U.S. men’s national team star Malik Tillman bent home a superb free kick to seal his side’s place in the round of 16 on Wednesday night, and he did so with a gruesome injury to his right foot.Still basking in the Stars and Stripes’ 2–0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, the midfielder spoke to the press in just his socks following the monumental World Cup win. Reporters quickly noticed blood staining his right sock, which also had a hole in it. Tillman revealed he was stepped on earlier in the match, forcing him to change his right boot just moments before he stepped up to the dead ball in the 82nd minute. Malik Tillman had to change cleats before free kick. As you can see, his right foot was in a decent amount of pain after he got stepped on. pic.twitter.com/JI00tZipnB— Laken Litman (@LakenLitman) July 2, 2026“I was in pain, but my shoe was cut so this is why I changed the boot,” Tillman said after the match. “It’s just pain, I guess. Nothing too bad.” Tillman’s free kick came after the USMNT went down to 10 men. Folarin Balogun, who scored the game’s opening goal, was controversially sent off in the 64th minute for catching center back Tarik Muharemović on the Achilles. Just when it looked like Mauricio Pochettino’s men might let Bosnia and Herzegovina back into the game, Tillman delivered a stunning free kick to guarantee their place in the round of 16. Tillman Shining on the World Stage Despite Club WoesMalik Tillman (left) is putting his lackluster season behind him. | Maja Hitij/FIFA/Getty ImagesThere were some question marks looming over Tillman after a disappointing season at Bayer Leverkusen. The 24-year-old made the move to the German outfit last summer after two standout seasons at PSV Eindhoven and seemingly regressed.Tillman struggled to log consistent minutes, did not tally a single assist and only bagged eight goals in 42 appearances, his lowest haul in five years. Check out how his season compared to his prior two at PSV:Club / SeasonAppearanesGoalsAssistsLeverkusen / 2025–264280PSV 2024–2534165PSV 2023–2439912Despite his shortcomings at the club level, he is turning it on at the World Cup, and no one is happier about it than Pochettino.“It was amazing,” Pochettino said after Wednesday’s match. “I think Malik is an amazing player, full of talent. We knew that he has the talent to do what he did. “I’m so happy for him. Tough season for him in Leverkusen but I think now he’s enjoying and we are enjoying and the fans are enjoying his football.”WIN FIFA WORLD CUP 2026™ FINAL TICKETS & OTHER PRIZESCompete against the world. | Sports IllustratedTillman Needed Now More Than EverMalik Tillman (left) earned high praise from Tim Ream. | Charlotte Wilson/Getty ImagesUSMNT captain Tim Ream also couldn’t help but shower Tillman in praise in Santa Clara. “Obviously he’s been playing so well,” the defender said, via ABC News. “I’d argue he’s, other than Balo’s goals, he’s one of our best players. Everywhere on the field, doing the dirty things, making the hard things easy. I think it is just that. He just wanted to feel like he had a place. He’s a quiet kid, but he’s just come on leaps and bounds.” Tillman already has a goal and an assist to his name this tournament, but his impact goes beyond the scoresheet. In the three games he started at the 2026 World Cup, the attacking midfielder has created a combined six chances and misplaced just 25 of 114 passes. He also covers nearly every blade of grass on the pitch, including those inside his own half when his defensive efforts are needed.Going against Belgium in the round of 16 without Balogun puts even more pressure on Tillman to keep up his elite level of play this summer. The USMNT will need his tireless work ethic and his creativity to put in a performance worthy of a place in the quarterfinals. READ THE LATEST USMNT NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FCAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow