A kid born in Brooklyn, raised in London, developed at Arsenal, and now starring in Monaco is about to do something no amount of passport shuffling could guarantee: play in a World Cup on home soil.
Folarin Balogun, the 24-year-old striker who switched his international allegiance to the United States in 2023, is set to feature in the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the USMNT prepares for its opening match against Paraguay. For a player whose career has been defined by choices, picking the right national team at the right time might be the best decision he ever made.
The long road to this moment
Born on July 3, 2001, in Brooklyn, he moved to England as a child and climbed through Arsenal’s vaunted academy system. He was eligible to represent England, Nigeria, and the United States at the international level.
He chose the Stars and Stripes in May 2023. The timing was not coincidental.
