da wazamba： For years, the U.S. team has been crying out for a goalscorer. Now, after a long tug-of-war with England, they have one.

da esoccer bet： It's fun to remember that one of the great U.S. men's national team sagas of modern times truly began with four words: "Here to chase tail". From the moment those words were spotted in the background of Folarin Balogun's Instagram, and from the moment USMNT Twitter sleuths pinpointed those words to a bar in Orlando, the great race was on.

That race ended on Tuesday, months after that Orlando recruiting visit that may well be remembered as a pivotal moment in American soccer history. Balogun has arrived. England have missed out. The USMNT has won.

FIFA have confirmed that Balogun's switch from England to the U.S. has been approved, paving the way for the USMNT's next star striker to officially become the USMNT's new star striker. Balogun himself confirmed his allegiance shortly after, taking to social media with a simple announcement: "I'm coming home. Let's make history."

Balogun could be called up as soon as this summer for the Nations League or Gold Cup. The road to the World Cup in 2026 now has a new star striker to lead the way.

Over the last few years, the USMNT has won several key recruiting battles, and Balogun is the latest in a long line of success on that front. But this one feels different. This feels like the player and the moment that could take the USMNT to another level.

Getty/TwitterThe recruitment

When Balogun was spotted in Orlando, things truly started to heat up. The striker's arrival in Florida came ahead of the USMNT's Nations League return, and it signaled that there was at least some interest coming from the striker's side. In the midst of a breakout season in Ligue 1, Balogun had been ignored by England's senior squad in March and, as a result, was seemingly assessing his options.

That first photo sent USMNT fans into a frenzy, as Twitter quickly pinpointed his location in Orlando. From there, the striker went on a true U.S. tour, taking in NBA and MLB games while meeting with his potential new team-mates. Fans, meanwhile, showed their love for the striker in the stands, carrying banners bearing his name before and during the match against El Salvador.

“He’s out here having a little bit of a break, and some training, and we’ve had some discussions. Now it’s about him just enjoying the rest of his trip,” USMNT interim boss Anthony Hudson said at the time. “I think it’s good because it’s been an opportunity for us just to share about our program and who we are, and what we do. And again, hope we get the chance to speak with him again. It’s been good for me, and I know a few of the guys have spoken to him as well."

It's a tactic that the U.S. used when recruiting Yunus Musah, who, coincidentally, may have been key to all of this. Balogun's former Arsenal team-mate, who committed to the USMNT last cycle, was invited to camp for an introduction and shown how the U.S. does things. He met his team-mates, trained with the team, was invited into the brotherhood and it worked. Musah switched from England shortly after.

And now Balogun has followed suit, becoming the latest dual national star to become a member of that brotherhood on the road to 2026.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe missing piece

What makes this commitment so massive is just how necessary it is. For years, the USMNT has struggled at the No.9 position. Not since Jozy Altidore has the U.S. had a central striker that could truly be defined as "the guy". And, as players like Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams and Gio Reyna have made impacts at Europe's big clubs, there has not been a bonafide goalscorer to do the same.

In this sport, especially at the international level, a true No.9 can paper over many cracks. You can get away with not having a top left-back or a top goalkeeper, but you cannot hide a lack of goalscorer up top. A top striker can carry a national team on their back, and a lack of one can doom a national team to defeat.

It was a lesson the U.S. learned in Qatar, as they struggled to find someone to put the ball into the back of the net. Draws against both England and Wales were there for the taking and easily could have been wins if the U.S. had that goalscoring touch. Balogun, by all accounts, has just that. The Arsenal product has 19 Ligue 1 goals this season. Only four players in the French top-flight have more.

For the U.S., Balogun very much feels like the missing piece, the one thing they need to complement their young, star-studded core. And now they have him, for the 2026 World Cup and, hopefully, for years to come.

GettyThe striker pool

While Balogun is very much expected to be the USMNT starter going forward, that doesn't mean he will simply be handed the role. The U.S. does have a number of talented strikers, all of whom will certainly have a fire lit under them by this news.

Ricardo Pepi, who just a year-and-a-half ago was in the same position Balogun finds himself in now as the striker of the future, is just 19 years old and having a fine season at Groningen. After his disastrous move to Augsburg, Pepi has totally rebuilt himself and is expected to make a big move at club level this summer.

Jesus Ferreira looks poised for a big move of his own, with Napoli reportedly lurking, while Daryl Dike and Josh Sargent could still prove themselves in English soccer. Add in the likes of Haji Wright, who has been tearing it up in Turkey, and you have plenty of potential candidates to push Balogun for that starting spot.

Make no mistake, though, Balogun has both the better track record and the highest potential. He's not made this switch to be a guy but guy, and he'll have every chance to be starting this summer.

Getty/GOALHow Balogun fits

Much can change depending on the next coach and the next system but, as things stand, Balogun seems like the ideal fit for the USMNT as constructed. The U.S. has talented wingers in Pulisic, Reyna, Tim Weah and Brenden Aaronson, all of whom bring a different skillset to the position. Each of those named will benefit from having Balogun playing next to them, and each has aspects of their game that could help get the best of the new USMNT striker.

Balogun is a natural finisher, a player that makes the most of the chances that fall his way. He's near the top of Ligue 1 goalscoring charts despite playing for a mid-table team in Reims because, when the ball does fall his way, he makes the most of it.

That will take the burden off of someone like Pulisic, who can play his natural game as a creator with the USMNT. It will open doors for someone like Reyna, who has found his own goalscoring touch with Dortmund off the bench. Balogun's game will benefit from someone like Weah, who gets to the end-line with ease. And the striker could certainly benefit from someone like Aaronson, who presses until his legs fall off and can create opportunities out of nothing.

They say a rising tide lifts all boats, and having a good striker is the equivalent of a tidal wave. What Balogun brings has a ripple effect, one that should benefit those around him.