Should Mauricio Pochettino Call Up Folarin Balogun for USMNT Fall Friendlies?

Mauricio Pochettino finds himself with an unexpected decision to make for the U.S. men’s national team’s fall friendlies, and it centers around his superstar striker Folarin Balogun.

Three months ago, Balogun was on top of the world, leading the USMNT’s attack at a World Cup on home soil. The forward bagged three goals in his first three appearances and quickly established himself as a household name throughout the United States.

At the time, the thought of Balogun getting omitted from Pochettino’s future rosters was laughable. But then he got a red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32 and a sequence of events unfolded that threw the American into a cloud of controversy and uncertainty.

The cloud only got thicker once injury and a highly scrutinized transfer debacle entered the fold. Suddenly, Balogun is no longer a surefire bet for Pochettino, who will reveal his roster for friendlies against Peru, Chile, Mexico and Canada on Thursday.

It’s complex situation to navigate for both the player and the manager. The ultimate decision could come down to how Pochettino wants to handle the noise surrounding Balogun.

Balogun Cannot Escape Controversy

Folarin Balogun cannot escape the headlines. | Luke Hales/Getty Images

All of Balogun’s hard work this summer at the 2026 World Cup was instantly overshadowed once FIFA announced an unprecedented decision to suspend his red-card ban. The call, which came 24 hours before the Stars and Stripes faced off with Belgium in the round of 16, allowed Pochettino to call on his best goalscorer for the biggest game of the tournament without any regard for the previous rules in place.

The situation spiraled out of control once U.S. President Donald Trump revealed he reached out to FIFA president Gianni Infantino to review the initial red card and associated ban, blurring the line between sporting integrity and politics.

Even though Balogun was not at fault for any of the chaos, he suddenly had a target on his back, thrown into a tumultuous storm that is still raging months later. In fact, the Royal Belgian Football Association is still demanding the situation be reviewed at the next FIFA Council meeting.

To make matters worse, Balogun’s name was once again splashed in headlines when his proposedtransfer to Everton failed on Deadline Day. The 25-year-old was all set to make his Premier league return when a medical raised some concerns, causing the Toffees to pull out of the deal.

Monaco then scrambled to make another major sale, striking an agreement with Chelsea for midfielder Lamine Camara. Only, Everton then came back and put the Balogun transfer back on the table. Monaco ripped up their deal with the Blues, thinking Balogun was making the move to Merseyside, only for the striker himself to then kill the transfer at the eleventh hour.

Chelsea and Everton were left without much-needed signings, and Monaco were now left with a player who not only wanted to leave, but messed up their transfer plans in a very public, embarrassing fashion.

Just days later, the club omitted Balogun from its Conference League squad and threatened to still explore a sale for the American striker, though nothing came to fruition.

Injury Woes Only Complicate Matters

It would be one thing if Balogun was changing the narrative with impressive performances on the pitch. But the forward has not played a single minute of soccer since the USMNT’s 4–1 defeat to Belgium in the round of 16 on July 6.

A minor knee injury ruled Balogun out of preseason and the start of 2026–27. He has since returned to training, but is still working on regaining full fitness. Manager Filipe Luís teased a potential return at the weekend, but it would hardly be Balogun at his best, since it’s been over two months since he made an appearance on the pitch.

Monaco’s clash with Lens on Friday is the last opportunity for Balogun to return before the international break begins. A brief cameo off the bench or ending the match as an unused substitute would hardly instill confidence in his fitness or form ahead of four matches coming for the USMNT.

So What Does Pochettino Do?

Mauricio Pochettino is hoping to get the USMNT back to winning ways. | John Todd/ISI Photos/Getty Images

Pochettino now must decide whether he wants to name Balogun to his roster or embark on the combined September-October international break without his best goalscorer.

If he takes a page out of former France boss Didier Deschamps’s book, he would leave Balogun at home. Deschamps infamously omitted Kylian Mbappé from his roster for the Nov. 2024 international break because the player was embroiled in controversy at Real Madrid and in poor form.

Deschamps claimed it “was better this way” to give Mbappé a break to reset both physically and mentally—and it worked.

Folarin Balogun, Mauricio Pochettino — Folarin Balogun (left) and Mauricio Pochettino have a strong bond. | Alex Livesey/FIFA/Getty Images

Pochettino could do the same, but leaving Balogun out could hurt the striker more than help him. He is already ostracized at Monaco and is no doubt itching to get back on the pitch after so long on the sidelines. The last thing the USMNT needs is one of its best players losing all form and confidence just when the Stars and Stripes are trying to capitalize off of World Cup momentum.

Not to mention, omitting Balogun would just bring more unwanted attention to the American star, which is the exact opposite of what he needs after the red card and transfer debacles. Oh, and did we mention he’s by far the best goalscorer Pochettino has?

If Balogun is fit and ready to play in the USMNT’s friendlies, then Pochettino should give the 25-year-old a place in his roster on Thursday. The alternative is more drama, more questions and more attention away from the pitch, all things Pochettino and Balogun want to avoid.

Add us as a preferred source on Google