USMNT star Folarin Balogun made history by scoring in a third successive Champions League match to steer Monaco to a hard-fought victory over Galatasaray in the Principality. On an evening when both teams squandered a catalogue of inviting opportunities, the 24-year-old’s scrappy finish midway through the second half proved enough to secure a vital three points and lift Monaco level with their Turkish opponents in the league phase.

Mauricio Pochettino faces plenty of selection posers ahead of the 2026 World Cup, with the USMNT looking to piece together a squad that can be competitive on the grandest of stages. They will need plenty of firepower in order to make that possible, with Brad Friedel discussing a striker pool that includes Folarin Balogun, Haji Wright, Ricardo Pepi and Josh Sargent during an exclusive interview with GOAL.

GOAL takes a look at which American players are playing the best heading into the final weeks of 2025.

The USMNT are playing some of their best soccer under Pochettino, but the focus stays on the bigger picture as Uruguay offers their toughest test yet on the road to the 2026 World Cup.

Folarin Balogun scored a crucial goal to put the United States Men’s National Team ahead 2-1 against Paraguay during the November 2025 international window. The strike was Balogun’s third goal in his last four appearances, with Gio Reyna creating the chance moments after ending his own scoring drought with the USMNT’s opener - his first goal since March 2024.