Sawt Falasteen - Net twice and chill: US star Balogun relaxed after brace

Balogun's two first-half goals, including a sumptuous finish curled into the very top left corner of the Paraguay goal, got the co-hosts off to an ideal start to the tournament with a 4-1 win.

"A real dream, you know? It's a dream, it's a dreamy night," he told reporters after.

"I've not been able to take it all in afterwards... I'm sure when I get back to my hotel and I rest, I'm sure I'm going to really be able to be in the moment and experience how much of an amazing night this is."

Asked what he will do to celebrate, he replied: "To be honest, I think I'll probably just, you know, watch some Netflix."

Balogun was born in New York but moved to England as a one-month-old and raised in London. He has family across both nations, many of who were in attendance.

"Too many, you know!" he joked, adding that he had been charged with procuring countless tickets for relatives on both sides of the pond.

"But I'm happy to do it, because this is a once-in-a-lifetime occasion," he said.

Balogun came up through the Arsenal academy ranks, representing both England and the United States in age-group teams.

He went on loan to Reims, where his career came to life. Last year Balogun top-scored for Monaco with 19 goals after a reported 40-million-euro transfer.

His first season in France's Ligue 1 sparked interest from the US, which lacked a world-class striker, and he was famously courted by scouts, receiving the red-carpet treatment with trips to Florida and NBA ringside tickets.

American soccer fans tracked his every move, before he formally switched allegiance to the US in 2023.

"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," he said Friday.

"For me the most important thing has always been to be able to repay that, so I feel like today's a great opportunity... I just want to continue to show the fans I made the right decision."

Balogun's teammate Christian Pulisic said the US side is "really lucky to have him."

"The kid's insane. He's lethal right now in front of goal... Let's just hope it keeps going like this."

E.AbuRizq--SF-PST