USA star achieving what Ballon d'Or-winning dad never could at World Cup

The United States return to the FIFA World Cup this year and will be hoping to harness the talents of their up-and-coming young stars to reach the latter stages.

Now under the leadership of 49-year-old coach Gregg Berhalter, they finished third in the CONCACAF qualifying table having just edged Costa Rica on goal difference to end their eight-year wait for yet another shot at the World Cup having been absent from the 2018 edition in Russia.

Whilst they were somewhat fortunate to have booked their place at the upcoming tournament, there is fresh hope that a new crop of young talent can help the US to exceed expectations - starting with getting out of what looks like a testing group alongside England, Iran and Wales.

Timothy Weah - son of Liberian icon George - is one of the outstanding players among the current squad. The 22-year-old has continued displaying the immense promise that he showed with the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Celtic with Ligue 1 side Lille.

He has gone on to make 81 appearances for the French giants since his arrival in 2019, scoring eight goals. In the time since, he has gone on to accumulate 25 appearances for the USMNT.

Whilst it remains to be seen whether he will be handed the chance to make his first World Cup appearance in the USA's Group B opener against Wales, he could already better the career of his hugely talented father. George - the winner of the Ballon d'Or in 1995 - is considered as one of the most talented players to have never played at the World Cup.

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Speaking about his Dad's influence on his forthcoming tournament, Weah Jr. said: "I know he [George] is excited deep down because he didn't get the chance to play in a World Cup with his country. I feel he is living that moment through me.

"He is excited like any father or mother would be. They [Weah's family] want me to do my best and I just want to perform."

Whilst the forthcoming tournament will represent a seismic moment for Timothy and the entire Weah family, the youngster is just one piece of a hugely promising, talented squad. Leeds United duo Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson have both been included in Berhalter's squad and will hope to star in Qatar.

Whites boss and former USMNT head coach Jesse Marsch has already predicted big things from the duo among what he suggests is a "golden generation" of US talent. As quoted by The Athletic, he said: "We all want to see the team do really well now, but everyone back home is looking at 2026 and imagining what this can really become when the World Cup comes back to the US.

"It's a foolish thing to even say out loud, but can we be contenders at home? To even say that out loud is ridiculous. But we do think this is a golden generation of players."

Among the huge pool of promising talents available at Berhalter's disposal, Chelsea star Christian Pulisic cannot be forgotten. The former Borussia Dortmund man remains as a poster boy of the American game despite his troubles at Stamford Bridge.

Supporters will certainly be hoping to see the forward's 'griddy' celebration in Qatar and with it hand him a place in USMNT folklore alongside the likes of Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey. Speaking exclusively with Mirror Sport, the 24-year-old has set out his ambitions of surprising some of the big boys.

He said: "We know if we look at the odds it will be the normal names who are the favourites to win in Qatar. Brazil, Argentina, Germany, France, England and one or two more. We know we won't be considered in that group.

"But we don't look at the odds and we're not at The World Cup just to make up the numbers. We go, we give it everything in every game we play, we make America proud. Wherever that takes us we have to wait and see."

Pulisic and his teammates certainly have a difficult task in which to do that. The USMNT have only gone beyond the round of 16 once since their semi-final finish in the 1930 World Cup - their first-ever appearance.

Their run to the quarter-finals of the 2002 edition in South Korea and Japan was a sliding doors moment for the national side but they failed to really take advantage of that in the following tournament with a group stage exit in Germany.

Considering the talent in the squad, there is hope that won't be the case in Qatar but it is down to the up-and-coming crop of starlets to ensure that becomes reality.

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