Monaco striker Folarin Balogun announced himself on the world stage on Friday night when he became the first United States men's national team player to score two goals in a World Cup match since the very first tournament in 1930.
But the 24-year-old has only been playing for the USMNT for three years, having switched international allegiance away from England, the country he was raised in.
So why did Balogun make the switch, and why did he choose the USMNT over Nigeria?
The background behind Balogun's switch
Balogun was born in Brooklyn, New York to Nigerian parents, but moved to the UK soon after and grew up in London, meaning that he was eligible to play for any of the three nations.
"Where the story came from that he was in America until he was 2, I'll never know," his mother Florence previously told ESPN. "I had him in July and by the end of August we were back in London."
She has travelled to New York while seven months pregnant. The airline refused to let her travel home so she gave birth to her son in the U.S.
"I don't believe things happened by luck," she said. "I think for me to have gone to America and for me to have had him there, it is just something that has really stuck with me. Even when he wasn't even thinking of making an international decision, I'd already made up my mind that he is going to play for America."
He joined the Arsenal academy at eight years old, and rose steadily through the ranks, becoming one of the most talked-about youth players in England.
During that time, he played for both England and the U.S. at youth level, particularly impressing for Lee Carsley's England under-21 side.
Across 13 appearances under Carsley, Balogun scored seven goals, including a run of six in five games in European under-21 Championship qualifying.
Nonetheless, the striker was unable to establish himself in the first team at Arsenal and, after a mixed loan spell at Middlesbrough, he went on loan to France looking to reignite his career.
He did exactly that with a successful loan spell at Reims, before moving to Monaco on a permanent deal where he has impressed ever since, scoring 13 goals in 30 Ligue 1 appearances last season.
In May 2023, three months before he joined Monaco, FIFA approved his change of allegiance to the United States.
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Since then, he has scored 11 goals in 28 appearances for the USMNT, including the brace against Paraguay.
"A real dream, it's a dreamy night," Balogun said after Friday's game. "I've not been able to take it all in. I'm sure when I get back to my hotel, I'm going to be able to be in the moment and experience how much of an amazing night this is."
The striker also reflected on the decision he made three years ago.
"When I committed, I've always said the fans gave me so much motivation, showed me so much support," he said. "For me, the most important thing has always been to repay that.
"I feel like today is a great opportunity, and I just want to continue to show the fans I made the right decision. I'm completely proud, and I want to continue to make the fans proud as well."
Why did Balogun choose to represent the U.S.?
Speaking to the US Soccer official website in 2023, Balogun said the choice to play for the U.S. was a "no-brainer," adding that he felt at "home."
"When I broke the news to my family they were all just over the moon, especially my mom," Balogun continued. "She said, 'What took you so long?'
"To represent the United States means a lot, more than people would know. I'm very proud and honoured to have this opportunity, and I want to give everything I have to make our team successful."
In 2023, England were well-stocked up front, with Harry Kane seemingly immovable and Ollie Watkins and Callum Wilson waiting in the wings.
Despite not qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Nigeria also boasted a lot of attacking talent in Victor Osimhen, Kelechi Iheanacho and Ahmed Musa.
The U.S., meanwhile, had Josh Sargent and Haji Wright as their most established strikers. That has meant that, right from the start, Balogun got plenty of minutes under Gregg Berhalter and now Mauricio Pochettino.
Having just written his name into USMNT folklore, that switch appears to have paid off.
"I visualized my debut in the World Cup scoring, but the reality did surpass that of scoring two goals," Balogun said after the win over Paraguay. "And the second goal was a fantastic goal as well."
Information from the Associated Press contributed to this report.