Folarin Balogun
Ranking
Grades
Key Grades
This season
Overall Grades by game
This season
Matches
News
Nets brace, off with muscle injury
Balogun recorded two goals on five shots before exiting the field in the 72nd due to an apparent muscle injury in Friday's match against Paraguay.
Analysis: Balogun had a start to the World Cup to dream of, as the forward netted two goals to earn a brace. He would first score in the 31st minute before adding another in stoppage time of the first half to give his team a 3-0 lead. He had a few more chances throughout the match, although he was not as productive once Christian Pulisic exited the field. There will be slight concern around Balogun, as he did appear to exit injured. However, he may have just had some fatigue, as the Paraguayan team was getting physical in the second half.
Likely to lead attacking line
Balogun should lead the attacking line for the USMNT in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Analysis: While there's a scenario in which Christian Pulisic might be deployed as a False 9 in a 4-3-3, conventional wisdom would suggest Balogun should be the striker. The AS Monaco star notched 18 goals and four assists across 40 appearances (36 starts) between the UEFA Champions League and Ligue 1 in 2025/26. The USMNT pool doesn't have any other player on the roster scoring goals at this rate and at this level, meaning Balogun is an easy choice to lead the line ahead of other available options such as Ricardo Pepi and Haji Wright.
Explore more players
Mason Greenwood
OM• #10• RWLassine Sinayoko
AUX• #10• CFJoaquín Panichelli
STR• #9• CFEstéban Lepaul
REN• #9• CFSelect Player
Search and select a player to compare