It ought to come as no surprise that Folarin Balogun was inundated with congratulatory texts and direct messages in the hours and days after the most magical night of his life. The Brooklyn-born U.S. men’s national team forward scored two spectacular goals last week in his World Cup debut, helping the USA to an emphatic 4-1 win over Paraguay in its first match at the 2026 event, which the country is co-hosting with Canada and Mexico. It was a night that, by Balogun’s own admission, exceeded his wildest dreams. The response that the 24-year-old striker has gotten from the friends and family who witnessed the feat in person last Friday at Los Angeles Stadium — Balogun told me that he "paid a pretty penny" to bring 15 of his loved ones to the match — has been overwhelming. But one message in particular stood out, one he didn’t even see until almost 72 hours later. "No message from Thierry yet," Balogun told me on Monday, referring to French former World Cup winner Thierry Henry, before quickly correcting the record. "Actually, no, I just looked on Instagram, and he did message me. I've just seen it now — that shows how many messages I've got." "So happy for you man!," Henry wrote to the former Arsenal academy product after the contest. "That’s crazy," a beaming Balogun said. Although Henry left the Gunners for Barcelona when the London-raised Balogun was just five years old, the pair go back a long way. Henry returned to his old club to complete his coaching badges after retiring from MLS club New York Red Bulls in 2014 and saw something in the youngster, who was in Arsenal’s academy at the time. Maybe it was a glimpse of himself. Like Henry, Balogun was a winger before moving up top, where his goals quickly vaulted him up the ranks. He now stars for Ligue 1 power Monaco, where Henry began his iconic career. The two stayed in touch over the years. "Thierry is somebody that I have a personal relationship with," Balogun said. "He’s a great role model." Henry has also been a crucial sounding board during the moments where Balogun needed guidance. With playing time hard to come by in the Premier League, the Gunners sent Balogun on a year-long loan to French side Reims in 2022. It was his first time living outside of England, and the adjustment period could’ve been rough. "He was messaging me after every other game, just telling me to keep going, just giving me motivation," Balogun said of Henry. The then-21-year-old finished the year with 21 Ligue 1 goals for Reims — the first American to score that many in one of Europe’s "Big 5" domestic leagues, and paid homage to Henry during a game that season by imitating his signature goal celebration. Soon he was off to Monaco on a transfer worth $43.4 million. Now, Balogun is emulating his mentor on soccer’s grandest stage. At Henry’s maiden World Cup, in 1998, he scored three times as France claimed the biggest prize in sports for the first time. Balogun is tied for second place in the Golden Boot race as the competition's top scorer with the likes of Harry Kane, Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé and Kai Havertz — with those players all trailing the incomparable Lionel Messi who had an otherworldly hat trick in Argentina's 3-0 victory over Algeria on Tuesday. Balogun would love to win that award, of course. But he’s got bigger ambitions in mind. "It's only one game," he said of his breakout performance against Paraguay. "The main priority is to win," starting with Australia on Friday in Seattle in the Stars and Stripes' second match in Group D. "As I reflect on a wonderful evening, what I like seeing the most is just how the nation has come together to support our team," he said. "I’m seeing a lot more interest and togetherness, and I'm just happy I could be a part of making the nation proud. Everyone's looking to do that again." Balogun knows Henry will be watching. If he checks his DMs, he’ll probably find "Titi" encouraging him, too. "He’s somebody who's always been close to me in my career," Balogun said of Henry. "And, obviously, he's a legend of the game. To have somebody like that who you can call upon is amazing."
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