England's loss is USA's gain as Pochettino finds a spearhead in Folarin Balogun
Quick summary
Folarin Balogun, who switched allegiance from England to the USA, is emerging as a key striker for the USMNT under Mauricio Pochettino ahead of their 2026 World Cup match against Paraguay.
What happened
The Guardian profiles Folarin Balogun as he prepares to lead the USMNT attack against Paraguay in the 2026 World Cup. Having committed his international future to the United States over England, Balogun has become Pochettino's preferred center-forward. The piece highlights his development trajectory, physical attributes, and tactical fit within the Argentine coach's system, framing him as a potential difference-maker for the host nation in the tournament.
Chance analysis
Balogun's emergence as a reliable No. 9 addresses one of the USMNT's long-standing attacking weaknesses. With Pochettino building his system around a mobile, goal-scoring striker, Balogun's form directly influences USMNT's competitiveness in the World Cup. For prediction systems, his availability, fitness, and goalscoring output are key variables for USA's tournament prospects and the Paraguay match specifically.
Balogun's presence as starting center-forward boosts USMNT's attacking threat and goal-scoring probability against Paraguay.
Balogun's role as starting striker makes his goal threat and minutes load critical for USA's attacking output against Paraguay.