The hero of the U.S. victory at the 2026 World Cup could have played for three different national teams
U.S. national team forward Folarin Balogun, who scored twice in the 2026 World Cup match against Paraguay, once had the opportunity to choose between three national teams.
In their opening World Cup match, the Americans defeated Paraguay, and Balogun became the hero of the game by scoring two goals. As a result, he became the first U.S. national team player in 96 years to score a brace in a World Cup match.
The forward was born in New York to parents from Nigeria, but moved to England as a child, where he was raised in the academy of London’s Arsenal. That is why he was eligible to represent three national teams at once—the U.S., England, and Nigeria.
At the youth level, Balogun played for both the U.S. U-18 national team and England’s youth squad. The Nigerian Football Federation also vied for his selection.
The forward made his final decision in 2023 after a productive season with Reims in France. Taking advantage of FIFA’s rules regarding changing national team eligibility, he chose the U.S. national team.
Balagun currently plays for Monaco in France and is one of the key players on the U.S. team at the World Cup on home soil.
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