On May 17, 2023, U.S.-born forward Folarin Balogun was officially approved to represent the U.S. Men’s National Team after applying to FIFA for a one-time change of association.
The highly-sought after striker is now expected to be named to the roster for the Concacaf Nations League Final Four and could make his international debut for the USMNT in the semifinal against Mexico on June 15 in Las Vegas.
Here are five things to know about the man they call, “Flo”…
Origin Story
Born in New York to Nigerian parents who lived in England, Folarin Balogun was eligible to represent all three countries internationally.
Balogun came into the world on July 3, 2001, while his parents were visiting family in Brooklyn, which granted him birthright U.S. citizenship. Not long after he was born, the family moved back to London where, fortuitously, he began playing soccer with Aldersbrook in the city’s northeast.
Flo’s first big step forward in the game came at age 10 when he represented the club at an all-day tournament.
“We qualified for the final and I was having a very good tournament, playing well and scoring goals,” he told Ligue1.com last year. “While we were warming up before the final, I realized that someone was talking to my father on the sidelines. A man I had never seen before. Afterwards, I scored and we won the final 1-0. I was very happy. On the way back to the car, I was clearing the dirt off my boots when my dad handed me a business card from the man who had come to talk to him earlier, an Arsenal scout who was offering us a trial the following week."
