A vacation to America changed everything for him
On a Friday night in Los Angeles, the United States men's national soccer team stepped into a chapter of history nearly a century in the making, defeating Paraguay 4-1 in their 2026 World Cup opener at SoFi Stadium. At the center of this breakthrough was Folarin Balogun — a Brooklyn-born, London-raised striker who chose to represent America not out of obligation, but out of affection, moved by the warmth of fans he encountered on a vacation three years prior. His two goals made him the first American to score multiple times in a World Cup match since 1930, the same year and the same opponent against whom this record was first set. In sport, as in life, the most meaningful milestones often arrive not through force, but through belonging.
- A record untouched for 96 years fell in Los Angeles as the U.S. scored four World Cup goals in a single match for the first time in program history.
- Balogun's dual identity — raised in London, eligible for England — made his choice to wear the American jersey one of the tournament's most consequential personal decisions.
- The U.S. tore open the match in the first 30 minutes with an own goal and two Balogun strikes, building a lead that felt almost surreal in its speed and dominance.
- Paraguay's 73rd-minute goal briefly unsettled the narrative, raising the question of whether the Americans could hold what they had built.
- Gio Reyna answered in the dying seconds, driving the fourth goal home and locking the historic scoreline before the final whistle confirmed it all.
The scoreboard at SoFi Stadium told a story nearly a century in the making. When the final whistle blew Friday night, the United States had beaten Paraguay 4-1 in its World Cup opener — the first time in program history the men's national team had scored four goals in a single World Cup match.
At the center of it all was Folarin Balogun, a 24-year-old striker with one of the more unlikely paths to American soccer stardom. Born in Brooklyn but raised in London, he came through Arsenal's elite youth academy and held the option to represent England internationally. Then, in 2023, a vacation to the U.S. changed his trajectory — the outpouring of support from American fans on social media moved him enough to commit to the Stars and Stripes. On Friday, that decision announced itself to the world.
The match unraveled Paraguay almost immediately. In the sixth minute, a deflection off Damián Bobadilla gave the U.S. an early own goal. By the 30th minute, Balogun had added his first, and just before halftime he struck again — collecting a pass from Malik Tillman and curling a shot into the top-left corner with the kind of precision that explained why Arsenal had believed in him since boyhood. His two goals made him the first American to score multiple times in a World Cup match since 1930 — the same year, and the same opponent, against whom the record was originally set.
At 3-0, the outcome felt settled. But Paraguay pulled one back in the 73rd minute, briefly tightening the story. The answer came in the final seconds, when 23-year-old Gio Reyna scored the fourth, sealing both the victory and a piece of American soccer history that had waited nearly a hundred years to be written.
The scoreboard at SoFi Stadium told a story that hadn't been written in American soccer for nearly a century. When the final whistle blew on Friday night, the United States had beaten Paraguay 4-1 in its World Cup opener—and in doing so, had crossed a threshold the men's national team had never reached before. For the first time in its history, Team USA had scored four goals in a single World Cup match.
The architect of this breakthrough was Folarin Balogun, a 24-year-old striker who arrived at the tournament as one of the most improbable figures in recent American soccer. Born in Brooklyn to Nigerian parents but raised in London from childhood, Balogun had come through Arsenal's youth academy—one of Europe's most selective pipelines for elite talent. He had the option to represent England internationally, the country where he'd spent his formative years. But in 2023, he took a vacation to the United States and was struck by something unexpected: the sheer volume of support from American fans on social media. That digital embrace moved him. He chose the U.S.
On this night, that choice vindicated itself in the most visible way possible. Balogun scored twice, becoming the first American player since 1930 to record multiple goals in a World Cup game. The last time the U.S. had achieved this feat—or anything close to it—was in that same 1930 match against Paraguay, nearly a century ago. The symmetry was almost too neat to be true.
The American assault began almost immediately. In the sixth minute, Paraguay's Damián Bobadilla deflected the ball into his own net, giving the hosts an early gift. The crowd at SoFi Stadium erupted. By the 30th minute, Balogun had added his first goal, and the U.S. had reached a two-goal lead faster than it had managed in most of its World Cup history—only twice before had the Americans scored twice so quickly, in 2002 against Portugal and in that legendary 1930 opener. Just before halftime, Balogun struck again. He collected a precise pass from Malik Tillman and curled a shot into the top-left corner with the kind of technical precision that reminded viewers why Arsenal had invested in him as a child.
At 3-0, the Americans had nearly matched the largest margin of victory in program history. The match seemed decided. Then, in the 73rd minute, with captain Christian Pulisic sidelined by injury, Paraguay found the net and made it 3-1. For a moment, the narrative shifted. But in the final seconds, 23-year-old Gio Reyna scored the fourth goal, sealing the historic victory and ensuring the U.S. would leave this opening match with three points and a record that had stood untouched for nearly a hundred years.
Citações Notáveis
Balogun felt overwhelming support from American fans on social media during a 2023 U.S. vacation, which heavily influenced his decision to pledge his international allegiance to the United States over England— Fox News reporting on Balogun's choice
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
How does a player born in Brooklyn end up choosing the U.S. over England, the country where he actually grew up?
He took a trip here in 2023 and felt the weight of American fan support in a way that surprised him. Social media showed him something he hadn't expected—that people here wanted him, believed in him. That mattered more than the path he'd already been on.
So this wasn't a calculated soccer decision. It was emotional.
Entirely. He was a kid who'd been shaped by Arsenal's academy, by London, by everything English. But something about the American embrace shifted him. When you're choosing a national team, you're choosing an identity. He chose the one that chose him first.
And then he walks into the World Cup and scores twice in the opener. Does that feel like vindication?
It feels like proof. Not that he made the right choice—that's unknowable. But that the choice was real, that it meant something. He didn't come here as a backup plan. He came here as someone who'd been called.
The U.S. hadn't scored four goals in a World Cup game in its entire history until Friday night. What does that say about where American soccer is right now?
It says the program has finally produced players who can execute at the highest level, not just compete. Balogun is one piece, but he's not alone. The infrastructure, the academies, the investment—it's all converging. This wasn't luck. This was preparation meeting opportunity.
Paraguay scored in the 73rd minute. For a moment, the story could have been different.
That's what makes the fourth goal matter so much. It wasn't handed to them. They had to earn it, had to keep pressing even when they were comfortable. That's a sign of a team that understands what it takes to win at this level.