Malik Tillman’s success in new World Cup role could provide spark USMNT needs

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The midfield trio was the engine for what might have been the best U.S. national team performance ever at a World Cup.

Four years ago, the squad relied on the so-called MMA unit of Yunus Musah, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams that started every game. But this time around Malik Tillman has supplanted Musah in a new MMA — and perhaps better one.

“He’s a fantastic player,” Folarin Balogun said of Tillman. “I think you saw that [Friday]. He’s constantly attacking, was unlucky not to have a goal. But Malik’s a great player. We’re going to need him if we’re gonna do good things in this tournament.”

The U.S. team started with a pretty good thing, a 4-1 rout of Paraguay to open Group D. Though Balogun scored a brace and Christian Pulisic may have been the best player on the field, Tillman was one of the standouts. It may have marked the 24-year-old’s best performance for the national team.

“It felt great. Obviously it’s a great start from all of us. Very important. The whole team played very well, especially in the first half,” Tillman said. “Amazing. Proud moment.

“I think it’s the first game my mom watched live when I was playing for the national team. Very, very special moment. … Yeah, I saw her after the game. I saw her before the game as well. She’s incredibly proud so it was amazing to see her.”

Tillman showed not just technical ability but tactical versatility.

“Malik has creativeness in him,” McKennie said. “I have creativeness, and I’m a workhorse; Tyler’s like a dog that just covers ground everywhere and gets stuck in.”

Manager Mauricio Pochettino has tasked Tillman with playing a deeper role than he did last year with PSV Eindhoven, where he was a successful No. 10. It’s more defensive minded, akin to this season at Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, where he was often deployed as a No. 8.

United States’ Malik Tillman, right, and Paraguay’s Gustavo Gomez battle for the ball during the World Cup Group D soccer match between the United States and Paraguay in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Friday, June 12, 2026. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

Folarin Balogun of the U.S. celebrates with Antonee Robinson and Malik Tillman after scoring a goal that was later disallowed. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters

Friday marked his second match with the U.S. playing deeper, next to Adams with McKennie getting forward to support Pulisic on the opposite side behind Balogun.

It created an attack that Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro praised for its “complexity,” adding, “They create a pentagon in midfield. … They have a solution to every problem.”

Like the problem of Pulisic getting a knock and unexpectedly having to sub off at halftime. Tillman was asked to get back into the attack.

“I spoke a lot to the coach the last two days,” Tillman said. “At the end of the day, for me I think the only thing that changed is my defensive positioning.

“And on the ball, the coach gives me a lot of freedom to move and find the spaces and still be dangerous in front of the goal. Still also be able to help in the buildup. As I said, I talked to him a lot. There’s, in his eyes, this position is where I can help the team the most.”