He netted twice on his World Cup debut but US striker Folarin Balogun is not about to celebrate wildly, telling reporters Friday he plans to finish his epic night by curling up in front of Netflix.

Balogun’s two first-half goals, including a sumptuous finish curled into the very top left corner of the Paraguay goal, got the co-hosts off to an ideal start to the tournament with a 4-1 win.

“A real dream, you know? It’s a dream, it’s a dreamy night,” he told reporters after.

“I’ve not been able to take it all in afterwards… I’m sure when I get back to my hotel and I rest, I’m sure I’m going to really be able to be in the moment and experience how much of an amazing night this is.”

Asked what he will do to celebrate, he replied: “To be honest, I think I’ll probably just, you know, watch some Netflix.”

US forward #20 Folarin Balogun celebrates with teammates after scoring his team’s third goal during the 2026 World Cup Group D football match between USA and Paraguay at the Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood on June 12, 2026. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP)

Folarin Balogun #20 of the United States celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between USA and Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium on June 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Balogun was born in New York but moved to England as a one-month-old and raised in London. He has family across both nations, many of who were in attendance.

“Too many, you know!” he joked, adding that he had been charged with procuring countless tickets for relatives on both sides of the pond.

“But I’m happy to do it, because this is a once-in-a-lifetime occasion,” he said.

Balogun came up through the Arsenal academy ranks, representing both England and the United States in age-group teams.

He went on loan to Reims, where his career came to life. Last year Balogun top-scored for Monaco with 19 goals after a reported 40-million-euro transfer.

His first season in France’s Ligue 1 sparked interest from the US, which lacked a world-class striker, and he was famously courted by scouts, receiving the red-carpet treatment with trips to Florida and NBA ringside tickets.

American football fans tracked his every move, before he formally switched allegiance to the US in 2023.

Folarin Balogun #20 of the United States celebrates scoring his team’s second goal with team mates during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between USA and Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium on June 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

“When I committed, and throughout the whole cycle, and the whole journey to me being at this point, I’ve always said the fans gave me so much motivation and showed me so much support,” he said Friday.

“For me the most important thing has always been to be able to repay that, so I feel like today’s a great opportunity… I just want to continue to show the fans I made the right decision.”