Balogun’s World Cup Success Due to Hard Work, Coach Says

United States striker Folarin Balogun's great FIFA World Cup performances come from months of hard work, says his private coach, Saul Isaksson-Hurst.

Balogun made a name for himself on the global stage by scoring two goals in the USA’s 4-1 win over Paraguay. He became the first American player since Bert Patenaude in 1930 to score two goals in a World Cup match.

The 24-year-old has had a tough journey. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Nigerian parents from London. Balogun grew up in Arsenal's academy, but it was hard for him to get playing time in the senior team.

After limited chances at Arsenal and a short loan at Middlesbrough, where he netted three goals in 18 games, Balogun's career changed when he was loaned to French club Reims in the 2022/23 season. There, he scored 21 goals.

Coach Isaksson-Hurst worked closely with Balogun before and after that loan. He said that Balogun's change came from focused individual training.

"Flo came to me in 2022 after a tough loan period at Middlesbrough. I wanted to do extra work to help his career. We looked at his strengths and what he could improve," Hurst told Sportsboom.co.uk.

"So we set up a big pre-season camp, and he got his loan to France. He came back often on the Eurostar. We worked on everything before his move to Monaco."

Balogun's performance in France led to a £35m transfer to AS Monaco from Arsenal in 2023. He has kept up his good form this season, scoring 19 goals and making five assists before his World Cup debut.

Hurst shared that another intensive training program was made just for the striker to get ready for the World Cup year.

"The real work happened last summer during pre-season because he was going to have one this year and head straight to the USA camp. We worked hard during that time to prepare for a big season leading up to the FIFA World Cup," he said.

USA captain Tim Ream also praised Balogun's movement and finishing after the historic win.

Balogun, who represents the United States due to his birthright citizenship from his parents’ visit to New York, is expected to play an important role as the Americans continue their World Cup journey.

The co-hosts have already reached the round of 32 but will face Turkey in their final group match on Friday.