Balogun delighted after guiding USA to dream home start of World Cup campaign
United States striker Folarin Balogun has described his World Cup debut as a long-awaited dream after producing a match-winning performance in his side’s emphatic opening victory over Paraguay.
Playing before a star-studded crowd at Los Angeles Stadium on Friday night, Balogun stole the spotlight as the USA began their FIFA World Cup 2026 journey with a convincing 4-1 triumph in Group D.
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The Monaco attacker found the net twice in an impressive display that thrilled thousands of supporters in attendance, including several high-profile celebrities from the worlds of entertainment and sport.
After seeing an earlier effort ruled out for offside, Balogun opened his account by calmly converting a well-delivered cross from Christian Pulisic. He then doubled his tally in first-half stoppage time with a stunning strike that flew into the top corner.
Balogun’s reflection
Reflecting on the memorable occasion, Balogun expressed his pride at performing on football’s biggest stage.
“It’s an amazing occasion. It’s an amazing night and something I dreamed of for a long time. I committed to the US and a part of it was wanting to play on the biggest stages and repay the fans,” he said.
The forward also highlighted the significance of competing in front of American supporters during a World Cup hosted on home soil.
“It means everything to me to play in front of the home fans…. a World Cup on our home soil… I’m very happy and very proud of everyone. It means the world to get the first-game nerves out of the way and the way we did. I’m sure it will do us a lot of good.”
Balogun’s success against Paraguay continued a trend that began last year when he scored the decisive goal in a 2-1 friendly victory over the same opponents.
The 24-year-old admitted that repeating the feat on a much grander stage was particularly special.
“It’s just how the cherries fell… I know I scored against them before and to do it again on a bigger stage is a dream come true,” Balogun said, who was later recognised as the Michelob Ultra Superior Player of the Match.
The victory provided an ideal start for Mauricio Pochettino’s side. Alongside Balogun’s brace, the Americans benefited from an early Paraguayan own goal before substitute Gio Reyna added a superb late finish to complete the scoring.
With three points secured from their opening fixture, the USA now turns its attention to a second group-stage clash against Australia in Seattle.
