Who Is … Folarin Balogun, the USA’s Breakout World Cup Star?

With two goals in the U.S. men’s national team’s 4-1, 2026 FIFA World Cup-opening win over Paraguay on Friday night in Los Angeles, Folarin Balogun is well on his way to becoming a household name from coast to coast. Nearly 19 million Americans watched the 24-year-old New York native steal the show in his World Cup debut, making it the highest-rated USA men’s match of all time. The moment exceeded Balogun’s wildest dreams; he’d been thinking about what Friday night might be like since he chose to represent the USA over England and Nigeria — the 5-foot-10 striker was raised in London by West African parents — in 2023. Last fall, just a few miles away from the Brooklyn hospital in which he was born, Balogun’s eyes widened when I told him what members of the last American squad to play in a World Cup at home, in 1994, told me: that his life would never be the same again. Yet while Balogun literally became an overnight celebrity this weekend, casual fans don’t know much about him. So who is Folarin Balogun? Let’s let him tell you himself. Edited for length and clarity. You grew up in London, but your American roots run deep. My mom’s sister lives in New York, yeah. I also have family in Atlanta. Did you visit the U.S. often as a kid? We went to see my aunt in Atlanta when I was maybe eight years old, but I have very vague memories. It was a long time ago. But I was in New York a year before I joined the U.S. men’s national team. I wasn’t thinking in terms of making a decision then, but I always feel comfortable in New York — probably because of the similarities between New York and London. And you’ve been back to New York a few times since committing to the U.S., right? I’m always coming back now. If I’ve got vacation, I’ll balance that between New York and London. I’m very fortunate; I just feel so blessed to have a connection with both of those amazing cities. I tell my teammates all the time: after my career, I want to live in New York. So, yeah, I do feel a lot more connected to America now. And I’m very, very proud and happy to represent such a great country. What do you like to do when you’re in town? It’s one of those places where you can just wake up, go walk around, and something will just come to you, you know? There’s been times I’ve even just played pickup games with random strangers. Seriously? I was in Manhattan, looking out from my hotel, and I could see a small football pitch where locals were just playing. I had a shower, took my boots, and just asked if I could play. They didn’t know who I was. Did you take it easy on them? They probably took it easy on me. After a while, they could obviously see that I was maybe not your average player. They started asking me questions, and then I told them what I do and obviously who I represent. The tackles weren’t so hard after that. That’s incredible. It just sums up the city, though. It’s just so free. That’s the sort of thing I love, to just feel like a normal person and go do whatever. So many footballers in Europe love going to New York, because even when you get stopped or recognized, it’s not really too invasive. They just want to see how you are. It’s refreshing. You’ve said often that the messages you got from U.S. fans were part of the reason you chose to rep the USA. How were you welcomed by your teammates? In terms of the energy, I’d never experienced anything like it. Everyone’s super positive. It’s just such a nice environment to be around. You can speak to any of the staff about football, about life, about anything, and everybody will be open to the conversation. Whenever I come into camp, it’s one of the most refreshing feelings I can get as a player. You’ve already played for three different U.S. coaches. Anthony Hudson was the interim boss before Gregg Berhalter returned, and now it’s Mauricio Pochettino. How has the environment changed? It hasn’t. As I’ve been around the group longer, now I know it’s just a norm. Whoever the coach is, they want this to be a safe space for the players. They want everybody to come into camp feeling energized, not having to worry about what’s being said outside. When I first came into camp, that was something very new to me. Honestly, it was a bit overwhelming, just how good an environment they’ve created. I don’t think that’s ever gonna change. Strikers are sometimes known to be selfish, but you don’t seem to play that way. I try to do the right thing all the time, and off the pitch just be a good person before anything. If I’m playing with another striker and I feel he’s in a better position to score than me, I believe doing the right thing is just passing the ball. Where does that come from? That’s just how I’ve always gone about my life and my work. With any teammate, it’s just showing respect and treating people as you’d want to be treated. I just feel like doing the right thing will always pay off. And if you do good things, good things will come to you. What do you want U.S. fans to know about you? A person, I’m quite introverted. But I appreciate and am grateful for the platform I have and the job and the role I’ve been given. Representing my country is obviously what brings me the most pleasure. I also want to give back. Because I feel like the team, the staff, and even just America as a country has shown so much faith in me.