The Anglo-American player of Nigerian origin has made the decision to represent the United States, his country of birth. His scoring skills make him a major asset for the United States, co-organizers of the next World Cup.
After several months of uncertainty, Folarin Balogun has finally decided on his international future. The 21-year-old striker will now play for the American national team, as announced by the American football federation on May 16, 2023.
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“The decision was made in consultation with my family. We concluded that it would be good for me to represent the country where I was born”, said the player on social networks. He added that this decision was a no-brainer, although the process was not without difficulty.
A pragmatic choice
Born in New York to Nigerian parents, Balogun had several options to play at the highest international level. He aroused the interest of both the United States and England, his adopted country. Moreover, he also had the opportunity to represent Nigeria.
Having played in the past with the England Under-18 and Under-21 teams, the player, who scored 20 goals in 35 games for his club this season, could have claimed a place in the team. senior national. However, despite his esteem for Balogun, England manager Gareth Southgate was not inclined to offer him the opportunity.
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“Is he ready to wait a bit to seize an opportunity and make his way into our team?”wondered Southgate last March.
A decisive factor
England have a wide range of forwards such as Harry Kane, Tammy Abraham and Callum Wilson. That’s not the case for the United States, whose shortcomings in attack were on full display at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Under their former coach Gregg Berhalter, USA have scored just three goals in four games in the competition. A record that does not reflect the overall quality of this young team, often described as “golden generation” by many observers.
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With Folarin Balogun, currently the fourth best scorer in the French championship, the Americans have an agile attacker, skilful with both feet and particularly skilful in the opposing penalty area. Enough to compete with other North American teams and offer better prospects to the American national team for the 2026 World Cup.
2023-05-29 14:49:29
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