Folarin Balogun played for another international team before choosing Team USA - why he made the switch

Folarin Balogun announced himself on the biggest stage in international soccer with a historic performance for the USMNT at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The 24-year-old forward scored twice in the first half against Paraguay on June 12, helping the United States men's national soccer team race to a 3-0 halftime lead in its tournament opener. The brace also put Balogun into the history books, making him the first USMNT player since Bert Patenaude in 1930 to score two goals in a World Cup match, coincidentally, also against Paraguay.

Balogun’s starring role has once again raised a question many soccer fans have asked since his international switch: Why did Folarin Balogun choose to wear the Stars and Stripes instead of choosing another two countries he is eligible for? Part of the answer is he represented another country at the youth level.

Why did Folarin Balogun choose USA?

Born in Brooklyn, New York, to Nigerian parents of Yoruba heritage, Balogun moved to London with his family when he was just one month old and was raised in England. That unique background made him eligible to represent three countries, the United States, England, and Nigeria.

After representing England at the under-17, under-18, under-20, and under-21 levels, and making four appearances for the United States' U-18 side in 2018, Balogun made the official one-time switch to the US men's national team in 2023.

Speaking about the decision, Balogun said it was one he made together with his family. "My decision to represent the United States, it came together with my family," he told the USMNT site in a 2023 interview. "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 also revealed that his family fully supported the move, especially his mother. "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.’"

From Arsenal academy to USMNT star

Balogun joined Arsenal's academy at the age of eight after being spotted playing for Sunday League side Aldersbrook. He signed his first professional contract at 18 and made his senior debut for the Gunners in 2020 before appearing in the Premier League the following year.

Loan spells at Middlesbrough and French side Reims helped accelerate his development, with the striker scoring 21 league goals during the 2022-23 campaign in Ligue 1.