America just kicked off its World Cup run with a huge 4—1 opening-match win against Paraguay, and Folarin Balogun immediately became one of the biggest names of the tournament after scoring two of the team’s four goals.
But with the internet being the internet, people immediately got distracted by something that had absolutely nothing to do with the game: his accent.
After clips of Balogun celebrating on the field and thanking fans for their support started going viral on TikTok, people realized that America’s new World Cup star did not exactly sound like your average American athlete. In fact, he sounds very, very British. 🤨
And naturally, the comments were full of confusion, realization, and people trying to figure out what they had just heard.
And like everyone else, I was confused. Then everything made sense. Then it got confusing again.
So, basically, Folarin Balogun was born in New York City to Nigerian parents, but he’s also very British 😭. His parents were living in England and had traveled to America for a vacation, but when they couldn’t fly home without medical clearance for his pregnant mother, she stayed with relatives in Brooklyn and gave birth to Balogun in the US, ultimately giving him birthright American citizenship.
When Balogun was 1 month old, his family moved back to England and raised him in London. So yes, he plays for the US Men’s National Team, but he’s simultaneously British in the most technically confusing but factual way possible.
He also developed as a soccer player in England, including joining Arsenal Academy when he was young, which is part of why people associate him so strongly with English soccer — and part of why the whole thing makes everyone’s brain glitch even harder. 😭
Now, for my fellow Americans in the room: In soccer, a player can be eligible for more than one country because of birthplace, citizenship, parents, or previous national-team history.
So, in Balogun’s case, being born in New York made him eligible to play for the United States. Growing up in England and representing England at the youth level also meant England was an option. And because his parents are Nigerian, Nigeria was also on the table.
Technically, this man had three possible countries to play for, but he ultimately chose the United States in 2023, with FIFA approving his one-time switch from England to the USMNT!
And if we’re being honest, we all know England has one of the most competitive national teams in the world, especially when it comes to attacking players. And the US…not so much. So Balogun’s move just made a lot of soccer sense. He chose the team where he could have a much bigger role and a more “guaranteed” path to playing in the World Cup, rather than fighting for minutes on an incredibly competitive and stacked England roster.
And clearly, America has no complaints. So, yes, our new World Cup hero is British, American, and Nigerian. International soccer eligibility may be confusing to the untrained American eye, but let’s be honest — if he keeps scoring like this, I think we can all survive the initial accent shock.
What was your reaction to the accent? As always, let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
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