Folarin Balogun described scoring a brace in the win against Paraguay as 'a true dream'

Balogun scored twice in the first half, one of which was a superb curling finish into the top left corner of Paraguay's net, helping the co-hosts begin their tournament perfectly with a 4-1 victory.

"It was a true dream, you know? A dream, a dream-like night," he told reporters afterwards.

"I haven't been able to fully process it yet... I'm certain that when I return to my hotel and rest, I'll truly be able to appreciate the moment and understand just how incredible this night has been."

"Honestly, I'll probably just, you know, watch some Netflix."

Balogun was born in New York but relocated to England when he was just one month old and grew up in London. He has relatives in both countries, many of whom were present at the match.

"Too many, you know!" he joked, adding that he had been tasked with obtaining numerous tickets for family members on both sides of the Atlantic.

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

Balogun progressed through the Arsenal academy, representing both England and the United States at youth level.

He joined Reims on loan, where his career truly took off. Last season, Balogun was the top scorer for Monaco with 19 goals following a reported transfer fee of 40 million euros.

His debut season in France's Ligue 1 attracted interest from the United States, who were in need of a world-class striker. He was famously pursued by scouts, given the VIP treatment with visits to Florida and courtside seats at NBA games.

American football fans followed his every step before he formally changed his international allegiance to the United States in 2023.

"When I made my commitment, and throughout the entire process and journey to this point, I've always said the fans provided me with so much motivation and showed me tremendous support," he said on Friday.

"For me, the most important thing has always been to repay that, so I feel today is a great opportunity... I just want to keep showing the fans that I made the right choice."

Balogun's teammate Christian Pulisic said the United States team is "really fortunate to have him."

"The kid is incredible. He's deadly in front of goal right now... Let's just hope it continues like this."