California. Folarin Balogun could have played for one of three countries. He chose the United States, and it paid off with a splashy World Cup debut on home soil.

The 24-year-old striker scored twice as the Americans opened with a 4-1 victory over Paraguay on Friday night before a rabid, star-studded sellout crowd of 70,492 at SoFi Stadium.

“I visualized my debut in the World Cup scoring, but the reality surpassed that,” Balogun said. “A very dreamy night.”

With retired England captain David Beckham looking on, Balogun became the first US player to score multiple goals in a World Cup match since 1930. Back then, Bert Patenaude scored all three goals in a 3-0 U.S. victory over Paraguay — the first hat trick in World Cup history.

“The kid’s insane,” teammate Christian Pulisic said. “He’s lethal right now. We’re really lucky to have him.”

Balogun was born in the New York City borough of Brooklyn to Nigerian parents. A month later, he moved to England, where he grew up in London. He joined Arsenal’s academy at age 8. He represented England at the youth level and also played for the US under-18 team.

England’s roster is traditionally filled with stars. Nigeria failed to qualify for this World Cup. Balogun, meanwhile, is turning himself into an American household name during this summer of soccer.

“Everyone will look at the goals,” Pulisic said, “but the way he’s fighting against these center backs, holding up the ball, getting fouls — I really like it.”

Balogun committed to the US three years ago.

“I’ve always said the fans gave me so much motivation and showed me so much support. The most important thing has always been to be able to repay that,” he said. “I just want to continue to show the fans I made the right decision.”

Among the crowd were Balogun’s relatives, with extended family watching around the US and in London.

“I was able to spot them in the crowd, but it was tough because so many fans were wearing red and white,” he said. “I had to sort a lot of tickets, but I’m happy to do it because this is a once-in-a-lifetime occasion and I want everyone to experience it.”

The US took a 1-0 lead on an own goal by Damian Bobadilla.

Balogun extended the lead to 2-0 after Pulisic played the ball into the box, setting up Balogun for the finish. It marked Pulisic’s 21st career assist, tying him for the fourth-most in US history.

Minutes earlier, Balogun nearly scored again, but the goal was disallowed for offside.

Undeterred, Balogun struck again just before halftime, curling the ball into the upper left corner for a 3-0 lead.

“I’ve not been able to take it all in,” he said.

Balogun planned to head back to the team hotel to rest.

“To be honest, I think I’ll just watch some Netflix,” he said with a smile.

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