The soccer star knows all too well what it means to be a Swiftie!
U.S. Men's National Team star Walker Zimmerman knows all too well what it means to be a Swiftie!
Ahead of the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, new American soccer fans got to know Zimmerman through a viral clip the USMNT's official account shared on Twitter. In the clip, the soccer star takes to a microphone to belt the iconic bridge from Taylor Swift's 10-minute version of her heartbreak hit "All Too Well."
"We had a small gathering, a live music party, on our back porch and so I got up and sang Taylor Swift, and all of a sudden I landed here in LA and saw that they posted it and it just blew up," Zimmerman recently shared with ET. "So I was like, that's a little bit embarrassing, but I [am] unashamedly a big Taylor Swift fan."
So the real question becomes, is Swift a fan of his?
"I have not met Taylor Swift yet so hopefully -- the World Cup's a great time for her to hop onboard and become a fan of soccer," Zimmerman shared. "She lives in Nashville, so Nashville SC games she can show up with Reese Witherspoon up in the box and we'll have a great time."
Since he hasn't yet met Swift, Zimmerman said that his favorite celeb encounter of his career so far is Will Ferrell, one of the owners of Los Angeles' LAFC soccer team.
"He was very starstruck meeting me," Zimmerman said with a laugh. "I'm just kidding, it was the other way around. He's a great guy, amazing owner for LAFC. He loves soccer, he's been an amazing addition to MLS and the ownership groups, and he's one of the greatest guys."
Following the conclusion of the 2022 MLS season in October, however, it's all eyes on the World Cup. While the United States women's team is always a favorite on the international stage, it's been an uphill battle for the men in recent years. They failed to qualify for the last World Cup in 2018, but have high hopes going into the 2022 tournament.
"It's pretty amazing," Zimmerman shared. "A lot of life-long dreams coming true for a lot of players. For most of us, it's gonna be our first World Cup... so it's exciting. It's the biggest event in the world and I'm gonna be a part of it."
Zimmerman has been playing for the men's national team since 2017, and at 29, is one of the older members of this year's World Cup squad, set to be one of the youngest on the international stage. However, the center-back doesn't think they'll have a problem holding their own against the rest of the world.
"We have a lot of young players who have played in big games, big leagues, big moments and now they're on the biggest moment in world football," he raved. "It should be a really good group to follow, and I think every fan can connect to at least one person on the team
"The team chemistry is unbelievable," he added. "We really are like a family, we're always jabbing with each other, having good banter and we're such a diversity and variety of interests and personalities that when we all come together it's just a great big circus and we're all just having a lot of fun together."
The 2022 FIFA World Cup kicks off on Nov. 20 in Qatar, with coverage on Fox Sports and Telemundo Deportes.
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