Folarin Balogun Was American Born by Accident. Now He's the USMNT's Newest Star
On Friday night, the United States Men's National Team began the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a bang, blasting Paraguay 4-1 in its opening match of the tournament thanks in large part to a dominant performance from young striker Folarin Balogun, who finished with two goals and had another overturned after review.
Balogun instantly became one of the team's biggest stars with his performance, but he was actually never supposed to be American and he was only eligible to join the team by a happy accident.
Accidentally American
Balogun is undeniably one of the most important players on the roster as the United States begins the 2026 World Cup run, and that was evident on Friday night when he scored half the team's goals and would have had a hat-trick if his first goal wasn't overturned by review.
However, the latest American superstar almost wasn't American at all. His American heritage was mostly an accident.
Balogun actually could have been representing England instead of the United States in this World Cup. He and his family lived in London since he was an infant and he developed as a player in Arsenal's youth academy. He also could have represented Nigeria, as both of his parents were born in Nigeria before moving to England. Instead, he is representing the United States, because that's where he was born, mostly by accident.
As The Guardian explained in his player profile ahead of the World Cup, Balogun was born in Brooklyn, New York, but only because the airline refused to let her board a plane back to London so late in her pregnancy.
"Give the assist for this roster selection to the US commercial airline industry," The Guardian wrote. "Folarin Balogun was still in utero when his mother visited New York on vacation, but the return trip never happened as the airline refused to let her board the plane due to the size of her belly and how close she was to giving birth. As a result, Folarin was born in Brooklyn and was off to London months later, where he fell in love with football and came up through the Arsenal academy. Now one of the most promising strikers in Europe, 'Flo' is expected to lead the line for the US, using his speed, tactical awareness and deft finishing touch to give his birth country something to cheer about."
Since he was born in the United States, Balogun was eligible to join the United States Men's National Team even though he lived his entire life in England and was of Nigerian descent. And the United States was glad to have him.
Balogun Chooses United States
With Balogun eligible to play for either the United States, England, or Nigeria, the striker had a big choice to make. All three team would have gladly taken the fast-rising young star, but the United States, in particular, made a strong push – and it wasn't just the coaches.
When rumblings started to get out that Balogun could even be considering playing for the United States over England or Nigeria, USMNT fans began courting him publicly, flooding his Instagram comments with American flags and even making "we want Flo" signs.
"I just remember (an) immense amount of appreciation from the fans," Balogun said via The Athletic. "I didn't realize at that moment how big football-soccer was out here in America. To really feel that in full force was something that was inspirational for me. It made my decision easier."
But the team pursued him, too. USMNT interim manager Anthony Hudson met with Balogun in Florida, and he went out to dinner with Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, his former Arsenal youth teammate Yunus Musah, Tim Ream, and then Arsenal goalkeeper Matt Turner. His recruitment transcended soccer, too, as the New York Yankees invited Balogun to a spring-training game in Tampa and the Orlando Magic arranged courtside seats.
Eventually, the recruitment won out and Balogun officially announced his commitment to the USMNT.
"So proud to be apart of this! It has been a long journey to reach this point but it is with great Pride I can now represent these colours at the highest level," he wrote in a post on X in May of 2023. "I am tied-in and fully committed!"
Three years later, he nearly had a hat trick in his first-ever World Cup match with the USMNT, and you can trace it all back to an airline refusing to allow his pregnant mother to board an airplane.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 13, 2026, where it first appeared in the Sports section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published June 12, 2026 at 11:10 PM.