US World Cup star Balogun would be denied citizenship under Trump plan

Folarin Balogun announced himself at the World Cup with two goals for co-hosts the United States as they beat Paraguay in their opening game. But the 24-year-old striker only represents the USA because of a quirk of his birth. And the irony is that the nation's prized striker is the type of person President Donald Trump says should not be eligible for citizenship under his hardline immigration agenda.

As Balogun prepares for their second group game against Australia in Seattle on Friday (20:00 BST), it comes against a backdrop of a World Cup already fraught with immigration and visa controversies. The US Supreme Court is due to rule on the president's executive order—and the fundamental meaning of citizenship—within weeks.

How Balogun became a US citizen

Balogun, 24, is a product of Arsenal's youth academy and could have pledged his allegiance to England or Nigeria. However, long before that, circumstances conspired to give him the opportunity to represent the US. Balogun's Nigerian parents were living in London when they took a trip to New York in the summer of 2001. The trip proved fateful. Balogun's mother was not allowed on the flight home when airline attendants realized she was heavily pregnant, and instead of being born in the English capital, he arrived into the world in Brooklyn, New York on 3 July 2001.

The controversial birthright citizenship row

Being born in Brooklyn meant Balogun was automatically granted US citizenship under the country's birthright citizenship laws—based on the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution. Trump's executive order seeks to deny citizenship to the children of people who are either in the US illegally or on temporary visas (such as tourist visas). Part of a broader effort to overhaul the nation's immigration system, the administration claims it is to combat what they have called "significant threats to national security and public safety."

Balogun's impact on the US team

There was no doubt who was the most dangerous asset in the US ranks against Paraguay last week. Speaking after the co-hosts made a dominant start, AC Milan midfielder Christian Pulisic said what everyone else was thinking—that the US were "really lucky" to have Balogun. "The kid's insane," he said. "He's lethal right now in front of goal. Let's just hope it keeps going like this."

Kenny Cooper—a former US men's national team player—believes the team, with Balogun as "a proven goalscorer at the highest level," can go on a historic run. "He's obviously a really special talent and he showed that with two exceptional goals," Cooper told the BBC. "He has been so impressive. I think there's just so much confidence that I'm sure the players have in him playing with them, and us, his fans, have in him."

Cooper is a club ambassador for FC Dallas, who have been hosting watch parties of the World Cup at the outdoor Simpson Plaza in Frisco, Texas, near the National Soccer Hall of Fame. More than 2,000 fans watched the Paraguay match. One of those was Tommy Marcos—the New York president of American Outlaws, the largest fan group for Team USA. He says supporters have been waiting decades for someone like Balogun, who plays for Monaco in France's Ligue 1. "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," he said. "That's pretty hard to do in the current football environment and we're lucky to have him."

Why Balogun switched allegiance from England

Until three years ago, there was no guarantee Balogun would end up playing for the United States. Having appeared for the US and England at Under-18 level, he was at the heart of Lee Carsley's England Under-21 plans—scoring seven goals in 13 appearances as they geared up for the 2023 Under-21 European Championship. But his performances on loan at Reims from Arsenal during a prolific 2022-23 campaign—which earned him a £35m move to Monaco—had US officials circling.