Folarin Balogun has officially announced that he will be playing for the USMNT at the senior level. The striker has represented England at various youth levels, but has decided to play for the USMNT.
He was born in Brooklyn in 2001, and is currently on loan at Reims from Arsenal. He is having a very productive spell in Ligue 1, and is one of the top scorers in the league, having scored 19 times in 34 games.
Folarin Balogun to play for the USMNT at the senior level
The 21-year-old had the option to represent England and Nigeria as well. But, he has officially decided to play for the country of his birth and will make his debut in the Concacaf Nations League Final Four from June 15-18, the first of which is against Mexico.
“We are delighted that Folarin has chosen to represent the United States,” said USMNT head coach Anthony Hudson. “Not only is he an extremely talented player, he’s also a good man who is going to add value to our National Team both on and off the field at a time when the team is continuing to improve.”
“My decision to represent the United States came together with my family. 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. To represent the United States means a lot, more than people would know.” said Folarin Balogun.