World Cup 2026: How do you pronounce DFB professional Malick Thiaw’s name correctly?

National player explains

This name is puzzling

When it comes to the last name of a German national player, some fans get confused. Malick Thiaw has not yet collected any World Cup minutes.

Former Schalke player Malick Thiaw was not on the field in the German national soccer team’s first group game. In the 7-1 win at the start of the World Cup against Curaçao, the Düsseldorf native was on the bench for over 90 minutes. Most fans could only read his name on the team roster.

Some may have stumbled upon the 24-year-old, who has been playing abroad for four years, for the first time. Because: How do you pronounce this name correctly?

Malick Thiaw became a professional at FC Schalke 04 in 2020 at the age of 18. In 2022, the defender moved to AC Milan for 12.8 million euros. There he played 63 games in three years.

The move to the Premier League followed last summer. Newcastle United secured the services of the dangerous central defender for 35 million euros. Nick Woltemade’s teammate scored four goals in 35 appearances in his debut season. A strong value for a central defender.

During his introduction to Newcastle, Malick Thiaw also explained how his name is correctly pronounced. You can see the result in the short video clip:

The son of a Senegalese father and a Finnish mother, he also has Finnish citizenship. Due to his roots, Thiaw would also have been eligible to play for Finland and Senegal.

In fact, the Finnish association made an attempt to win over the 1.94 meter tall central defender in 2017. In August 2017, Thiaw was nominated for the Finnish U17 national team, but did not play.

From 2021, Malick Thiaw finally played for the German U21 national team. Since his first call-up to the senior national team in March 2023, the defender has made five appearances. At the 2026 World Cup he is part of national coach Julian Nagelsmann’s 26-man squad.