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Countless new soccer fans were introduced to the name "Folarin Balogun" on Friday, after the U.S. men's national team forward netted twice—and came agonizingly close to a third—in a landmark 4–1 demolition of Paraguay in the team's FIFA World Cup debut at SoFi Stadium.
The 23-year-old's brace paved the way not only for the Stars and Stripes' first-ever four-goal victory at soccer's grandest stage, but also a summer on home turf that promises to be extraordinary if the squad continues performing with such authority.
Interestingly, Balogun generates just as much excitement among supporters when he narrowly misses the target as when he actually finds the net. There's something about a near-miss that propels the striker into a thrilling gear, frequently converting just minutes later to make up for the frustration. He is rapidly emerging as the American star on home ground, yet in a not-so-distant alternate reality, he might never have been American at all.
Balogun's Unplanned U.S. Birth
Balogun's birth on U.S. soil in 2001 was entirely unplanned. His parents, Florence and Ben, are Nigerian nationals who were based in London but happened to be on a summer vacation in New York City. His mother was seven months along in her pregnancy at the time, and when she attempted to board her return flight to London, airline staff turned her away, informing her that she was too far along to fly. Florence was unable to obtain the necessary medical clearance to travel home in time, and ultimately gave birth to Balogun in Brooklyn on July 3.
The newborn was automatically granted U.S. citizenship under the country's birthright citizenship laws, which hold that any individual born on American soil is a U.S. citizen, regardless of their parents' nationality. "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside," states the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution—a provision that President Donald Trump has been actively seeking to overturn and has campaigned forcefully against.
On the very first day of his second presidential term in January 2025, Trump signed executive order 14160, declaring that individuals born on U.S. soil would not automatically receive citizenship if, first, "that person's mother was unlawfully present in the United States and the father was not a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident at the time of said person's birth," or second, if "that person's mother's presence in the United States at the time of said person's birth was lawful but temporary (such as, but not limited to, visiting the United States under the auspices of the Visa Waiver Program or visiting on a student, work, or tourist visa) and the father was not a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident at the time of said person's birth."
The second of those two conditions would have applied directly to Balogun's birth.
Multiple civil rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, along with federal courts, have since repeatedly blocked the executive order from taking effect, filing lawsuits against the administration on the grounds that it contravenes the Constitution and established Supreme Court precedent. As a result, the executive order is not currently enforceable.
Nonetheless, Trump has remained steadfast in his opposition to certain elements of birthright citizenship. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments as recently as April and has yet to deliver a final ruling on the matter, which is anticipated by late June or early July, according to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
Had Trump's proposed policy been in place at the time of Balogun's birth, the standout striker would never have been eligible to represent the USMNT, and Friday's match against Paraguay could have unfolded very differently.
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Despite growing up in London—returning across the Atlantic when he was just two months old—training through Arsenal's youth academy system during his formative years, and even representing England's youth sides up to the under-21 level, Balogun ultimately chose to play for the USMNT. FIFA approved his switch of association in 2023, and he made his debut for the team less than a month later at the 2023 Concacaf Nations League Finals. He has never looked back.
"I feel like today was a great opportunity to continue to show the fans I made the right decision [to choose the US]," Balogun said after the match on Friday. "I am completely proud, I want to continue to make the fans proud as well."