjoy, you know, the beautiful game.

• 35:09Pablo Torre?

  And how much do you guys get to watch the other games that are going on? Are you constantly doing that? Are you catching Spain, Cape Verde?

• 35:21Pablo Torre?

  It comes off the crossbar, the follow-up is saved! Are you seeing what's happening all across the field?

• 35:27Speaker 01

  100%. I think that's the key to being a great professional, is being able to watch the game and analyze it. And also just be a kid again. I mean, when I was a kid watching the World Cup games, I still get that feeling when I'm watching other teams play.

• 35:49Pablo Torre?

  As sports fans, we spend a lot of time obsessing over stats and finances. We break down PER, expected goals, usage rates, contracts, salary cap usage, and on and on and on. We can spot an overpay from a mile away in sports. But somehow, a lot of us are completely blind when it comes to our wireless bill every single month. And once I started looking at it in that way, I realized the whole phone industry kind of operates like a team handing out giant contracts based on reputation instead of production. Some phone plans have a truly horrific efficiency rating, like, we're talking 2016 NICS levels of overpayment bad. But the 2026 NICS, however, pretty good.

• 36:33Pablo Torre?

  Pretty, pretty good. And so, most of us just need a phone that works the way you actually use it in your day-to-day life: streaming videos, texting, getting directions, listening to podcasts, all the other normal stuff we do every day. And so, today, we are channeling our inner Billy Bean and playing Moneyball in the wireless industry to find the smartest stat line in the game. And spoiler alert, it is not the team with the biggest marketing budget. The wireless industry actually works a lot like free agency. The big guys keep convincing everybody that if you're not getting a brand-new phone every single year, somehow you are falling behind. And the next thing you know, you're locked into this massive, long-term contract paying way more than you planned.

• 37:15Pablo Torre?

  But honestly, a lot of that is just selling status. Luckily for all of us, Boost Mobile is here with a solution. So here's the Boost Mobile Moneyball move. You keep the phone you already love and bring it over with their BYO setup. No unnecessary upgrade cycle, no giant monthly bill pretending to be luxury. Just a simple plan that makes sense. And the number that really jumps out is the $25 a month Forever Plan. Unlimited data, talk and text with no contracts, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. That's it. A very clean stat sheet. No weird escalators later, no performance bonuses you need to worry about hitting or avoiding. Just 25 bucks a month for unlimited data, talk, and text.

• 37:58Pablo Torre?

  That is the kind of roster-building move that smart franchises make. They find value when everyone else is overspending. So unlock savings with Boost Mobile. Better quality, better price, no compromise. Because in sports, being the smartest person in the room means seeing the value everyone else is overlooking. You don't need the $100 a month max contract phone plan to get all-star performance. Boost Mobile is the ultimate efficiency play. It is simple, dependable, and at 25 bucks a month for unlimited wireless, it is the smartest stat line you can put on your personal balance sheet. Go to Boost Mobile today, unlock your phone. And after 30 gigabytes, customers may experience lower speeds. Customers will pay $25 per month as long as they remain active on the Boost Unlimited Plan.

• 38:42Pablo Torre?

  And thanks to Boost Mobile for sponsoring this segment.

• 38:50Pablo Torre?

  There is one more dream that I want to talk about with you because I've been imagining what's it sound like inside of your head. And it brings me to the realization that you really do have a musicality, not just to your game, but also to your side projects.

• 39:07Speaker 01

  Yeah, so it's more like alternative R&B. I think as I've grown as a writer. And just as a musician in itself and as a creator, I think music has been a part of my life. I think coming from Liberia and Jamaica, that's as a people, that's what we thrive on is is great energy, good vibes and and great music. So, you know, it's always been a part of my life. And then, you know, in 2015, when I moved to France, I had the opportunity to meet my best friend, who was a singer songwriter producer. And we connected off of music immediately.

• 39:53Speaker 01

  I think eventually we'll see where that goes, but yeah. I love I love him.

• 39:59Pablo Torre?

  I think it was pretty much every one of your former Juventus teammates voted you the team's best singer last year.

• 40:07Pablo Torre?

  Was that a close contest?

• 40:09Speaker 01

  Definitely not. Definitely not.

• 40:14Pablo Torre?

  But starting, I mean, was it violin? Was that the first instrument?

• 40:18Speaker 01

  I played violin in in middle school. I was in band, so I had the opportunity to to try that. Obviously violin, if you're if you're not keeping up with it, if you're not playing it, you you lose it a bit, but still stayed connected with music.

• 40:32Pablo Torre?

  And so I should say that one of the friends of the show, one of our friends, we are proud to say, is Method Man.

• 40:37Speaker 01

  Shotgun, yeah.

• 40:39Pablo Torre?

  And so I was gonna say, um, as a as a musicality question, which member of Wu-Tang Clan do you most identify with?

• 40:48Speaker 01

  I would say Method Man. And then maybe Old Dirty Bastard, excuse my French. As a young kid growing up in New York City, you know, you want to just, you want to be like Method Man, you want to be like the riz of the world, you want to be like all these artists that we looked up to. So definitely Method, Old Dirty Bastard, you know, he has that edge to him. I think being different is super important. You want something that makes you special. And I think that's what ODB had. And I mean, his rhymes were were some of the coldest, so yeah.

• 41:18Pablo Torre?

  I love that what I'm finding out here today is that Wu-Tang Clan, if all goes as everyone is praying for, may be a pretty instrumental force in not just the Knicks championship run, but what the US Men's National Team is setting out to do. That is what I'm hearing from Tim Weah.

• 41:37Speaker 01

  Thanks.

• 41:38Pablo Torre?

  I really appreciate you taking the time. It's really refreshing to just talk to somebody who's really engaged with the world around them. And so, thank you for taking the time, man. I appreciate it.

• 41:46Speaker 01

  Thank you for having me. It's a pleasure. Super excited to be here. Thank you for the convo. And hopefully, we can meet in person soon, for sure.

• 41:53Pablo Torre?

  Yeah, man.

• 41:54Speaker 01

  Wu-Tang forever.

• 42:07Pablo Torre?

  Pablo Torre Finds Out is produced by Walter Avaroma, Maxwell Carney, Ryan Cortez, Juan Galindo, Patrick Kim, Neely Lohman, Rob McCray, Matt Sullivan, Claire Taylor, and Chris Tummenello. Studio engineering by RG Systems. Sound design by Andrew Bersick. Digital strategy by Bailey Carlin and Andrew Northern. Theme song, as always, by John Bravo.

• 42:29Pablo Torre?

  And we'll talk to you next time.

• 42:42Speaker 03

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