The U.S. Can Thank Birthright Citizenship for Its Best World Cup Player

Birthright citizenship is at the center of this World Cup narrative about U.S. striker Folarin Balogun and how his eligibility helped shape his path to the tournament. Balogun, who grew up in the U.K. and joined the U.S. team only three years ago, entered the World Cup cycle after the U.S. won a recruiting battle over England and Nigeria, where his parents are from. He has been in the United States for nearly a month, including a training camp and tune-up matches, before playing group-stage games. After the U.S. finished group play against Turkey, the team moves to the round of 32, most likely against Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 1 in Santa Clara, California. Born in July 2001 in Brooklyn after his mother Florence couldn’t fly due to pregnancy, Balogun earned player-of-the-match honors in both group wins.