Folarin Balogun lives the World Cup ‘dream’ he and U.S. Soccer envisioned he would

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INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The fate of a game — or of a tournament, a national team, or even a movement to change the place of a sport in a country — sometimes rests on the foot of one player.

There is an old adage that goals change games. It undersells the impact. They are definitive. They write stories. An inch to the left or the right can make a legend or define a failure. It’s why goalscorers demand the highest fees and salaries, and why three years ago, a federation asked a handful of players to wine and dine a 21-year-old striker at a fancy dinner in Orlando.

The hope was that one day Folarin Balogun would do what he did on Friday night in the USMNT’s 4-1 dismantling of Paraguay. That he would get a chance and take it; that with one strike of his left foot he would put the dagger into an opponent, and in doing so would infect his team with confidence.

That his decisiveness would be the difference.

Balogun was every bit of what the U.S. had hoped he would be, and of what has been missing from this pool for more than a decade: a No. 9 that can strike fear into opponents. He became the first American to score two goals in a World Cup game since 1930, and in doing so led the U.S. to the most dominant win in the tournament its history.

“It’s a dream,” he said after. “It’s a dreamy night.”

Three years ago, there was no guarantee Balogun would suit up for the U.S. — eligible to play for three countries, the New York-born striker was called in to play with England’s under-21 national team and had been mostly featuring in their youth setup. In the midst of a breakout season while on loan from Arsenal at Reims in France’s Ligue 1 in 2022-23, Balogun was at the center of the FA’s plans for that summer’s Under-21 European Championship. But with the U.S. circling, Balogun withdrew from camp and flew to Orlando, where he met U.S. Soccer officials.

It was meant to be a quiet, secret rendezvous. Instead, fans used a picture on Balogun’s Instagram to track him to Orlando. They started spamming his Instagram with American flag emojis. Some who spotted the forward at his hotel urged him to commit to the Stars and Stripes. Meanwhile, U.S. Soccer did their best to woo him too. The Orlando Sports Commission supplied courtside tickets to an Orlando Magic game and a VIP pass to Universal.

The New York Yankees invited Balogun to spring training. Players, including Weston McKennie, Matt Turner and Yunus Musah, took him to a dinner in Orlando, while federation execs dined with him at Bern’s Steak House in Tampa.

All of it impressed Balogun. But his decision would be about more than that.

“His parents had been pushing the U.S. narrative for years — they always wanted him to play for the U.S.,” his agent, Eddie Bonsu, told The Athletic in 2023. “For them it was easy: ‘You’re American. You were born there.’”

Folarin Balogun was at the heart of the USMNT’s celebrations vs. Paraguay (Patrick T. Fallon / AFP / Getty Images)

Balogun believed he knew exactly what he wanted to do.

“I feel it,” Balogun told his loved ones. “This is where I feel like I need to be.”

On Friday night, Balogun tried to take in the moment and appreciate where that decision led him. He had been solid for the U.S. up until this point, scoring big goals in big games, including in a Nations League final and twice in three games in a Copa América remembered more for its failure than for the forward’s contributions.

But the World Cup was the biggest stage on which he has played. He could feel the weight in the moment when the anthem played, and when he looked around at the sold-out stadium. He wanted to give the fans something back. It was just like what he had closed his eyes and visualized when he imagined his moment.

“As I said when I committed and throughout the whole journey to being at this point, I’ve always said the fans gave me so much motivation, showed me so much support,” he said. “The most important thing has always been to be able to repay that. Today was a great opportunity. I just want to continue to show the fans I made the right decision, and I’m completely proud, and I want to continue to make the fans proud as well.”

When he first arrived to World Cup camp, Balogun told U.S. Soccer staffers he didn’t want to do too much media. He preferred to let his play do the talking. As he soaked in the moment, he thought about what it would mean to him to do something on a stage this big, in his first World Cup game.

Paraguay defenders can only watch as Folarin Balogun scores his second goal of the night (Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

It was evident from the first whistle. First and foremost on his two goals — the first in the 31st minute, an easy far-post finish on an assist from Pulisic; the second just before halftime, when he beat two defenders and lashed a left-footed shot inside the upper corner. (He also had a first would-be goal denied for offside.)

“He’s a really unique player, because for a No. 9, he’s obviously not huge, but he’s extremely strong,” midfielder Tyler Adams said. “A lot of center backs think they can kind of get in a grappling match with him, but he spins you and you’re not catching him after that. I feel from the first time that I saw him to now, he’s developed a lot with just his timing, how clever he is in the box, making the right runs, not taking as many touches in and around the area, and he’s just efficient.”

But beyond the goals, Balogun’s commitment was impressive.

“If you don’t know the type of player he is, you could see it today,” McKennie said. “It’s the World Cup, everyone steps up to their maximum for it. Balo is getting stuck into tackles, putting his body on the line. He showed everyone today he’s willing to do the dirty work as well.”

McKennie was caught on camera in the HBO documentary “U.S. Against the World” joking with Balogun before the Copa América that the forward needed to step up considering the full-press recruitment process. The Juventus star didn’t want to let him forget he had taken him out to dinner during the process.

Asked if this game finally meant that process was worth it, the midfielder offered another zinger.

“S***, it was (three) years later,” McKennie said, laughing. “But it came at the right time.”