Malik Tillman Opens Up On His First Visit To America, Pochettino & USMNT at World Cup 2026
In this exclusive Sports Illustrated interview, Malik Tillman sits down with Jacob Culshaw to discuss his journey. From growing up in Germany to representing the United States Men's National Team. Malik Tillman opens up about his time at Bayern Munich, Rangers, PSV and now Bayer Leverkusen, revealing how each club shaped his development as a footballer and as a person. Malik Tillman also shares why he chose to play for the USMNT, his connection to the US and how conversations with USA and Crystal Palace defender Chris Richards, influenced the decision. Malik Tillman opens up on working with Mauricio Pochettino, playing with his brother Timothy Tillman and his experience at the Gold Cup. Looking ahead, Malik Tillman reveals what USMNT can really achieve at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the US, what he believes USMNT can achieve at the tournament and his personal goals for the upcoming Bundesliga and UEFA Champions League season with Bayer Leverkusen. Malik Tillman reveals what it was like visiting America for the first time, his first impression of USA and how that connection has grown since representing the United States. Credits: Bayer Leverkusen Malik Tillman #SportsIllustrated Don't miss a video! Subscribe NOW: / @sportsillustrated Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:23 Early Career 1:40 Moving To Leverkusen 3:48 Connection To USMNT 4:35 First Time Visiting The US 5:22 Representing USMNT 6:44 Timothy Tillman 7:25 USA Debut 8:22 Mauricio Pochettino 9:38 Best Role 10:00 Pochettino Compared To Other Managers 11:27 Club vs Country 12:03 Gold Cup 13:07 World Cup 2026 13:31 USMNT Future 14:01 Personal Goals This Season 14:23 Life Lesson About Sports Illustrated: Sports Illustrated offers sports fans trusted, authentic, agenda-free reporting and storytelling featuring sports news, scores, photos, columns and expert analysis from the latest in today’s world of sports including NFL, NBA, MLB, college basketball, college football, soccer, golf, NHL, tennis and fantasy. Follow SI: Website: https://www.si.com/?utm_campaign=clic... Facebook: / sportsillustrated Instagram: / sportsillustrated TikTok: / sports.illustrated X: / sinow Copyright Notice: This video and my YouTube channel contain dialog, music, and images that are property of Sports Illustrated. You are authorized to share the video link and channel, and embed this video in your website or others as long as a link back to my YouTube Channel is provided. © 2025 Sports Illustrated Malik Tillman Opens Up On His First Visit To America, Pochettino & USMNT at World Cup 2026 / @sportsillustrated
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