Folarin Balogun — United States World Cup 2026 Squad

Folarin Balogun gives the United States a striker who wants the space behind the line as much as he wants the finish at the end of it. He is 23, he plays for Monaco, and he has 20 caps with 8 goals, which is a good return for a player still fairly new to this level. Balogun changes the geometry of the attack because centre-backs cannot step forward as comfortably when he is ready to run in behind. That makes life easier for the midfield and for the wide players supplying him. On home soil the US will need goals from somewhere more repeatable than emotion. Balogun is one of the clearest bets to provide them.