Folarin Balogun put the 2026 World Cup on notice before the first half was even over. The 24-year-old USMNT striker scored twice in the opening 45 minutes of the USA’s 3-0 victory over Paraguay at SoFi Stadium on June 12, becoming the first player in the entire tournament to register a brace.
For a country hosting the World Cup on home soil for the first time since 1994, it was exactly the kind of statement performance the USMNT needed.
The performance and what led to it
Balogun’s two goals came in the first half of the tournament’s opening match, effectively putting the game to bed before Paraguay could find any rhythm.
He was selected for the USMNT’s 26-man World Cup roster, announced on May 26, after a club season with AS Monaco where he registered over 19 goals. The striker made his USMNT debut back in 2023 and had already accumulated 9 international goals heading into the tournament. His path to the national team itself is a story worth noting: Balogun previously represented Arsenal and Reims before landing at Monaco, where he matured into a consistent goal threat at the highest club level.
