Folarin Balogun scored twice in the USMNT’s World Cup opener against Paraguay on June 12, becoming the first American to net multiple goals in a World Cup match since 1930. That’s 96 years between multi-goal performances for the US men’s program. The drought is over, and crypto prediction markets were paying attention.
Balogun’s pre-match scoring odds sat between +200 and +300 on crypto betting platforms, meaning successful bettors walked away with two to three times their original stakes. For a player making his World Cup debut, those odds reflected genuine uncertainty. For the bettors who backed him, they reflected a very good day.
From birthright citizenship to World Cup history
Here’s the thing about Balogun: he’s spent virtually his entire life in Europe. His connection to the USMNT exists through birthright citizenship, a technicality that turned into one of the most consequential roster decisions in recent American soccer history. He was eligible to represent England or Nigeria as well, making his commitment to the US a genuine three-way recruitment win.
Balogun was named to the USMNT’s 26-man squad on May 26, 2026. Less than three weeks later, he was picking up the Player of the Match award on the sport’s biggest stage.
