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Folarin Balogun has snagged all the World Cup headlines in the United States this week after his controversial red card and the subsequently shocking FIFA overturn of his suspension.
And to think, if not for an airport decision when Balogun had yet to be born, this may have never happened.
Balogun was nearly not born in the U.S. at all.
And if that had been the case, he never could've been this game-changing striker for the USMNT.
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Where was Folarin Balogun born?
Balogun was born in New York City, but only barely.
The striker is the son of Nigerian parents, and he grew up in London.
Balogun doesn't represent either of those nations at the international level, but instead the U.S., where he was born but spent very little time before moving away.
His mother, Florence, traveled to New York when she was seven months pregnant, according to ESPN's Jamie Barton.
She was due to fly back before her child was born, but the airline wouldn't let her.
"The airline refused to let her travel home so she gave birth to her son in the U.S.," Barton writes.
Florence told ESPN that it was less than two months before she and her young son Folarin had moved back to London. By being born in the United States, though, Folarin was already a citizen.
"I don't believe things happened by luck," Florence told ESPN. "I think for me to have gone to America and for me to have had him there, it is just something that has really stuck with me. Even when he wasn't even thinking of making an international decision, I'd already made up my mind that he is going to play for America."
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Balogun did play Under-21 matches for England, but he officially locked in his allegiance at the senior level with the United States in May 2023 -- after a pretty intense recruitment.
"When I committed, I've always said the fans gave me so much motivation, showed me so much support," Balogun said after scoring two goals to open the World Cup against Paraguay. "For me, the most important thing has always been to repay that."
Balogun may not have spent much of his early life in the U.S., but he's proud to represent this country.
"To represent the United States means a lot, more than people would know," Balogun said after the Paraguay win. "I'm very proud and honored to have this opportunity, and I want to give everything I have to make our team successful."
English (US)