Folarin Balogun announced himself on the world stage in the most emphatic way possible — two goals for co-hosts the United States in a commanding win over Paraguay in their opening World Cup group game. Yet the story of how this 24-year-old came to wear the American shirt is as extraordinary as the goals themselves.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, on 3 July 2001, Balogun is a US citizen solely because of an unexpected twist of fate. His Nigerian parents were based in London when they travelled to New York in the summer of 2001. When the time came to fly home, airline staff would not allow his heavily pregnant mother to board the flight — and so Balogun entered the world not in England, but in Brooklyn.

The birthright citizenship debate

That Brooklyn birth automatically granted Balogun US citizenship under the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution — the legal foundation for birthright citizenship. It is precisely this principle that President Donald Trump's executive order seeks to dismantle, aiming to deny citizenship to children born in the US to parents who are either undocumented or on temporary visas.

The Trump administration argues the policy is necessary to address what it calls "significant threats to national security and public safety." The US Supreme Court is expected to rule on the executive order within weeks, a decision that could redefine the very meaning of American citizenship.

Legal scholar Ilya Somin, a constitutional law professor at George Mason University and chair in constitutional studies at the Cato Institute, warns the ruling could create widespread uncertainty. "Trump's promises and guarantees often are not worth very much, but even if he were to stick to that resolution, a future administration might not," Somin said.

Somin nonetheless believes the Supreme Court — which holds a 6-3 conservative majority — is unlikely to side with the administration, pointing to scepticism expressed by the justices during oral arguments in April. When government lawyers argued that modern travel conditions justified reinterpreting the Constitution, Chief Justice John Roberts reportedly quipped: "It's a new world. It's the same constitution."

A player the US fought hard to win

Balogun's path to the US national team was far from straightforward. A product of Arsenal's youth academy, he was eligible to represent England or Nigeria before committing to the United States. For a significant period, he was central to Lee Carsley's England Under-21 plans, scoring seven goals in 13 appearances as the side prepared for the 2023 Under-21 European Championship.

It was a prolific loan spell at Reims — where his performances earned him a £35 million move to Monaco in France's Ligue 1 — that drew serious attention from US Soccer officials. A swell of public support from American fans, combined with what reportedly included NBA tickets, trips to Florida, and an invitation to watch New York Yankees training, helped tip the balance. Senior US internationals were also said to have taken him to dinner to make their case.

"When I committed, and throughout the whole cycle and the whole journey to me being at this point, I've always said the fans gave me so much motivation and showed me so much support," Balogun said ahead of the United States' second group game against Australia in Seattle on Friday. "I just want to continue to show the fans I made the right decision."

What Balogun means to US soccer

AC Milan midfielder Christian Pulisic, speaking after the Paraguay victory, was unequivocal about Balogun's value to the team. "The kid's insane," Pulisic said. "He's lethal right now in front of goal. Let's just hope it keeps going like this."

Former US men's national team player Kenny Cooper, now a club ambassador for FC Dallas, told the BBC he believes the team can go on a historic run with Balogun leading the line. "He's obviously a really special talent and he showed that with two exceptional goals," Cooper said. "He has been so impressive."

Tommy Marcos, the New York president of American Outlaws — the largest fan group for the United States — echoed that sentiment. "We haven't had that type of player — a top-five league striker that you can just put in there and know he's going to score," Marcos said. "We're lucky to have him."

In 10 of the previous 12 World Cup editions, six goals would have been sufficient to claim the Golden Boot. With two goals already from a single game, Balogun is a third of the way there — and a nation is beginning to rally around a new talisman.