Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun has decided to pledge his allegiance to the United States national team instead of playing for England.
After a breakout season in France on loan to Reims from Arsenal. Balogun has always been in demand. He has dueled with Kylian Mbappe to be the league’s number 1 for the better part of the season and managed to get 19 goals in that time. FIFA announced on Tuesday that it has officially approved a request by the US Soccer Federation to change Balogun’s national eligibility from England to the US.
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Here is everything to know about the player:
Nationality
Contrary to popular belief, Balogun’s nationality is American and not British or French. He was born in New York City on July 1, 2001.
Net worth
According to Soccer Souls, Balogun has a Net Worth of $3 million.
Salary
He was earning a salary of £1,664,000 ($20,80,000 approx) per year for Arsenal F.C. It is not yet known how much he will be earning after joining USMNT.
Age
He is currently 21 years old.
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Relationship
There is no information available on his dating history but he is believed to be single.
Career
Folarin began his career at Aldersbrook before getting selected at Arsenal. He joined the club and stayed with them till 2020.
In February 2019, he signed his professional contract with the club in February 2019. In 2020, he was rumored to be joining Brentford as he delayed the extension of his contract with the Gunners.
He scored his first goal for the club against Molde in a Europa League fixture. For a half-season in January 2021, he was loaned out to EFL Championship club Middlesbrough. He returned to Arsenal in June 2022 after making 18 appearances for the Championship club. He was loaned out to Reims for a season in August 2022.
He previously played for the US’ U18 team in 2018. He went on to play all four matches of the Václav Ježek Youth Tournament and scored twice.
