Bayern Munich’s Malik Tillman will represent the US men’s national team.
Tillman has begun the process of filing FIFA’s one-time switch to represent the American side, according to ESPN.
The player stands as a dual-citizenship figure, eligible to represent the USMNT and Germany after being born in Nuremberg to an American father and German mother. Though Tillman has represented both countries at a youth level, he most recently spent time with Germany’s Under-21 side.
The midfielder last featured for the German team in a 1-0 victory in Israel in the European Championship qualifier at the end of March, making his allegiance to the United States a surprise to many.
“We regret Malik’s decision — it surprised us a lot,” Germany Under-21 coach Antonio Di Salvo told German outlet Kicker.
“We promoted him as a young player in the Under-21s, we placed a lot of trust in him and gave him match practice. In addition, we were in intensive talks regarding his prospects in the senior national team.”
The player gained international attention after rising through the ranks at Greuther Furth before joining Bayern’s youth setup back in 2015. He has since then made his professional debut with Bayern’s senior team during the first round of the 2021/2022 DFB-Pokal against Bremer SV on August 25, scoring a goal in the 12-0 win.
Tillman also made his Champions League debut that year, coming on as a substitute for Bayern in the second half against FC Barcelona. The midfielder totaled seven first-team appearances this season, and managed four goals and four assists in 15 games with the reserves, which plays in the fourth-tier Regionalliga Bayern.
