The 2026 FIFA World Cup is lower than six weeks away.
On June 11, Mexico and South Africa will open the event at Mexico Metropolis’s legendary Azteca Stadium. The subsequent day, the U.S. Men’s National Team will begin its personal World Cup journey in opposition to Paraguay at Los Angeles’s SoFi Stadium.
The USMNT hasn’t named its official World Cup squad — that roster is predicted to drop Might 26 — and which means everybody, from high gamers to fringe candidates, is battling to be part of the historic staff.
Listed here are the three gamers who made the strongest case for his or her inclusion during the last week of membership soccer:
Folarin Balogun, AS Monaco
Folarin Balogun has been the USMNT’s nice goalscoring hope because the moment he agreed to join it. He entered the nationwide staff with a wide ranging quantity of potential, however accidents and training adjustments meant that he was unable to really ship on it in his first two years with the staff.
In 2026, that appears set to vary. Balogun has quietly put collectively one of many best striker data in Europe. He is scored a whopping 9 objectives in his final ten league video games with AS Monaco and has been the motor powering the staff’s stand up the Ligue 1 rankings. If Monaco stays on the high of the desk and clinches a European place subsequent season—one thing it’s now projected to do—Balogun would be the motive why.
