On This Day in 2023, After Months of Speculation, FIFA approved Balogun's Application for a Switch to Represent the United States National Team
From rumors to ‘open dialogue’ to being spotted in Orlando through an Instagram post to filing the one-time switch, the saga of Folarin Balogun committing his future to the United States men’s national team was full of twists and turns. It concluded when FIFA approved the application. The striker was now an American international.
Born in the United States and raised in England to Nigerian parents, Balogun was eligible to represent any of the three nations. His international career began when he represented England at the 2018 European U17 Championship, where the British were eliminated in the semifinals on penalties by the Netherlands—Balogun missed a penalty in the shootout. A few months later, Balogun accepted a call-up from the US U18 team for the Václav Ježek Youth Tournament in the Czech Republic, where he scored twice as the Americans won the tournament.
Balogun returned to representing England at the U18, U20, and U21 levels from 2019 to 2022. His last contribution for England was helping lead the U21 team to UEFA European qualification by scoring six goals in qualifying, the most in Group G.
Balogun started hot in the 2022-23 club season. Arsenal loaned him to Stade Reims in Ligue 1, and he came out of the gates strong, scoring five goals in the first six matches in the league. The striker finished with 10 goals before the new year, and the rumors of the tri-national making an international decision would come sooner rather than later.
On March 15, interim US manager Anthony Hudson said, “With Flo, all I'll say is that there is open dialogue with him and his team, and that dialogue is continuing. That's all I can say on that one.” On March 19, he scored his 17th goal of the season in a 2-1 defeat against Marseille. With the international break ahead, the US would travel to Grenada for a CONCACAF Nations League group stage match on March 23, then host El Salvador in Orlando on March 27 for the final group match. On March 22, Balogun posted an Instagram picture of himself with a buddy outside a car. Then, Twitter went to work.
Within hours, it was discovered that Balogun was stateside in Orlando, where the USMNT would be training. Speculation of Balogun committing to the USA was at an all-time high. The next day, while the US was in Grenada, Balogun posted another picture of himself training with the caption “the heat! 😮💨”, further speculating that he was in Florida. By the evening, he attended the Orlando Magic's 111-106 victory over the New York Knicks. Balogun being in Orlando while the USMNT was there was a coincidence, but Hudson reached out to invite the uncommitted striker to dinner.
“I was with my agent as well, so the timing was good,” Balogun told The Athletic on June 9. “We spoke about a lot of things, and he just explained the vision for U.S. Soccer. In the end, we had a discussion, I went back home, I still had some time to obviously think and take in what he was saying, and then I came to my conclusion.”
The US would beat Grenada and El Salvador during the window, cementing their spot in the Nations League Finals in June. Balogun returned to France and picked up right where he left off, assisting in the first match since the break — a 3-0 win over Nantes. That would be followed by his 18th goal of the season, a 90th-minute equalizer from the spot in a 1-1 draw with Stade Brestois on April 9. Balogun would be held without a goal for his next four matches before scoring in a 2-1 defeat to Lens on May 12. Four days later, on May 16, FIFA approved his application.
Balogun to the US was confirmed. Next up on the calendar was the Nations League Finals, where Balogun could/would make his debut in the semifinals against Mexico.
“Luckily for me, my first time is going to be in a competitive tournament, so of course, the ambition is to win, and there's not really much to it,” Balogun said. “I think I'm going to have the opportunity to train with the boys and just get to know everyone, but for sure, straight down to business when we head over to Vegas.”
But first, Balogun needed to complete his club season, where he scored in two of the final three matches to finish with 21 goals — fourth among Ligue 1 top-goalscorers, behind Kylian Mbappe, Alexandre Lacazette and Jonathan David. That final goal came in a 3-1 defeat to Montpellier on the final day of the season on June 3, and Reims finished 11th in Ligue 1.
Balogun arrived in Las Vegas three days later for training ahead of the June 15 matchup with Mexico. The striker would debut against the neighbors to the south, and though he didn’t have a goal involvement in the 3-0 win, he was at the center of the biggest scuffle. Cesar Montes chopped Balogun down in the 63rd minute and was shown a red card for his troubles. But not before half of the US team came to Balogun’s defense, leading to the scuffle that gave us the iconic image of Weston McKennie kissing the crest on the torn kit.
Balogun started the final against Canada and doubled the American lead when Gio Reyna played the striker a nicely weighted pass, which was buried past Milan Borjan. The US would win its second Nations League trophy with a 2-0 victory. On Aug 30, Monaco signed Balogun to a five-year deal for a reported £35 million, starting a new chapter in France after his breakout season for Reims.