May 16, (THEWILL) – FIFA has officially approved Folarin Balogun’s switch from England to the United States, granting him the opportunity to represent America in international competitions.
The 21-year-old forward, who was born in Brooklyn, New York but moved to London at a young age, had previously played for the US at the under-18 level before switching his allegiance to England. Balogun was also eligible to represent Nigeria due to parental origins.
Under FIFA’s rules, players can switch national eligibility as long as they have not made a competitive senior appearance for their previous country. Balogun, who has been on loan at Reims from Arsenal this season, impressively scored 19 goals in 34 league appearances.
During the recent international window, Balogun travelled to Orlando, where the US national team was training. US Interim Coach, Anthony Hudson, confirmed that discussions had taken place with Balogun, highlighting it as an opportunity to introduce him to the US programme.
On the other hand, England Manager, Gareth Southgate, acknowledged that Balogun would need to be patient regarding a call-up to the senior England squad, emphasising that young players are given opportunities but first-team call-ups are not handed out simply to prevent players from joining other national teams.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
