Eight goals in eight games: Folarin Balogun peaking at the perfect time for both USMNT and Monaco

To put it into perspective, just think about the legends that have played in Ligue 1 since the turn of the century. Mbappe, Neymar, Lionel Messi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Olivier Giroud, Karim Benzema and Edinson Cavani have all called the French league home and all have, at one point or another, made history as goalscorers. At the moment, though, Balogun is doing something none of them did during their time in France.

Balogun's big run actually started in the Champions League back on Feb. 17. On that day, he lit up PSG for a brace in a 3-2 defeat in the opening leg of their knockout clash. Monaco went on to lose that tie, but Balogun seemingly gained confidence, and that confidence has only grown.

After scoring against Lens and Angers, Balogun netted against PSG again on March 6 in a 3-1 Ligue 1 upset. Brest and Lyon were next before the international break. Since returning, Balogun has celebrated goals against Marseille, Paris FC and, most recently, Auxerre. In total, it's eight in eight league games. At the moment, Balogun is tied with three others this century with that eight-in-eight mark.

Only one player has hit more. That happened in 2001, when Sonny Anderson scored in 11 straight Ligue 1 matches.

While Balogun is chasing Anderson, though, only one other player in Europe has gone on a run like the American's: the aforementioned Mbappe. And, despite whatever criticism he does get for his fit at Real Madrid, there's no denying the numbers he's putting up in Spain.

Mbappe unleashed his own run of eight consecutive goals earlier this season, doing so between Sept. 13 and Nov. 1. More recently, the French star also put together a run of scoring in eight out of nine league games. He remains the measuring stick.

Balogun has dueled Mbappe before. Balogun's breakout season came in 2022-23, when he exploded for 21 goals while on loan with Reims. Despite playing for one of the league's smaller clubs, Balogun had Golden Boot aspirations. That Golden Boot was ultimately claimed by Mbappe, who scored 29 goals that season for PSG in his penultimate Ligue 1 run.

Now, no one is saying Balogun is as good as Mbappe. That's because Mbappe is an all-time talent. He's a World Cup winner who continues to break records and, by the time he steps away, will be regarded as one of the best attackers ever to play.

What Balogun is doing, though, is proving that he does belong in a bigger conversation. The best way to further that conversation, though, is to bring this form to the international level.

One of the main talking points leading up to the 2022 World Cup was the USMNT's lack of a top-level striker. Josh Sargent was doing well in the Championship but was coming off a rough debut Premier League season. Haji Wright was bound for the Championship a few months later but, at the time, was scoring in Turkey. Jesus Ferreira was a solid MLS striker. Ricardo Pepi, amid a poor run of form at Augsburg, was left at home.

There's no such problem this time around. Pepi, of course, is scoring regularly for PSV, while Wright has arguably been the Championship's best player this season to help Coventry City get promoted. Those two are likely to be the ones alongside Balogun but, on current form, it's hard to imagine either of them unseating the Monaco man for the starting gig.

When Balogun committed to the USMNT back in 2023, he did so knowing what type of opportunity was in front of him. He had a chance to be the guy for the USMNT at the highest levels. From the USMNT's perspective, they had a player willing and able to step up to that level in ways most other players in the pool cannot.

Again, there have been some growing pains at the club level but, by and large, Balogun has produced for the USMNT whenever called upon. He's scored eight times in 23 career caps, with many of those goals coming in big moments. One came in the 2023 Nations League final, and two more came at the Copa America. Then, this fall, Balogun scored in three consecutive starts against Japan, Ecuador and Paraguay, all World Cup-bound opponents.

Paraguay, coincidentally, is the USMNT's first opponent this summer. And, despite all of the narratives that popped up from March losses to Belgium and Portugal, they head toward that game knowing that they have a striker in the sort of form that allows him to win a game for his team all on his own.

Balogun could theoretically surpass Anderson's mark by the end of the season if he scores in upcoming games against Toulouse, Metz, Lille and Strasbourg. The reality is that Monaco need him to, too.

With four games remaining, the club currently sits seventh in the league, two points behind sixth-place Marseille, three points behind fifth-place Rennes and four points behind third- and fourth-place Lyon and Lille, respectively. Depending on the results of these four weeks, Monaco could be in the Champions League or miss out on Europe altogether. There's little room for error and everything to play for.

Monaco's last game is May 17. A week later, the USMNT's World Cup roster is released. For the next few months, every game Balogun plays will be massive. There's no rest coming.

When you're scoring this often, though, rest is the worst thing that can happen. Balogun will be eager to play each and every week in this sort of form, and Monaco and the USMNT will be better for it as they lean on the striker to help them reach their goals.