Folarin Balogun has been added to the United States men’s national team roster for September friendlies against South Korea and Japan, with the AS Monaco striker set to join up with the national team for the first time in a year.
Balogun was the final addition to the roster after head coach Mauricio Pochettino named a squad of 22 players on Tuesday with U.S. Soccer saying one spot would be filled at a later date. The Vancouver Whitecaps announced that striker Brian White will miss the camp after suffering a hamstring injury against St. Louis City on Saturday.
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When fit, Balogun had been a regular starter in the No. 9 position, winning 17 caps and scoring five goals since making his debut in 2023.
However, he has yet to feature since Pochettino took charge last year after a series of injury problems.
The 24-year-old was sidelined for much of last season with a shoulder injury. While he returned for Monaco before the end of the campaign, he was forced to pull out of the USMNT’s Gold Cup roster this summer with an ankle injury.
Balogun made his season debut Sunday in Monaco’s 1-0 loss to Lille in Ligue 1.
The U.S. will face South Korea on Sept. 6 in Harrison, New Jersey, followed by the match against Japan three days later in Columbus, Ohio.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
