USMNT forward Folarin Balogun makes official return for Monaco in Ligue 1 win over OGC Nice

U.S. international Folarin Balogun made his first league appearance for Monaco since undergoing shoulder surgery in December, coming off the bench in a 2-1 victory over OGC Nice on Saturday.

The forward was substituted into the match in the 76th minute, replacing Denmark international Mika Biereth - who scored their opening goal on the day. The winning strike came from Breel Embolo, who found the back of the net three minutes before Balogun entered the match.

Saturday marked Balogun's eighth appearance of the 2024-25 campaign in Ligue 1.

Balogun's return will be crucial for the USMNT come this summer, who will look to utilize his talents in both the June international window and the CONCACAF Gold Cup shortly thereafter. The striker has missed every single camp under manager Mauricio Pochettino due to injury so far, with this summer marking his first opportunity to work under the Argentine.

His cameo on Saturday saw him earn nine touches of the ball, with one shot attempt that was off-target.

The performance arrived after he scored a midweek hat-trick in a friendly for the French side.

Balogun has made 14 appearances for the USMNT, scoring five goals and recording three assists.

Next weekend, Monaco will take on Brest as they look to continue their surge up the Ligue 1 table. Balogun, meanwhile, will look to earn more minutes in his second match back.