Folarin Balogun Dumps England For USMNT After FIFA Approval

Folarin Balogun of Arsenal can now play for the United States Men’s National Team after dumping England as approved by FIFA.

Balogun, 21, who is currently on loan to French side Reims, is a Nigerian born in the US but was raised in England.

Balogun previously played for England Under-21s but he withdrew from the squad in March due to an injury.

The on-loan Arsenal forward will not feature in the upcoming European Under-21 Championship.

Following the development, a FIFA spokesperson confirmed saying; “The change of association of the player Folarin Jolaoluwa Balogun from England to the USA has been approved.”

The Englishman has been in fine form for Reims this season, scoring 19 Ligue 1 goals in 34 appearances for the French side.

Balogun said the decision was a “no-brainer” and he feels at “home” as he spoke to US Soccer’s official website.

Folarin Balogun continued: “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?’

“To represent the United States means a lot, more than people would know. I’m very proud and honoured to have this opportunity, and I want to give everything I have to make our team successful.”

The forward had previously said he would be open to representing Nigeria but has decided to play for the United States.

Folarin Balogun

Folarin Jolaoluwa Balogun is an American football player who was born on July 3, 2001 and plays as a striker for Reims, on loan from Premier League club Arsenal.

The Nigerian star was born in New York City and emigrated to England when he was two years old, and subsequently grew up in London.

Balogun’s parents were born in Nigeria and he is often referred to by his nickname of ‘Flo’, coined for him in his years at Arsenal’s Hale End academy.

The youngster had previously represented United States and England at youth level before permanently declaring allegiance to the United States at senior level in 2023.

How Good Is Balogun?

Balogun has shown pace, technique, and the ability to play two-footed.

He has also been compared to Ian Wright by Martin Keown due to his pace and intelligent movement on the pitch.

Balogun said he took inspiration from Edinson Cavani and Robert Lewandowski in his first interview for Middlesbrough.

Folarin Balogun was featured in Amazon Original sports docuseries All or Nothing: Arsenal.

The documentary showed the behind the scenes of the team’s activities on and off the field throughout their 2021–22 season.