A raucous crowd of 70,492 spectators filled Los Angeles Stadium on Friday night to witness the United States men’s national team open its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a commanding 4-1 victory over Paraguay. Central to the victory was striker Folarin Balogun, whose two goals and overall performance energized the U.S. squad and their supporters.

Balogun, a forward for AS Monaco, played a pivotal role throughout the match, contributing to three of the four American goals. The first of these came when a cross from Weston McKennie was deflected into the net by Paraguay defender Damián Bobadilla for an own goal. Balogun then narrowly missed scoring a goal in the 28th minute due to an offside call, but he responded quickly, converting a well-executed through ball from Christian Pulisic three minutes later to extend the U.S. lead to 2-0.

Just before halftime, Balogun struck again, weaving past a defender and shooting into the upper-left corner to push the score to 3-0. His brace marked a historic moment: he became the first American player to score multiple goals in a World Cup match since Bert Patenaude achieved the feat against Paraguay in the inaugural 1930 tournament.

Balogun’s emergence as the U.S. team’s offensive cornerstone carries a narrative of unexpected circumstances and choices. His birth in Brooklyn, New York, in 2001 came about due to an airline refusing to allow his then-pregnant mother to fly back to London without a doctor’s note, forcing her to remain in the city where Balogun was born. Although his family returned to England shortly afterward, his birth on American soil granted him U.S. citizenship.

Throughout his youth and club career, which saw him develop at Arsenal, Middlesbrough, and Monaco, Balogun was eligible to represent England and Nigeria internationally. However, influenced by his mother’s conviction that his destiny lay in wearing the U.S. jersey, he eventually committed to the United States program, filling a long-sought role as a prolific striker.

Reflecting on his World Cup debut, Balogun described the atmosphere as fulfilling his dreams, buoyed by the passionate support of American fans. He was substituted in the 72nd minute to a standing ovation and earned Man of the Match honors for his efforts.

“I knew the fans would be cheering us on and supporting. It was amazing,” Balogun said after the game. When asked about celebrating the victory, he responded modestly, noting that he planned to “just go back to the hotel and watch some Netflix.”

The convincing win and Balogun’s brilliance have given the United States a hopeful start to the tournament, with the striker embodying the optimism of a nation eager to advance deep into the World Cup. “It was a dreamy night,” Balogun said. “But you have to believe in yourself. Why not us?”