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No matter who is in the final World Cup match, there could be some awkwardness in New Jersey on July 19 when US President Donald Trump presents the trophy.
Trump has made war on one country in the tournament and verbal war on many others. He has insulted the people or its leaders of multiple others. He’s tried to influence elections in South America, imposed tariffs on economies everywhere, and broken old bonds as he’s tried to remake the world order with an America First foreign policy.
It is still a longshot for the US to win, although the US Men’s National Team is daring people to believe with a commanding group stage performance. But if Americans do win, it will be thanks to a team with multiple immigrant players. The team’s top scorer after two games is Folarin Balogun, whose Nigerian mother was seven months pregnant with him when she became unable to leave New York. He lived most of his life in the UK and plays professionally for Monaco in the top French league, but is able to represent the US because of birthright citizenship.
The right of anyone born in the US to be a US citizen is protected by the 14th Amendment, but the conservative-dominated Supreme Court is currently deciding if Trump can invalidate it anyway. If Trump has his way, Balogun would be playing for Nigeria or England.
