Reborn in the USA: Folarin Balogun and the joy of the global football

Folarin Balogun, scorer of two goals on his World Cup debut, was born in Brooklyn to Nigerian parents after his pregnant mother, visiting her sister in America, was reportedly advised against flying back to Britain, where she lived at that time. In the more extreme corners of the MAGA universe, that would make Balogun an “anchor baby” – born to someone visiting the US. On Thursday night, he was simply called “Man of the Match” the undisputed hero of a squad that perfectly represents the beautiful, messy, borderless reality of modern soccer.