Thursday, October 1, 2026
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79 ° Clear
Four years ago, the United States men's national team left Qatar with a lot of promise and one glaring problem - they couldn't finish. They created chances, they competed, and they pushed the Netherlands to the brink in the Round of 16, but when it came to putting the ball in the back of the net, they came up short. That shortcoming cost them a quarterfinal spot and lingered as the defining question heading into this World Cup, could this team finally find a clinical striker?
USMNT star, Tyler Adams has opened up about what he believes is the key difference between this squad and the one that fell to the Netherlands in the Round of 16 four years ago: the arrival of striker Folarin Balogun.
Folarin Balogun has been nothing short of a revelation at this tournament. In the USMNT's opening group-stage match against Paraguay last Friday, the 23-year-old was electric, scoring twice in a commanding 4-1 victory that sent shockwaves across the country and shattered all-time viewership records for a USMNT match. But beyond the goals, what's impressed teammates most is how different Balogun looks compared to the player who was still finding his footing in the international game just a few years back.
The USMNT captain sat down ahead of Wednesday's second group-stage clash against Australia and spoke candidly about just how much Balogun has grown, and why his presence solves the problem that quietly defined the 2022 World Cup.
"He's a niche of a player in the world, and he's dynamic," Adams continued. "He can hold the ball up. He's not massively big or tall, but he's strong. He has the ability to run in behind defenders. When you look at our team and how dynamic we are, he fits in perfectly."
The numbers back it up. In the Paraguay match, Balogun had two or three clear-cut chances and he converted two of them. That kind of ruthlessness is exactly what was missing in Qatar. The contrast from the last World Cup is stark. Four years ago, the U.S. managed just three goals in four games, with the striker position a revolving door of Josh Sargent, Jesús Ferreira, and a duo of Haji Wright and Tim Weah. The attack created chances but lacked a clinical finisher to convert them.
"I felt like in 2022, that's what we were missing a little bit at times," Adams admitted. "We were creating a volume of chances, but we weren't necessarily putting the ball in the back of the net. That comes with us maybe being a little bit more inexperienced, whereas now I think we're just more ready for the moment."
The confidence Balogun built during an outstanding season at Monaco, one that established him as one of the more dangerous forwards in Ligue 1 has clearly carried over onto the international stage. For club and country, he has posted 14 goals in 19 appearances since mid-February. That hot streak was on full display in the World Cup opener against Paraguay. With Australia up next and knockout-round football inching closer, the USMNT will be counting on that version of Balogun to keep showing up. So far, there's no reason to think he won't.
