Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- One of soccer's most curious eligibility cases involves a Folarin Balogun who could define US hopes this summer.
- Balogun's spans three nations and a FIFA-approved switch that reshaped both his trajectory and his country's attacking outlook.
- His decision now sits at the heart of a potential breakthrough for a program looking to make history on home soil.
For those new to soccer, FIFA's international eligibility rules can be tough to get your head around. Put succinctly, players can represent the nation in which they themselves, their parents or grandparents have been born in, or if they have lived continuously for at least five years in that country.
Well, after failing to qualify for the 2018 edition, a key aspect of Gregg Berhalter's tenure in charge of the United States was recruiting dual-nationals. Many key members of Mauricio Pochettino's 2026 World Cup squad chose the U.S. rather than other nations.
Selected dual-national USMNT World Cup 2026 squad members
- Sergiño Dest - Netherlands
- Antonee Robinson - England
- Malik Tillman - Germany
- Gio Reyna - England
- Álex Zendejas - Mexico
- Christian Pulisic - Croatia
- Tim Weah - France, Jamaica and Liberia
- Ricardo Pepi - Mexico
- Folarin Balogun - England and Nigeria
Of this list, the recruit Team USA fans were most excited about was Folarin Balogun and rightly so. Born in New York City in July 2001, his parent, of Nigerian dissent, moved to the United Kingdom just a month later. Balogun was raised in London, joining Arsenal's academy at the age of eight, on the Gunners' book for 15 years.
After an outstanding season on loan at Stade de Reims, scoring 22 goals, he was sold to fellow Ligue 1 side Monaco for €30 million in the summer of 2023. He has racked up 31 goals in 91 outings for les Monégasques, of which 19 came this year, his best return since arriving in the Principality.
His form in France led to much discussion around his international future. The striker represented England at youth level 28 times, but also played for the U.S. under-18s four times. During the March 2023 window, Balogun posted a cryptic Instagram post that internet detectives worked out was taken in Orlando, where the U.S. were facing El Salvador that week. A month later, Balogun's one-time switch to the USA was approved by FIFA, making his debut in June's CONCACAF Nations League finals where he opened the scoring during the final victory over Canada at Allegiant Stadium.
Perhaps, Balogun always wanted to represent the United States but, cynically, it was the best decision for his career. Harry Kane's presence meant that pursuing a successful England career was always likely to be a fruitless exercise. Meantime, Nigeria's talisman is Victor Osimhen, while African national teams are often a lot more unpredictable than others, with the Super Eagles failing to qualify for this year's World Cup, despite the massive amount of talent in their ranks.
As a U.S. player, Balogun has the opportunity to become the poster boy for the World Cup co-hosts. His winner against Senegal at Bank of America Stadium a fortnight ago took his tally to nine for the Stars and Stripes. The vast majority of these have come in friendlies, as well as two during the Copa América, but goals scored at a World Cup would be substantially more noteworthy.
Compared to four years ago in Qatar, the United States now have a top-class centre-forward. Josh Sargent, Haji Wright and Jesús Ferreira all started a game as a striker during that World Cup, none of whom boast the quality that Balogun possesses. Thus, Pochettino is lucky to have him, and he could be the difference between a disappointing campaign and an historic success for the USA.
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