Meet Folarin Balogun, the accidental immigrant leading USA’s World Cup charge

There is little evidence about Folarin Balogun ’s political beliefs and we should resist the urge to assign some. But there is a delicious irony in his emergence as the hero of USA’s opening World Cup 2026 game. At a time when Donald Trump’s administration is actively using the tournament to flaunt its strong-arm approach to border control , flexing against fans, players, staff and even celebrated Somali referees , a Londoner of Nigerian heritage seems like the poster boy for a very different story of America. Balogun’s parents were living in London when they took a holiday to New York in the summer of 2001. The trip proved fateful: airline attendants refused to allow his mother on the flight home after they noticed she was seven months pregnant. They were forced to stay in New York and Folarin Jerry Balogun was born in Brooklyn on 3 July. Baby Balogun was automatically granted US citizenship under the country’s birthright citizenship laws, based on the 14th amendment to the US Constitution, laws that the Trump administration is attempting to rewrite. Had Balogun’s birth fallen under the president’s new proposals, the US would not have had their star striker in Los Angeles on Friday night . Folarin Balogun scored twice for the USA in their opening 4-1 win over Paraguay in Los Angeles (Reuters) This has been a central part of the US Soccer Federation’s approach over the past decade, persuading anyone with an American connection to swear their allegiance to the Stars and Stripes. Sergino Dest could have played for Suriname or the Netherlands, where he was born. Antonee Robinson was born in Milton Keynes and could have chosen England or Jamaica. Balogun could have chosen England or Nigeria, but picked the USA after much deliberation. “In life, go where you’re appreciated,” he posted on Instagram after being excluded by the England setup three years ago. Speaking after scoring two goals in USA’s 4-1 win over Paraguay, Balogun said: “I feel like today was a great opportunity to continue to show the fans I made the right decision [to choose the US]. I am completely proud, I want to continue to make the fans proud as well.” The strategy has been effective not only in building as talented a team as the US has ever produced but in creating a diverse, eclectic band of brothers who were raised all over the world and now ply their trade in leagues across the globe. Balogun might be the greatest coup of all, a player Arsenal plucked from the Sunday league pitches of east London and sculpted into a professional talent. Arsenal considered him good enough to sign two contracts, and although he was never given a sustained run in the first team, they made sure to secure €30m from Monaco for his services. After some injury setbacks, Balogun has flourished at Monaco this season, scoring 19 goals to earn the club’s player of the season award. There has been plenty of fretting in the US over the unconvincing form of Christian Pulisic over recent months, but just quietly they have acquired a goalscorer with rhythm, and even some of the World Cup favourites can’t say that. Balogun‘s second strike was a brilliant finish and the striker is full of confidence at this World Cup (AP) He is a pure goalscorer, a player who relies on intelligence and instinct, and his first goal against Paraguay was a typical one-touch finish. It is exactly the profile the US have been lacking in recent years. “His movement in behind and getting himself in the goalscoring positions is something that we’ve been crying out for for a long time with the team,” said captain Tim Ream this week. “He’s probably the most annoying striker for me to have to deal with in training because he is so quick with his movements, physically strong and able to seemingly glide past people.” Balogun showed plenty of those qualities, particularly in his second goal, slipping into space before holding off his marker and piercing a finish into the top corner. “It’s a dream,” Balogun added. “It's a dreamy night.” It is the perfect start to what the US hope will be a World Cup that runs and runs.