Last Updated on September 17, 2026 by Siara Costa
Timothy Tillman is a German-born American professional footballer who plays for Los Angeles FC and has represented the United States men’s national team. Born Timothy Justin Tillman on January 4, 1999, in Nuremberg, Germany, he grew up in nearby Zirndorf with his mother and younger brother, fellow professional footballer Malik Tillman.
Tillman’s family story connects Germany and the United States. His mother, Anja Tillman, is German, while his father, Sheldon Tillman, was an American serviceman. Timothy and Malik were primarily raised by their mother after their father was no longer regularly present in the household. Football eventually became a remarkable shared career for the two brothers.
Timothy is also in a relationship. In 2026, he publicly referred to having a girlfriend while discussing his family’s experience watching Malik at the FIFA World Cup. However, he has not publicly identified his girlfriend by name in reliable reporting. As of now, there is also no reliable confirmation that Timothy has children.
Who Is Timothy Tillman’s Girlfriend?
Timothy Tillman has publicly confirmed that he has a girlfriend, although he has kept her identity private.
The most recent confirmation came during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. While speaking about supporting his younger brother Malik, Timothy recalled travelling to a United States match with his mother, girlfriend and agent.
The comments were published by GOAL in July 2026 and subsequently referenced by LAFC, making it clear that Timothy was in a relationship at that time.
However, neither Timothy nor reliable football publications have publicly provided his girlfriend’s name. For that reason, it would be inappropriate to connect him with a specific person based only on social-media photographs or speculation.
Is Timothy Tillman Married?
As of now, there is no reliable public confirmation that Timothy Tillman is married.
His own 2026 comments describe his partner as his girlfriend rather than his wife. Official LAFC and U.S. Soccer profiles also do not identify a spouse.
Therefore, the most accurate description of his publicly documented relationship status is that he has a girlfriend whose identity he has chosen to keep private.
Does Timothy Tillman Have Children?
As of now, there is no reliable public information confirming that Timothy Tillman has children.
Tillman’s detailed first-person LAFC profile discusses his mother, father, brother, childhood and upbringing without mentioning any sons or daughters. Recent reporting that references his girlfriend similarly does not identify him as a father.
This should not be interpreted as proof about every aspect of his private life. It simply means that no children have been publicly confirmed through reliable sources.
Who Are Timothy Tillman’s Parents?
Timothy Tillman’s parents are Anja Tillman and Sheldon Tillman.
His mother is German, while his father was American and served in the United States Army. This family background gave Timothy and his younger brother Malik both German and American citizenship and eventually allowed both footballers to represent the United States at senior international level.
Timothy has explained that his mother was the parent who primarily raised the brothers in Germany. His father travelled frequently because of his military career and was no longer regularly present in their lives after Timothy was around four or five years old.
Who Is Timothy Tillman’s Mother, Anja Tillman?
Anja Tillman is Timothy Tillman’s mother and arguably the most important parental influence in both Timothy and Malik’s football journeys.
Timothy has said that Anja raised the two brothers in Zirndorf, near Nuremberg. Interestingly, she was not initially a major football fan. The sport gradually became an enormous part of the family’s life because of her sons’ talent and enthusiasm.
Anja placed significant importance on education as well as football. Timothy recalled that his mother repeatedly reminded both boys that professional football was never guaranteed and that they needed to take school seriously in case their sporting careers did not work out.
That message remained important to Timothy even after he became a professional. He has encouraged young players to maintain their education and have an alternative plan, crediting his mother for teaching him that lesson.
How Anja Tillman Supported Timothy and Malik
Anja’s role became even more important as both boys entered elite youth football.
Timothy and Malik initially developed with clubs around the Nuremberg area, including Greuther Fürth. When Bayern Munich became interested in Timothy in 2015, the club also wanted younger brother Malik.
The opportunity meant moving approximately 100 miles away from their home. Anja relocated with her sons so both could enter Bayern Munich’s academy.
The family has described themselves during that period as a close group of three. Anja took her sons to training and supported them as both moved closer to professional careers.
Years later, that commitment produced the unusual achievement of seeing both of her sons become professional footballers and United States internationals.
What Does Timothy Tillman’s Mother Do?
Reporting from The Washington Post states that Anja worked in a tax office while raising Timothy and Malik.
She balanced her professional responsibilities with the demands of two sons progressing through increasingly competitive football academies.
Anja has since appeared publicly at several important moments in her sons’ careers, including United States national-team matches and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Who Is Timothy Tillman’s Father, Sheldon Tillman?
Timothy Tillman’s father is Sheldon Tillman, an American who served in the United States military.
U.S. Soccer identifies Sheldon as the father of Timothy’s younger brother Malik, while Timothy himself has spoken about the same American military father shared by the two brothers.
Sheldon was stationed in Germany during his military career, which led to the family’s connection between Germany and the United States.
Timothy recalled that his father travelled frequently for his work in the U.S. Army and was rarely at home. He said his father was part of his life until he was approximately four or five years old, after which Anja primarily raised Timothy and Malik.
How Timothy Tillman’s Father Gave Him a Connection to the United States
Although Timothy grew up almost entirely in Germany, his father’s nationality gave him an important connection to the United States.
Timothy and Malik were both eligible for American citizenship because their father was American. They also grew up with some exposure to English through their father’s background, although German was their primary language at home.
Timothy has said this connection gave him a slight advantage when English lessons began at school.
The brothers initially represented Germany in youth international football but eventually changed their sporting allegiance to the United States at senior level.
Does Timothy Tillman Have Siblings?
Yes. Timothy Tillman’s publicly known sibling is his younger brother, Malik Tillman.
Malik is approximately three years younger than Timothy and is also an American international footballer. The brothers were raised together by their mother and followed remarkably similar paths through German football.
Reliable public sources do not identify any additional brothers or sisters in the household in which Timothy grew up.
Who Is Timothy Tillman’s Brother Malik Tillman?
Malik Leon Tillman was born on May 28, 2002, in Nuremberg, Germany.
Like Timothy, Malik started his football journey around the Nuremberg area before joining the youth system at Greuther Fürth. He later moved with Timothy to Bayern Munich.
Malik progressed to Bayern’s senior team before moving to Rangers in Scotland on loan. He subsequently joined PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands and later completed a transfer to Bayer Leverkusen in 2025.
Internationally, Malik represented Germany at youth level before switching to the United States. He made the switch before Timothy and became a regular member of the USMNT.
How Close Are Timothy and Malik Tillman?
Timothy and Malik have a particularly close relationship built around both family and football.
Timothy has described childhood family gatherings where the two brothers would take a ball outside and play together while the adults talked and ate.
Their competitiveness extended beyond football. Malik has said the brothers also competed heavily while playing video games.
Because Timothy is the older brother, Malik has credited him with providing valuable experience and helping him avoid some of the mistakes an older player encounters first.
Timothy has similarly expressed considerable pride in Malik’s achievements and regularly supports him during international matches whenever his club schedule permits.
Timothy and Malik Tillman at Bayern Munich
The brothers’ shared journey reached another level in 2015 when Bayern Munich became interested in Timothy.
Timothy has recalled that Bayern essentially told the family that the club wanted him but also wanted his younger brother.
As a result, Anja moved with both boys to Munich, allowing them to join one of Europe’s most prestigious academies together.
Timothy made his professional debut with Bayern Munich II in 2017. Malik later progressed even further within Bayern’s structure and appeared for the first team.
Although their careers eventually moved in different directions, the years at Bayern represented an important shared chapter in the Tillman family’s story.
Timothy and Malik Tillman With the United States
The brothers initially played international football for Germany’s youth teams.
Malik later completed a FIFA switch to represent the United States, followed by Timothy in May 2023.
When Timothy’s change of association was approved, he said telling his family was especially meaningful because he and Malik had dreamed as children about representing a national team together.
Timothy eventually made his USMNT debut against Slovenia in January 2024. His appearance meant that Timothy and Malik became one of the relatively small number of sets of brothers to represent the United States men’s national team.
Timothy Tillman Supporting Malik at the 2026 World Cup
The brothers’ relationship became particularly visible during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Malik became an important member of the United States squad, while Timothy attended matches alongside their mother Anja whenever his LAFC schedule allowed.
After one of Malik’s memorable World Cup moments, cameras captured Timothy and Anja celebrating together in the stands.
Timothy later explained that attending a World Cup in the United States to watch his little brother was something the family could hardly have imagined when the boys were growing up in Germany.
He revealed that before one match he had been discussing exactly that journey with his mother, his girlfriend and the brothers’ agent.
Timothy Tillman’s Childhood in Zirndorf
Timothy was born in Nuremberg but grew up primarily in nearby Zirndorf.
He has described the town as small and simple, with most places accessible by bicycle. Football became part of everyday childhood life rather than something initially approached as a professional career.
At school, Timothy and other children needed little more than a ball and two goals to spend hours playing.
His first organized football experiences eventually led him to Greuther Fürth, where he developed as an attacking player before Bayern Munich recruited him.
The Tillman Family’s German-American Background
The Tillman brothers grew up at the intersection of two cultures.
Their mother’s German background meant that Germany was the country where they were born, educated and developed as footballers. Their father’s American citizenship gave them another national connection.
German was their primary childhood language, while Timothy learned English formally at school and had additional familiarity with it because of his father.
That dual identity eventually became especially important in international football. Both brothers had already represented Germany in youth competitions before deciding that their senior international futures would be with the United States.
Why Family Is Important to Timothy Tillman
Timothy frequently returns to family when discussing the major moments of his career.
His mother provided the stability and discipline that allowed him and Malik to pursue elite football while remaining focused on education. Malik became both his younger brother and lifelong football companion.
Even after their careers separated geographically, the family has remained closely connected. Timothy plays in Los Angeles, Malik has continued his career in Europe, and Anja remains based in Germany, making opportunities for all three to spend time together particularly meaningful.
The 2026 World Cup provided one of those rare periods when football brought the family back together in the United States.
Frequently Asked Questions About Timothy Tillman’s Family
Who is Timothy Tillman’s girlfriend?
Timothy Tillman has confirmed that he has a girlfriend. He mentioned her while discussing his family’s experience at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but her name has not been publicly confirmed by reliable sources.
Is Timothy Tillman married?
As of now, there is no reliable public confirmation that Timothy Tillman is married. Recent reporting describes his partner as his girlfriend.
Does Timothy Tillman have children?
As of now, no children have been publicly confirmed for Timothy Tillman by reliable sources.
Who are Timothy Tillman’s parents?
Timothy Tillman’s parents are Anja Tillman and Sheldon Tillman. His mother is German, while his father was American and served in the United States military.
Who is Timothy Tillman’s mother?
His mother is Anja Tillman. She primarily raised Timothy and Malik in Germany and supported both throughout their football development.
What did Timothy Tillman’s mother do for work?
Reporting about the family states that Anja worked in a tax office while raising her sons.
Who is Timothy Tillman’s father?
Timothy’s father is Sheldon Tillman, an American serviceman whose U.S. nationality made Timothy and Malik eligible for American citizenship.
Does Timothy Tillman have a brother?
Yes. Timothy’s younger brother is Malik Tillman, a professional footballer and United States international.
How much younger is Malik Tillman than Timothy?
Malik is a little more than three years younger. Timothy was born on January 4, 1999, while Malik was born on May 28, 2002.
Are Timothy and Malik Tillman full brothers?
Public accounts from Timothy and U.S. Soccer describe Anja as their mother and the same American serviceman as their father, confirming that Timothy and Malik are brothers who grew up together in Germany.
Does Timothy Tillman have a sister?
No reliable public source reviewed identifies a sister. The family accounts published by Timothy focus on himself, his younger brother Malik and their mother Anja.
Where is Timothy Tillman’s family from?
Timothy’s mother is German, while his father was American. Timothy and Malik were born in Nuremberg and grew up in Zirndorf, Germany.
Why can Timothy Tillman play for the United States?
Timothy is a dual German-American citizen because his father was American. After representing Germany at youth level, FIFA approved his one-time switch to the United States in 2023.
Siara Costa is a football editor and writer covering both European men’s and women’s football, with a focus on league competitions, match coverage, and in-depth storytelling.
