With plenty of speculation going around over the future of the 21-year-old forward, the latest development will come as a big boost to US soccer.
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Talented young forward Folarin Balogun has chosen to represent United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) over England. Balogun, who is on loan at Ligue 1 side Stade de Reims from Premier League giants Arsenal, was born in New York to Nigerian parents and raised in England. Over the last few months, this was a topic of interest for all parties concerned. With plenty of speculation going around over the future of the 21-year-old forward, the latest development will come as a big boost to US soccer.
It is to be noted that his one-time change of association request has been approved by FIFA. Therefore, Folarin Balogun is free to represent USMNT in the CONCACAF Nations League Finals in Las Vegas this summer. Later, Balogun said it was a “no-brainer” to choose the country where he was born. “My decision to represent the United States, it came together with my family. We decided it would be the right thing for me, to represent the country I was born in. In the end it became a no-brainer, but for sure, it’s just something I wanted to do and it feels like I’m at home here,” he told ussoccer.com.
Speaking about his family’s reaction to this decision, Balogun said, “When I broke the news to my family they were all just over the moon, especially my mom. She said, ‘What took you so long?’, so for sure we were all on the same page. Then after that conversation, I just sent the message across to my agent and said ‘Let’s make it happen.’ To represent the United States means a lot, more than people would know. I’m very proud and honored to have this opportunity, and I want to give everything I have to make our team successful.”
The next World Cup in 2026 will take place in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Balogun has a good chance of leading the USMNT on home soil if he continues his impressive form from this season. He has scored a commendable 20 goals in all competitions for Stade de Reims in this campaign, with 19 of those coming in Ligue 1. Talking about the next World Cup taking place in North America, Balogun said, “It’s almost too good to be true. To have the World Cup in America is just crazy and then to be the host nation and my first World Cup, it’s all come together nicely. Some things are just meant to be.”
At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, US Men’s National Team played some impressive football. Even though the USMNT were eliminated in the round of 16 stage by the Netherlands, they were able to take a lot of positives from their display. Speaking about what he thinks about the USMNT, Balogun said, “I think we all saw them at the World Cup. It’s a really young, energetic squad and for sure the potential of the squad is amazing, so definitely with me coming into it I think I can add my qualities and it will really come through in the next few years.”
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