“But very soon after I was born, we all moved back to London.”īalogun also acknowledged “London is my city, it’s where I grew up, where my friends are, and if people ask me where I’m from, I say I’m English. “My parents were on holiday there for a few months because we have family in New York,” he said. In the end it became a no-brainer,” he said in an interview published by the USSF.īalogun explained last year in an interview with the French league website how he came to be born in the U.S. “We decided it would be the right thing for me, to represent the country I was born in. Balogun is tied for fifth.īalogun, born in Brooklyn to Nigerian parents who were living in London, said the choice to play for the U.S. He was dueling with Kylian Mbappé to top the scoring charts for much of the season, although the Paris Saint-Germain star now leads with 26 goals. roots and we can’t wait for him to come in and be a part of the team.”īalogun has been in demand after a breakout season in France. interim coach Anthony Hudson said in a statement. “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,” U.S. He had also been eligible to play for Nigeria through family ties.īalogun confirmed the move in a video on his social media accounts using the slogans “I’m coming home” and “Let’s make history.” The 21-year-old Balogun, who has 19 goals in the French league this season while on loan at Reims from Arsenal, was born in New York and grew up in London. national team rather than England.įIFA said in a statement to The Associated Press on Tuesday that it approved a request to change Balogun’s national team affiliation from England, which he had represented at the under-21 level. GENEVA (AP) - Promising striker Folarin Balogun has opted to play for the U.S.
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