Balo or Flo? USMNT star Folarin Balogun confirms nickname & reveals which players have surprised him in United States squad

The 22-year-old is happy to go by whatever moniker people feel most comfortable using, with there no need for anything to be set in stone. He is hoping that the name Balogun will soon become synonymous with the art of goalscoring, with a big career call made in the summer of 2023 when leaving Premier League giants Arsenal for Ligue 1 side Monaco.

He has told the Offside with Taylor Twellman podcast when quizzed on his nicknames: “My team-mates call me Balo. Of course on my jerseys it’s Balogun, my full name. The nickname is Balo and that’s what I go by.”

Balogun is back in the USMNT camp at present, as they prepare for friendly dates against Uzbekistan and Oman, and he is still adjusting to life in senior international football after turning his back on England. He said when asked if any of his new national team colleagues have surprised him with their ability: “It wasn’t a player that caught me by surprise, but it was how fast Tim Weah is. There were a few balls that got pinged in behind and he was just running and put the ball in the box. I’m a quick player but I wasn’t able to get there. I was a bit like ‘woah’.”

Balogun still considers himself to be faster than Juventus star Weah, with his game all about finding space between and behind defenders. He mastered that when hitting 21 goals on loan at Reims last season and will be hoping that there are many more efforts to come for club and country over the coming weeks and months.