Folarin Balogun has said the chance to be part of the U.S. men’s national team project, plus some encouragement from his family, helped him commit his international future to the United States.
Balogun officially chose the USMNT over England and Nigeria last month and on Thursday, he was named to a U.S. roster for the first time when he was included in a 24-man squad for the CONCACAF Nations League.
The 21-year-old has been in high demand after a 20-goal season with Reims while on loan from Arsenal, and his commitment is a huge coup for a USMNT squad that has not had a clear first-choice No. 9 in some time.
The U.S. will hope that Balogun could be the missing piece in a player pool that is already filled with young talent.
In an appearance on “Morning Footy” on Friday, Balogun said he felt the USMNT could become “something spectacular” in the lead-up to a home World Cup in 2026.
“I just really liked the project,” the striker said. “I really like where it could head. I think this is just the beginning for U.S. Soccer. I really think it’s going to become something spectacular in the near future.”
Balogun was born in New York to Nigerian parents and moved to England at a young age. The striker said that his family encouraged him to pick the U.S., a country to which he feels a strong connection.
“There were numerous conversations, this is something that went on for a while,” Balogun said of the process to decide his international future. “There were things that needed to happen before we could reach the stage [to announce a decision].
“My family was super, super encouraging. They really, really wanted me to represent the USA. When I made the final decision, we were just really looking forward to what the future holds.
“There were many reasons [I picked the U.S.] but specifically, it was the connection that I had whenever I went back to America. I’ve been to many different parts, but New York especially. There was just a sense of belonging.”
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