Fifa has approved Arsenal forward Folarin Balogun’s decision to switch international allegiance from England to the United States. Balogun had previously played for England Under-21s but withdrew from the squad in March due to injury and will not feature in the upcoming European Under-21 Championship. A Fifa spokesperson confirmed the change of association, saying: “The change of association of the player Folarin Jolaoluwa Balogun from England to the USA has been approved.”
Balogun has enjoyed a successful season with Reims, scoring 19 goals in 34 Ligue 1 appearances. Speaking to US Soccer’s official website, Balogun said the decision to represent the United States was a “no-brainer” and he felt at “home”. He added: “When I broke the news to my family they were all just over the moon, especially my mom. She said, ‘What took you so long?'”
Balogun had previously indicated he would be open to representing Nigeria, but has now chosen to become available for the United States – a choice he was eligible to make having not won a senior England cap. He expressed his pride and honour at having this opportunity, and vowed to give everything he has to make the US team successful.