The USMNT will field its best team when the World Cup kicks off next month. The core of the team is playing in the Champions League, top five European leagues, or are otherwise among the most invaluable players on their teams – even the ones in MLS. While soccer is a team sport single players can keep teams in games, turn a match on a single play, and put the team on their back like Greg Jennings but for real life.
Who will that player be for the USMNT? There are glue players that could make that list
– a guy like Cristian Roldan is a sneaky pick for a player like that. Perhaps Captain America, Christian Pulisic could fit that bill. Elsewhere, Weston McKennie can absolutely make that claim: he plays everywhere, motivates teammates, makes huge plays, and does whatever a manager could ask of him and more.
And yet, when it comes to this team – this version of the USMNT the answer in 2026 is Folarin Balogun. Quite simply, over the years the USA has struggled to score goals. Christian Pulisic has chipped his fair share in, McKennie can score from nothing, and Tim Weah is certainly capable of putting the ball in the net. But without a no. 9 who can be counted on to create or score on his own, the team hasn’t scored and it’s really hard to win soccer games without scoring.
While Balo’s role is most clearly that of guy who can fill the onion bag, he adds more to that and his teammates need him to be a complete forward to unlock the potential of the attack. He brings movement to the team that creates space for other players and gets him in good scoring positions, he shoots – a lot – which is helpful for trying to score goals, another aspect of his game is dropping deep to support other players involved in attacking moves, and finally he’s very good on the counter. It can’t be understated that the USA will need to have a player who is a threat in transition so that the team can score the opportunistic goals that have been a key to its success.
Not only that, but he’s going to be pivotal to how Christian Pulisic’s tournament goes. CP10 has struggled in Milan this year as the team hasn’t had a reliable no. 9 for him to play off of. Without a player pulling away defenders or holding up play, Pulisic hasn’t been able to rely on his best skills this year and his effectiveness has been diminished because of it.
Balo has been very good for Monaco this year and has been stepping up for the national team. It’s time for him to cement his spot as the reliable striker for the Stars and Stripes. While no one player can win the World Cup, as he goes, the USMNT may very well go in the 2026 World Cup.
