From Brooklyn to the World Cup: Why Folarin Balogun Chose the USA

Folarin Balogun doubled as the United States thumped Paraguay 4-1 in their 2026 World Cup opener in Los Angeles. His American eligibility traces back to his birth in Brooklyn. Balogun’s mother was grounded in New York late in pregnancy, so he was born there before the family returned to London. The former Arsenal forward developed at Arsenal, had loan spells at Middlesbrough and Reims, then moved to Monaco. Senior USMNT stars convinced him to commit to the USA over England or Nigeria. An early own goal opened the scoring, then Balogun struck twice to put the hosts in control. Giovanni Reyna sealed the win in stoppage time. Next up for the USA are matches against Australia and Turkey.

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