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.
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: the U.S. face Australia in Seattle on 19 June, and Balogun’s early form makes him undroppable up top.
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.