World Cup hero rejected England after his mother was banned from flying back to UK

Folarin Balogun has become the early face of the 2026 World Cup, having netted twice for the United States during their win over Paraguay. The striker tucked home two stylish finishes and even had another goal ruled out for offside.

He’s part of the US side hoping to capitalise on the home support and go deep into the tournament. And Mauricio Pochettino’s men have every chance of doing just that if Balogun can continue his early form in front of goal.

However, if it wasn’t for a bizarre twist of fate, the Monaco forward might’ve been lining up for Thomas Tuchel’s England side instead. That’s because even though Balogun was born to Nigerian parents, his mum and dad lived in England, and the striker was even brought up on these shores. He played for England's under-21 team and even scored seven goals, but chose to represent the USMNT at senior level instead.

That's because Balogun himself was actually born in New York after a strange set of circumstances meant his mum was banned from returning to the UK, at least temporarily. When she was pregnant with Balogun, mum Florence travelled to the United States to visit her sister, who lived in the Big Apple.

Upon trying to return home from the holiday, by this point seven months pregnant, an airport worker said she wouldn’t be able to fly because her baby bump was too big. This was back in the days before email and text messaging had properly taken off, meaning without a doctor’s note, Florence wasn’t allowed to board the flight.

As such, she was forced to return to New York and gave birth to Balogun in Brooklyn. It means Balogun, who had no previous ties to the States, was eligible for American citizenship, and by extension a sport in the USMNT squad.

Mum Florence explained the situation to ESPN in 2023, saying: "I don't believe things happened by luck. I think for me to have gone to America and for me to have had him there, it is just something that has really stuck with me.

Albania U21 v England U21 - UEFA European Under-21 Championship Qualifier

Folarin Balogun played for England's youth teams (Image: Getty)

“Even when he wasn't even thinking of making an international decision, I'd already made up my mind that he is going to play for America."

It certainly takes the concept of ‘everything happens for a reason’ to the next level, with Balogun having spoken after his brace against Paraguay. He said: "A real dream, it's a dreamy night. I've not been able to take it all in. I'm sure when I get back to my hotel, I'm going to be able to be in the moment and experience how much of an amazing night this is.

"When I committed, I've always said the fans gave me so much motivation, showed me so much support. For me, the most important thing has always been to repay that.

"I feel like today is a great opportunity, and I just want to continue to show the fans I made the right decision. I'm completely proud, and I want to continue to make the fans proud as well."

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