He will have the honor of playing in a World Cup at home! With the global event taking place in North America from June 11 to July 19, Folarin Balogun will be there as he has just been logically selected by Mauricio Pochettino to represent the United States, one of the three host countries of the competition along with Mexico and Canada.
This is a huge opportunity, and there's an immense sense of pride. I'm really looking forward to representing America on home soil and making the country proud. This is the biggest sporting event in the world. There will be millions, maybe even billions, of viewers, so it's a great opportunity for me to showcase my talent. I'm very excited!
Folarin Balogun, on his call-up
An exceptional 2026 📊
It's an unsurprising call-up for the Rouge et Blanc striker, who has scored 19 goals in all competitions and had an exceptional last three months. The Monaco number 9 has indeed found the net nine times in the league since the week of February 16th, including at least once in eight consecutive matches – a record for a Monaco player since Rony Lopes in 2018 – thus positioning himself as one of the top scorers in the Big 5 leagues during this period.
Help the USMNT shine at home 🏟️
In great form, "Balo," who has already contributed 12 goals for his national team (8 goals, 4 assists), will try to maintain his momentum and shine in the biggest competition of all, helping the United States go as far as possible on home soil. But to do so, they must first advance from a balanced group consisting of Paraguay, Australia, and Turkey. Then, they'll try to improve on their 2022 performance, when Team USA was eliminated in the Round of 16 by the Netherlands. Congratulations Folarin and good luck! 🇺🇸
