Taylor Twellman to Fill in for Craig Melvin on Today: Get to Know the Former Athlete

Next week’s hosting lineup on the third hour of Today will feature a new face.

Taylor Twellman, who serves as Apple TV‘s lead analyst for Major League Soccer (MLS), appeared on the third hour of Today‘s Wednesday, July 14, episode to chat about all things FIFA World Cup. Twellman discussed Spain’s surprising semifinal victory over France and the highly anticipated semifinal match between Argentina and England later that day. (The winner of Wednesday’s match, airing at 3 pm/ET on Fox, will play Spain in the World Cup Final on Sunday, July 19.)

After thanking Twellman for his World Cup insight, Al Roker revealed, “The Monday after the final, Taylor Twellman will be here, filling in for you [Craig Melvin].” In reaction to the news, Twellman quipped, “Whoa. Who drew the short straw on that one?”

Melvin replied, “Not sure, but we’re excited to have ya.” He added, “Not sure if we were supposed to share it just yet, but we are excited to have you.” Dylan Dreyer, for her part, stated, “Looking forward to it.”

Twellman is more than qualified to help Today cover the World Cup final, as he played in the MLS for the New England Revolution from 2002 to 2009. Twellman, who retired from the sport in 2010, also played for the U.S. Men’s National Team.

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“Over nine seasons in New England, he became one of the league’s most prolific scorers, recording 101 goals in 174 matches and becoming the youngest player ever to reach the 100‑goal mark,” reads his MLS bio. “He helped lead the Revolution to four MLS Cup appearances, four Eastern Conference Championships, a U.S. Open Cup title, and a North American SuperLiga championship. He earned MLS Best XI honors in 2002 and 2005 and claimed the MLS Golden Boot in 2005.”

In 2011, he founded the ThinkTaylor foundation, which raises awareness for concussions and severe head injuries in sports. According to his MLS bio, Twellman served as a soccer commentator for ABC and ESPN for 13 years before takingon his current role as the league’s lead analyst on Apple TV.

While Twellman will fill in for Melvin in Studio 1A on Monday, the reason for Melvin’s absence was not revealed. Melvin recently got into the World Cup spirit by attending Norway’s match against Brazil with Savannah Guthrie on July 5. The Today co-anchors watched the match alongside their respective spouses, Lindsay Czarniak and Mike Feldman.

“Had a blast watching Norway upset Brazil with @lindsaycz, @savannahguthrie and @feldmike,” he captioned Instagram photos of the group at the game. “Wasn’t pulling for a particular team but man… the energy and especially those rowing Norwegians. Loved it!!! #fifaworldcup2026.”

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