USMNT striker Folarin Balogun is off to a hot start in the 2026 World Cup, scoring two goals in the opening match vs. Paraguay.
“Balogun’s tournament opener against Paraguay was the best individual display of the group stage…,” ESPN’s Colin Udoh wrote. “His first was a first-time finish from a Christian Pulisic pass to make it 2-0, the second a darting run that saw him dance past two defenders off a Malik Tillman through-ball before curling a finish into the top corner.
In doing so, Balogun wrote himself into the record books. It was the first multi-goal World Cup game for an American player since Bert Patenaude in 1930, and put him one goal away from levelling Landon Donovan’s three-goal haul from 2010 for the second-most goals by a USA player in a single edition.
The performances earned him FIFA’s Player of the Match award in both wins.”
As a result of Balogun’s performances in the past few matches, several of the world’s top clubs have taken notice.
USMNT’s Folarin Balogun Receives Intriguing News Amid Stellar World Cup
According to insider Santi Aouna, PSG, Tottenham, and Chelsea are all keeping tabs on the 24-year-old striker and are looking to snag him from AS Monaco, where Florian Balogun currently plays.
“
With the departure of Gonçalo Ramos, PSG is scouting for a center-forward position and Folarin Balogun is one of the profiles appreciated internally. 
Heavy competition from Tottenham, who have made him their priority, as well as from Chelsea, also interested in the 
striker.”
Caughtoffside’s Saikat also added that multiple other clubs are in the mix, saying Balogun’s price tag could be worth around €55 million.
“Sources have informed CaughtOffside that Monaco are demanding around €50–55m for Balogun, a figure that highlights the sharp rise in his value since his €30m move from Arsenal in 2023,” Saikat wrote.
“Borussia Dortmund are considering him as a replacement for Serhou Guirassy, whose expected departure could both free up funds and create a starting role for Balogun. Juventus are also exploring the possibility, despite financial constraints, with potential squad sales paving the way.
In England, Newcastle United and Chelsea are monitoring developments. ”
Balogun Comments on Facing Bosnia-Herzegovina in Round of 32
As the United States prepares to face off against Bosnia-Herzegovina in the Round of 32, Folarin Balogun said he can ‘feel the difference’ in the atmosphere.
“I can feel the difference in just the atmosphere,” Balogun told reporters on Sunday. “It’s knockout football, so you lose, you go home. So for me, there’s a change in my mindset and mentality as well. Not that I wasn’t taking it seriously before, but you can just go into another gear because you want it more. I don’t want the journey to end.”
Balogun’s teammate, winger Sergiño Dest, also believes this is a much better-equipped USMNT squad that can handle the pressure of the knockout stages.
“We all are a little bit older. We’ve got a lot of more experienced players at the moment,” Dest said. “We also got some new players, but I feel like everybody’s really confident, and it helps if you win the first two games and you get the first in the group. We just have a lot of belief that we can do it.”
If the US beats Bosnia, they’ll face off against Belgium on Monday, July 6th at 5 pm PT.
USMNT’s Folarin Balogun Receives Intriguing News Amid Stellar World Cup