Balogun’s 2 World Cup goals spotlight US birthright fight
Why it matters: The striker’s eligibility rests on the 14th Amendment as the Supreme Court weighs Trump’s order within weeks.
Folarin Balogun’s two-goal start for the United States at the World Cup has put an unexpected spotlight on the country’s fight over birthright citizenship. Balogun, 24, was born in Brooklyn in 2001 after his Nigerian parents, who were living in London, were unable to fly home before his birth. That made him a US citizen under the 14th Amendment and eligible to play for the Americans rather than England or Nigeria. The debate has sharpened as President Donald Trump pushes an executive order that would deny citizenship to some children born in the US, with the Supreme Court expected to rule within weeks. The United States next plays Australia in Seattle.