How an airline refusing to let Folarin Balogun’s mum travel made him eligible to play for USMNT 

The name on the lips of football-loving Americans is Folarin Balogun after his brace for the USMNT in their FIFA World Cup opener. The Monaco striker was at the double for his side as they ran out 4-1 winners over Paraguay in California.

Balogun is eligible to play for the USMNT by virtue of his being born in the USA 24 years ago. His US citizenship was something unplanned according to accounts from his mother Florence in a chat with ESPN.

The Nigerian lady had left London for a visit to the USA while she was seven months pregnant with the striker. When she attempted to return home from New York, the airline refused to allow her to travel due to her pregnancy, and she ended up having her son in Brooklyn, New York.

Florence returned with baby Folarin to London within a month of his birth and had him enrolled in the Arsenal academy aged eight. He rose through the ranks with the Premier League champions and featured for England up until the U-21s while also turning out for the youth teams of the USA, occasionally.

Balogun was also eligible to play for Nigeria’s Super Eagles but he recognized that playing for the USA gave him a better chance of featuring regularly at international level. He opted to become a USMNT player in 2023 and was trusted by coach Mauricio Pochettino to lead the line in the win over Paraguay. He did so excellently and the rest is history.

Balogun makes USMNT history in FIFA World Cup opener

USMNT hero Folarin Balogun made history in their first game at this summer’s FIFA World Cup against Paraguay. The AS Monaco striker struck twice in the first half to help his side to claim a 4-1 win over their South American opposition in Group D.

Balogun enjoyed a fine season in Ligue 1, scoring 13 times in 30 appearances for Monaco to earn Pochettino’s trust to lead the line at the World Cup. He became the first USMNT player to score twice in a single FIFA World Cup game in 96 years after two well-taken goals in the first 45 minutes at the SoFi Stadium.

The win over Paraguay marked the first time that the USA has scored four goals in a men’s FIFA World Cup, a significant achievement for them. Balogun played a key role in their success in California, and will hope to continue to impress throughout the tournament.