Balogun’s brace for Monaco establishes U.S. record in UCL knockout stage.

United States forward Folarin Balogun took less than a minute to put Monaco ahead against Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League playoff on Tuesday.

Seventeen minutes later, Balogun found the net again, making history as the first U.S. player to score a brace in the knockout stages of the tournament.

Just 55 seconds into the match at Stade Louis II, Balogun directed a precise header from a left-sided cross by Aleksandr Golovin. He added his second with a composed finish from the edge of the penalty area.

The initial goal marked the quickest that Monaco has ever scored in the Champions League, while the second goal allowed Balogun to equal Christian Pulisic’s record for the most goals in a single UCL season with four. Pulisic achieved this feat while playing for AC Milan in the 2024-25 season.

Folarin Balogun now joins Christian Pulisic as the only U.S. internationals in a team from Europe’s top five leagues to reach 10 goals this season across all competitions.

PSG faced increased scrutiny leading into the match after suffering their sixth defeat of the season, which resulted in them losing their top position in Ligue 1. This prompted star striker Ousmane Dembélé to express concerns about his teammates’ mentality.

On Monday, PSG manager Luis Enrique addressed Dembélé’s remarks, who exited the match against Monaco with a suspected injury, stating that comments from players following disappointing performances were of no value.

The second leg is scheduled for next Wednesday at Parc des Princes, with the victor moving on to the last 16.

Last season, PSG triumphed over Brest with a 10-0 aggregate score in the playoffs.

Information from The Associated Press.