Since the U15s, Malik Tillman had gone through all the junior national teams of the DFB. In the future, however, the Bayern talent wants to play for the USA.
Malik Tillman from FC Bayern has decided against the DFB and for the national team of the USA, his father’s home country.
The 19-year-old FC Bayern attacking player is not in the U21 squad for the DFB team for the upcoming European Championship qualifiers against Hungary (June 3) and Poland (June 7).
Coach Antonio Di Salvo confirmed Tillman’s change of nations to kicker: “We regret Malik’s decision and it surprised us very much. We promoted him in the U21s as a younger player, placed a lot of trust in him and gave him match practice. We were in intensive exchanges, as far as his perspectives up to the senior national team are concerned.”
Tillman, who was born in Nuremberg, had already played two international matches for the USA U15 before he was active for all the DFB U-teams. With this decision, however, the chances of participating in the 2026 World Cup should increase for the Bayern amateur player, which the USA is organizing together with Canada and Mexico.
Malik Tillman: First professional goal for Bayern
This change of nations was possible because Tillman has not yet played an international match for Germany and has both citizenships.
Tillman, the younger brother of Timothy Tillman (23) from Fürth, played four games for Bayern in the past Bundesliga season, also appeared twice in the Champions League and scored his first professional goal in the first round of the cup against Bremer SV ( 12:0).
