Sawt Falasteen - World Cup is 'full circle' for London-raised US striker Balogun

"I didn't realize at that moment how big football -- soccer -- was out here in America," admitted the striker, who was born in New York, but left the States at just one month old.

"I feel like my individual journey is a bit full circle now approaching the World Cup," he told a press conference, five days before the co-hosts' opener against Paraguay.

Balogun is expected to lead the line for coach Mauricio Pochettino's men, playing as a lone striker, inside Christian Pulisic on the left, and in front of Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams.

Expectations are high for the co-hosts, who have markedly improved under Pochettino, boast arguably their most talented ever roster, and with home advantage are favorites to top Group D over Paraguay, Turkey and Australia.

For the US to match its best World Cup run of modern times and reach at least the quarter-finals, Balogun will have to play a pivotal role.

His journey to the US starting XI has been more complex than most. Balogun came up through the Arsenal academy ranks, representing both England and the United States in age-group teams.

Struggling for minutes at Arsenal, he went first on loan to Middlesbrough then Reims. It was in France that his career came to life, and last year he top-scored for Monaco with 19 goals after a reported 40-million-euro transfer.

His first season in France's Ligue 1 sparked interest from the US, which lacked a world-class striker, and he was famously courted by scouts, receiving the red-carpet treatment with trips to Florida and NBA ringside tickets.

American soccer fans tracked his every move, before he formally switched allegiance to the US in 2023.

"I just remember this immense amount of appreciation from the fans. And to really feel that in full force was something that was inspirational for me, it made my decision easier," recalled Balogun.

Balogun's first US goal came in the 2023 Nations League final win over Canada.

But the team came off the rails soon after, falling short in multiple tournaments. That led to the sacking of Gregg Berhalter and hiring of former Tottenham Hotspur coach Pochettino.

Balogun briefly held trials with Tottenham as a child, before joining Arsenal's youth academy.

"As I said before, it's just coming to a full circle moment. Being able to perform on the biggest stage and give back to the fans, that's something I'm looking forward to doing," said Balogun, at the United States' World Cup training camp in Irvine, California.

"With the World Cup being here, the opportunity to represent my nation in front of a home crowd is going to be something special," he added.

R.Halabi--SF-PST