News Focus
- Folarin Balogun scores twice in USA’s 4-1 World Cup victory over Paraguay
- The striker switched international allegiance from England U21s to USA in 2023
- He left Arsenal for AS Monaco in a £35m transfer after a successful loan in France
- The 24-year-old enters the tournament at the peak of his goal-scoring form
Folarin Balogun has become the main star for the host nation at the World Cup. The 24-year-old centre-forward scored twice in a strong 4-1 win against Paraguay in Los Angeles.
Balogun’s journey to the global stage started with a lucky chance. He was born in New York because his Nigerian parents were stuck there during a holiday. His mother was too pregnant to fly back to London. This meant he could play for the USA.
He grew up in England and joined the Arsenal academy. He trained with top players like Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe. However, he found it hard to get into the first team. The club sent him on loan to Reims in France. There, he scored 21 goals in 37 matches.
This success made AS Monaco pay £35 million for him in 2023. The move gave him regular games in Ligue 1. He now plays his club football in France.
A bigger change came in May 2023. Balogun had played for England’s youth teams. But he chose to play for the USA as a senior. He flew to Orlando and met officials. Soon after, he scored his first goal for the Stars and Stripes in a final against Canada.
His recent form has been excellent. After injury problems earlier in the season, he scored 11 goals in 14 matches for Monaco. This included goals against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. He also scored in a warm-up match against Senegal.
Against Paraguay, he showed his skill with both feet. The boy from New York, raised in London, and now playing in France is the new face of American football. He works with coach Mauricio Pochettino. Together with Christian Pulisic, Balogun gives the hosts real hope of success in the tournament.