Social media sleuths can achieve special things, and it was American soccer’s ability to sleuth that kickstarted the USMNT career of a player that, on Friday, etched his place in World Cup history.
In the spring of 2023, the USMNT needed a striker capable of seizing the No. 9 position, and as he continued to break out while on loan at French side Reims, Balogun looked like he could be that guy. Born in New York, the striker had been raised in London, playing in the Arsenal academy while also representing the U.S. and England on the international level. Months before, he’d flirted with the idea of representing Nigeria, too.
That spring, though, social media took over. Fans flooded Balogun’s Instagram comments with eagles and flags. Every post became a recruiting pitch, one designed to show him just how much American soccer cared. Then, suddenly, all of those emojis had their payoff. After Balogun turned down an invite to an England youth camp, he posted a photo from his “holiday,” and eagle-eyed fans quickly found a clue hiding in the background. The search led them to a bar in Orlando, where, quite conveniently, the U.S. were training at the time.
Even with the covert op someone exposed, the USMNT’s top stars were able to sneak Balogun out for a dinner that doubled as a recruiting pitch. He remembers it well.
“That was the first time actually meeting Weston, CP, a lot of the boys were there,” Balogun said in Atlanta last month. “I think Weston’s character was just intense. It was cool. They made me feel welcome. (Weston was) intense in a good way, though. I’m just more reserved.”
A few weeks later, Balogun stunned everyone. In what was supposed to be a routine check-in with U.S. Soccer, Balogun and his agent informed leadership that he was ready to commit immediately. He didn’t have to, and there was certainly a real argument for Balogun to try and hold out for an England call. He didn’t want it; he wanted to start immediately as a member of the USMNT, and he wanted to be there for every moment he could
“I think, in life, the most important thing is to have control over your surroundings, over your decisions and over the way you live,” he told GOAL last fall. “I would always rather be in a position where I make a choice than have a choice be made for me. At that time in my life, I wanted to make a choice, and I wanted to make a definitive choice because that put my own mind to rest as well. I didn’t want a saga. I didn’t want it to be ‘Will he or won’t he?'”
On Friday night, Balogun was asked to be introspective about that decision. He was asked if he’s thought about it or about that road that brought him to Los Angeles for his World Cup debut. He did think about it, he said. He also thought back to the feelings he had when he first arrived for that trip in Orlando, admitting that he hopes he was able to pass some of those feelings forward.
“When I committed, and throughout the whole cycle and the whole journey to me being in this point, I’ve always said that the fans gave me so much motivation,” he said. “They showed me so much support. For me, the most important thing has always been to be able to repay that. I feel like today’s a great opportunity, and I just want to continue to show the fans that I made the right decision. I’m completely proud, and I want to continue to make the fans proud as well.”
He did that and more against Paraguay with the perfect World Cup debut.
