Deciding to represent the country of his birth over the nation where he was raised, Folarin Balogun has opened up on what led him to choose USMNT over England.
Folarin Balogun made a bit of a name for himself at the 2026 World Cup, scoring three goals for the USMNT up until the Round of 16 exit.
It was his red card during the USMNT’s 2-0 victory against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32 that caused controversy right across the globe, as Donald Trump somehow managed to get it overturned after contacting FIFA ahead of the clash with Belgium.
But Balogun has been very respectful and classy amidst all the conflict.
“My initial reaction was that I was happy to be back in the team.
“But when I kind of started to reflect, I knew it was going to cause a lot of controversy. I could almost see within my teammates a bit of nerves because it’s something that is so unique.”
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Folarin Balogun defends his USMNT decision
Speaking on the Today Show, striker Folarin Balogun claimed it was an easy decision to snub England for the United States, putting it down to the culture, passion and ambition of the USMNT.
A presenter asked: “You were born here, grew up in London. You could have played for Nigeria because of parents’ ancestry. Of the three countries, you chose the U.S., why?”
Balogun responded: “It’s a no-brainer. You know, the culture, the passion, the ambition, it really resonates with me. And I think it’s a decision that I’m very, very proud of. I think you saw in the World Cup that it was definitely the right decision.”
It’s highly unlikely that Balogun would have made it into England‘s 26-man squad for the World Cup, given the seasons that Ollie Watkins, Harry Kane and Ivan Toney had.
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