Get free access to the most comprehensive World Cup coverage in The Athletic app.Folarin Balogun delivered a statement performance in the USMNT’s 4-1 victory over Paraguay. The former Arsenal youngster scored twice and spearheaded an attacking display that underlined exactly why the federation pursued him so aggressively.The striker could well have been in the England squad at this World Cup. Instead, he is helping drive the momentum of one of the tournament’s host nations, a decision shaped in part by the warmth and support he received when he was making one of the most important choices of his career.It was in 2023 when the Brooklyn-born, London-raised forward was considering his international options, and despite being on the fringes of the England senior team with the under-21s, momentum began to shift.After attending a training camp in Orlando, discussing the future with senior figures and picking the brains of players over dinner, his mind was made up. The rest is history, but judging by Friday’s performance, there’s plenty to come.With the stakes high and the spotlight intense, Balogun showed made all the hard work worthwhile. His speed and intensity also caught the eye and future performances will determine whether Balogun is recognised as the one that slipped away for England.The 24-year-old, who scored 19 goals in all competitions for Monaco last season, is not the only player at this World Cup to have been involved in an international tug-of-war over representation.England’s talented forward line might have included another superstar had Jamal Musiala opted to stick around with them. The 23-year-old represented England at youth level and played alongside Jude Bellingham but opted for Germany when it came to the crunch. Having left his homeland to play for Chelsea, he returned in 2019 to join Bayern Munich and that’s where his decision was made.Speaking to FourFourTwo in 2023, he said: “I regularly chatted to the people at the FA (Football Association) and the DFB (German Football Association). They both made it clear they wanted me to play for them, so it was a difficult decision. But it felt right pulling that shirt on and representing my birth nation. I knew I’d made the right decision.”Erling Haaland could have represented England too, as he was born in the UK while his father, Alf-Inge, was playing for Leeds United.