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Few players have proven more adept at scoring goals at the 2026 World Cup than Folarin Balogun.
The U.S.-born striker has been one of the stars of the tournament thus far, scoring goals in bunches to help power Mauricio Pochettino's high-powered attack.
He has been the subject of intense scrutiny in recent days, after seeing the one-game suspension he was issued for receiving a red card during the USMNT's Round of 32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina suspended following intervention from Donald Trump.
Balogun seemed an unusual target of Trump's support. After all, Trump had attempted to strike down the principle that allowed Balogun to play for the U.S. team in the first place — birthright citizenship.
With that, here's a look at Balogun's decision to play for the U.S. and how it interacts with the principle of birthright citizenship, first enshrined into law in the wake of the American Civil War.
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Why Folarin Balogun chose to play for USA
Born in Brooklyn to Nigerian parents who lived in London, Balogun called his decision to don the Stars and Stripes at the international level a "no-brainer", adding that he felt at "home" in the USMNT ranks.
"When I broke the news to my family they were all just over the moon, especially my mom," Balogun said, per ESPN. "She said, 'What took you so long?'
"To represent the United States means a lot, more than people would know. I'm very proud and honoured to have this opportunity, and I want to give everything I have to make our team successful."
Balogun had his choice of suitors, tallying 10 goals with England's youth teams while being eligible to play for Nigeria through his parents. The USMNT's striker pool looked far less crowded than that of the Three Lions and Super Eagles, who were helmed by standout goal-scorers Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen, respectively. In the end, he settled on the U.S., backing himself to find success with the CONCACAF giants. He's shined ever since joining the American ranks, tallying 12 goals in 30 matches (and counting) for the USMNT.
"I don't believe things happened by luck," Balogun's mother, Florence, said in a 2023 ESPN profile. "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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FIFA country eligibility rules
Under FIFA's rules, footballers are permitted to play only for countries whose nationality they hold. That nationality can be obtained through birthright citizenship or a later naturalization process.
Holding a passport is not always enough on its own. In cases where a player is eligible for more than one country, FIFA requires players to hold a "genuine link" to the country they want to play for. A player must meet one of four conditions to satisfy FIFA’s requirements:
- They were born on the territory of the country;
- A biological parent was born there;
- A grandparent was born there;
- They have lived there for a set number of years.
Players can make a one-time switch of nationality, assuming they have only appeared in friendly matches for one nation. For example, Declan Rice made three appearances for Ireland's senior team before joining England's setup in 2019.
MORE: World Cup eligibility rules, explained
What is USA birthright citizenship?
In the United States, birthright citizenship refers to the maxim that people born in the United States are automatically granted American citizenship. Formally enshrined in law upon the adoption of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution in 1868 — an extension of the Civil Rights Act of 1866 that was enacted in the wake of the American Civil War — the Citizenship Clause superseded the Supreme Court's decision in Dred Scott vs. Sandford (1857), which ruled that people of African descent were not eligible to possess federal citizenship under the U.S. Constitution.
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The Citizenship Clause has largely been upheld ever since its implementation, with various acts broadening the scope by which the clause has been applied. In Jan. 2025, Donald Trump issued an executive order to strike down birthright citizenship for the children of undocumented immigrants or those with temporary immigration status. On June 30, 2026, The Supreme Court struck down Trump's order.
Is birthright citizenship in the Constitution?
The Citizenship Clause is, indeed, included in the Constitution. It is a part of the Fourteenth Amendment, adopted into the U.S. Constitution on July 9, 1868.
Do other countries have birthright citizenship?
Nearly three dozen countries have unconditional jus soli, or "right of soil" citizenship. The principle is the standard across the Americas, including Canada, Mexico, nearly all of Latin America and the Caribbean. It's relatively rare in other parts of the world, however, with the vast majority of countries enacting the principle based in the Western Hemisphere.
MORE: Why Folarin Balogun red card ban was suspended
Supreme Court birthright citizenship case
In a 6-3 decision passed on June 30, the Supreme Court rejected Trump' attempt to end birthright citizenship. Trump's executive order, issued in Jan. 2025, aimed to prevent babies born to undocumented immigrants and temporary foreign residents — like Balogun's mother, who gave birth to Balogun while on vacation in the United States — from being granted automatic U.S. citizenship.
The court ruled that Trump's executive order was unlawful, with five justices deeming his attempt to strike down birthright citizenship as falling afoul of the 14th Amendment.
“Citizenship, then and now, was the right to have rights—to freely participate in our political community. The Framers of the Fourteenth Amendment extended that promise to ‘every free-born person in this land,’” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote, according to The Associated Press. “We keep that promise today.”
Several dissenters, including Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, argued that a child's parents political allegiance or relationship to the U.S. should also be considered before determining whether a person should be granted U.S. citizenship, per The Associated Press.
MORE: What is FIFA Article 27?
When is the Supreme Court ruling on birthright citizenship?
The Supreme Court announced its decision to block Trump's attempt to end birthright citizenship on June 30, 2026. The ruling came 18 months after Trump issued Executive Order 14160, which challenged the prevailing interpretation of the Constitution's Citizenship Clause.
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