Folarin Balogun is the striker the United States will count on to finish their chances at a home World Cup in 2026. A New York-born, London-raised forward who came through Arsenal before choosing the USMNT, Balogun has the pedigree and the scoring record to be the team’s first-choice No. 9.
From Arsenal’s academy to Monaco
Balogun developed at Arsenal and earned early loan experience at Middlesbrough, but his career took off on loan at Reims, where he scored 22 goals in a single Ligue 1 season. That form earned a permanent move to AS Monaco in 2023, the same year he committed his international future to the United States, and he has continued to score at a strong rate in one of Europe’s top five leagues. The table below covers his main goalscoring spells in our database.
| Club | Apps | Minutes | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reims (loan) | 37 | 3,443 | 22 | 3 |
| Monaco | 87 | 5,458 | 29 | 9 |
What the numbers say
Balogun is a penalty-box striker who lives on the shoulder of the last defender. At Monaco he has scored 29 goals and converted 20 big chances, getting 444 touches inside the opposition box, the profile of a forward whose game is built around getting into scoring positions rather than dropping deep to link play.
His breakout Reims season showed the same trait, with 22 goals from a steady stream of close-range chances. He is quick, runs the channels, and finishes with either foot, which is exactly the kind of focal point a possession-heavy U.S. side needs against teams that sit deep.
Folarin Balogun and the USMNT
For the United States, Balogun gives the attack a true center-forward. He stretches defenses and finishes the chances created by the talent around him, including talisman Christian Pulisic. Under head coach Mauricio Pochettino, whose front-foot system generates plenty of shooting opportunities, a clinical No. 9 is exactly what the team has lacked at times.
What to expect at World Cup 2026
Leading the line for the hosts is a huge platform, and Balogun’s ability to convert will go a long way to deciding how far the U.S. go. For the bigger picture, see our World Cup 2026 hub, the full USMNT roster, and the latest World Cup 2026 winner odds. You can read more about his national-team role at U.S. Soccer.
Balogun’s role vs Paraguay
Balogun led the line as the lone striker in the 4-2-3-1, with McKennie just behind him for support. Playing as the focal point, he made his chances count, taking five shots and scoring twice from ten touches in the Paraguay box to settle the game early. It was the perfect audition for the central role he will need to own if the United States are to go deep on home soil.
USA 4-1 Paraguay: Folarin Balogun’s World Cup opener
Balogun could not have asked for a better start to a home World Cup. He led the line as the United States routed Paraguay 4-1 at SoFi Stadium and scored twice, taking his chances clinically from five shots on the night.
It was exactly the center-forward display the U.S. have been craving, and it announced Balogun as a genuine difference-maker on the biggest stage rather than just a promising option.
| vs Paraguay | Stat |
|---|---|
| Minutes | 72 |
| Goals | 2 |
| Shots | 5 |
| Duels won | 5 |
What is next: with the group stage done, Balogun’s early form makes him a key man as the U.S. push on through the knockout rounds.
Folarin Balogun by the advanced numbers
Balogun’s expected-goals profile marks him out as an efficient finisher. His 29 Monaco goals came from an xG of 23.05, a clear overperformance, and they arrived at a rate of 0.48 per 90. He is a pure box striker: 192 of his 206 Monaco shots were taken inside the area, 86 of his efforts hit the target, and he is comfortable in one-on-ones, facing the goalkeeper alone 11 times.
The finishing splits show a right-footed striker who can punish on the break. Twenty-one of his 29 Monaco goals came off his right foot, and three were scored on fast breaks, with another three converted from the penalty spot. His breakout Reims loan was built on the same overperformance, 22 goals against 17.5 xG, the sign of a forward who consistently beats his underlying numbers.
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Folarin Balogun in the USA’s run to the last 16
Balogun opened the scoring in the USA’s 2-0 Round of 32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, striking on 45 minutes before being replaced after 64 minutes, with Malik Tillman adding the second. In the group stage he led the line in the 2-0 win over Australia with a game-high six touches in the box, before being rested for the dead-rubber loss to Turkey. The USA reached the last 16, but their home World Cup ended there with a 4-1 defeat to Belgium, Balogun leading the line and threatening with three shots.
Folarin Balogun is an American striker for AS Monaco and the USMNT’s first-choice center-forward. Born in New York and raised in London, he came through Arsenal’s academy before committing to the United States in 2023.
He came through Arsenal, had loan spells at Middlesbrough and Reims, and now plays for AS Monaco in France’s Ligue 1.
Our database logs 29 goals in 87 games for Monaco and 22 goals in a single breakout loan season at Reims, the year that made his name.
Balogun is the USMNT’s leading No. 9 option and is expected to lead the line at the 2026 World Cup, though the final selection rests with head coach Mauricio Pochettino.