The United States Men’s National Team began the 2026 World Cup with a bang on Friday night, blasting Paraguay by a final score of 4-1 in one of the most dominant World Cup performances in the team’s history. While there were many bright spots in the game, the emergence of Folarin Balogun was perhaps the brightest.
The young striker made his World Cup debut on Friday night after joining the team in 2023, committing to play for his birth country over England, where he grew up, and Nigeria, where his parents were born. His debut couldn’t have been better.
It did not take long for Balogun to find the back of the net for the first time, but the goal was called back due to offside.
Balogun went ahead and found the back of the net again in the 31st minute, and this one counted as he found a centering pass from Christian Pulisic and got it past the keeper.
His second goal of the night, however, truly showed off his rare combination of speed, power and technique.
Balogun outpaced the Paraguay defenders to run down a pass, fought off a tackle attempt from a defender, and then put the ball straight into the upper left corner.
He didn’t just pick out the corner, he picked out the TOP CORNER 🎯
BALOGUN BAGS A FIRST-HALF BRACE pic.twitter.com/JQVCRkJw7y
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 13, 2026
With the two goals, Balogun became the first USMNT player to score more than one goal in a World Cup match since 1930, when Bert Patenaude scored a hat trick, also against Paraguay.
“It’s a dream. It’s a dreamy night,” Balogun said after the game, via ESPN. “I’ve not been able to take it all in after this. I’m sure when I get back to my hotel and I rest, I’m sure I’m going to really be able to be in the moment and experience how much of an amazing night this is.”
It could not have been a better start to the tournament for Balogun, and he’s now going to try to keep the momentum going through the rest of the World Cup.
About Dave Kelsey
Contributing author to The Comeback.