Folarin Balogun facts for kids
Balogun with the United States in 2026
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Folarin Jerry Balogun | ||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | July 3, 2001 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Monaco | ||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||
| Aldersbrook | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2020 | Arsenal | ||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2023 | Arsenal | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | → Middlesbrough (loan) | 18 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | → Reims (loan) | 37 | (21) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2023– | Monaco | 72 | (24) | ||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | England U17 | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | United States U18 | 4 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | England U18 | 10 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | England U20 | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | England U21 | 13 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2023– | United States | 31 | (12) | ||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of May 17, 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of July 6, 2026 |
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Folarin Jerry Balogun (born July 3, 2001) is a talented soccer player. He plays as a striker for the French club Monaco. He also represents the United States national team.
Folarin started his soccer journey at the Arsenal Academy. He joined their main team in 2020. He then played on loan for Middlesbrough in 2022. His big moment came while on loan at Reims in France. There, he scored 22 goals in one season. This was a record for an American player in a top European league. In August 2023, Folarin moved to Monaco. He became their Player of the Season for 2025–26.
Folarin played for both the United States and England as a young player. In May 2023, he chose to play for the U.S. senior team. He played his first game in June 2023. He helped the U.S. win the CONCACAF Nations League in 2023 and 2024. He scored his first goal in the 2023 final.
Contents
Folarin Balogun: A Young Soccer Star
Early Life and Beginnings
Folarin Balogun was born in Brooklyn, New York, on July 3, 2001. His parents are from Nigeria. They were living in London, England, at the time. His mother was visiting New York when she was very pregnant. She could not fly back to London for safety reasons. So, Folarin was born in New York. He moved to the United Kingdom with his family when he was just two months old. He grew up in London.
Club Journey: From Arsenal to Monaco
Arsenal's Youth and First Team
Folarin joined the Arsenal Academy when he was eight. Scouts noticed him playing for his local team, Aldersbrook. He almost joined Tottenham Hotspur, another big London club, before choosing Arsenal.
In 2017, Folarin helped Arsenal's Under-16 team win the Liam Brady Cup. They beat strong teams like Bayern Munich and Manchester United. He signed his first professional contract in February 2019.
Folarin made his first senior team appearance for Arsenal in October 2020. This was in a Europa League game. He scored his first senior goal in the Europa League the next month. In April 2021, he signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal. He made his Premier League debut in August 2021.
Loan Spells: Middlesbrough and Reims
In January 2022, Folarin joined Middlesbrough on loan. This was a team in the EFL Championship. He scored his first goal for them in March. He then scored in two more games.
In August 2022, Folarin went on loan to Reims in France. He scored in his very first game for them. In January 2023, he scored a late goal against Paris Saint-Germain. This was his eleventh goal in Ligue 1, a top French league. He was the highest-scoring player under 21 in Europe's top leagues. A few days later, he scored his first hat-trick (three goals in one game). He ended the season with 21 goals. This made him the fourth-highest scorer in the league.
Joining AS Monaco
In August 2023, Folarin joined Monaco in France. He signed a five-year contract. He played his first game for Monaco in September. He scored his first goal for the club later that month.
During the 2024–25 season, Folarin faced some injuries. He scored in May 2025, in his first game back. In November 2025, he scored his first goal in the UEFA Champions League. This is a very important European club competition. He scored two goals against Paris Saint-Germain in a Champions League match in February 2026. He also scored and assisted in a league game against them in March 2026.
Folarin had an amazing scoring streak in 2026. He scored in eight league games in a row. This was one of the best streaks in Europe's top leagues. He finished the 2025–26 season as Monaco's top scorer. He had 19 goals and four assists. He was named Monaco's Player of the Season for his great performance.
International Career: Playing for the USA
Folarin could have played for three different countries. He was born in the United States. His parents are from Nigeria. He grew up in England. He chose to play for the United States.
Youth Teams
Folarin first played for England's Under-17 team. He was part of the 2018 UEFA European Under-17 Championship. In August 2018, he also played for the United States Under-18 team. He scored two goals in a tournament for them. He also played for England's Under-18, Under-20, and Under-21 teams.
Senior Team Debut
In May 2023, FIFA approved Folarin's request to play for the United States national team. He was invited to join the U.S. team for the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League Finals. On June 18, Folarin scored his first goal for the United States. This was in the Nations League final against Canada. The U.S. team won the tournament in both 2023 and 2024.
Folarin was also chosen for the U.S. team at the 2024 Copa America. He scored in their first game against Bolivia. He also scored the first goal in their game against Panama. After this game, Folarin and his teammates received strong support from their club and football organizations. These groups spoke out against unfair treatment and stood by the players.
How Folarin Balogun Plays
Folarin Balogun is known for his speed and skill with both feet. He is a true "number nine" or center forward. This means he is a main goal scorer. He has also played as a trequartista (an attacking midfielder) in youth soccer. Some experts compare him to famous striker Ian Wright. They say he has similar speed and smart movement.
Career Highlights and Statistics
Here are Folarin Balogun's career statistics. They show his appearances and goals for different clubs and national teams.
Club Statistics
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Arsenal U21 | 2018–19 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||
| 2019–20 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||||
| 2020–21 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||||||
| 2021–22 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||||||
| Total | — | — | — | — | 6 | 3 | 6 | 3 | ||||||
| Arsenal | 2020–21 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | — | 6 | 2 | |
| 2021–22 | Premier League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 | |||
| Total | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 2 | — | 10 | 2 | |||
| Middlesbrough (loan) | 2021–22 | Championship | 18 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 20 | 3 | |||
| Reims (loan) | 2022–23 | Ligue 1 | 37 | 21 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 39 | 22 | |||
| Monaco | 2023–24 | Ligue 1 | 29 | 7 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | 32 | 8 | |||
| 2024–25 | Ligue 1 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 4 | |||
| 2025–26 | Ligue 1 | 30 | 13 | 3 | 1 | — | 10 | 5 | — | 43 | 19 | |||
| Total | 72 | 24 | 6 | 2 | — | 13 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 91 | 31 | |||
| Career total | 129 | 48 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 18 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 166 | 61 | ||
International Statistics
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2023 | 8 | 3 |
| 2024 | 9 | 2 | |
| 2025 | 6 | 3 | |
| 2026 | 8 | 4 | |
| Total | 31 | 12 | |
- Scores and results list the United States' goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Balogun goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | June 18, 2023 | Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, United States | 2 |  Canada |
2–0 | 2–0 | 2023 CONCACAF Nations League final |
| 2 | September 12, 2023 | Allianz Field, Saint Paul, United States | 4 |  Oman |
1–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 3 | October 17, 2023 | Geodis Park, Nashville, United States | 6 |  Ghana |
3–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 4 | June 23, 2024 | AT&T Stadium, Arlington, United States | 13 |  Bolivia |
2–0 | 2–0 | 2024 Copa América |
| 5 | June 27, 2024 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, United States | 14 |  Panama |
1–0 | 1–2 | 2024 Copa América |
| 6 | September 9, 2025 | Lower.com Field, Columbus, United States | 19 |  Japan |
2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 7 | October 10, 2025 | Q2 Stadium, Austin, United States | 20 |  Ecuador |
1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 8 | November 15, 2025 | Subaru Park, Chester, United States | 22 |  Paraguay |
2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 9 | May 31, 2026 | Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, United States | 26 |  Senegal |
3–2 | 3–2 | Friendly |
| 10 | June 12, 2026 | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, United States | 28 | Paraguay |
2–0 | 4–1 | 2026 FIFA World Cup |
| 11 | 3–0 | ||||||
| 12 | July 1, 2026 | Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, United States | 30 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup |
Awards and Achievements
Folarin Balogun has earned several awards during his career:
United States
- CONCACAF Nations League: 2022–23, 2023–24
Individual
- CONCACAF Nations League Finals Best XI: 2023
- AS Monaco Player of the Season: 2025–26
See also
In Spanish: Folarin Balogun para niños
