Balogun Celebrates Dream Come True After Scoring Two Goals Against Paraguay in the 2026 World Cup

USA striker Folarin Balogun said that his brace in the 4‑1 opening‑day win over Paraguay at the 2026 World Cup was a dream come true.

Balogun scored both goals in the first half, helping the USMNT dominate Paraguay in their Group D opener.

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The Monaco forward’s performance made history, becoming the first American to score twice in a World Cup match since the tournament’s inaugural edition in 1930.

In a chat with FIFA.com, Balogun explained that playing on the world stage and proving to fans that he made the right decision in committing to the United States fulfilled a lifelong ambition.

“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,” the Monaco forward told FIFA.

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“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.”

“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,” added Balogun, who was named the Michelob Ultra Superior Player of the Match.