A product of Hale End has been backed to play a starring role at the 2026 World Cup.
Arsenal’s academy has produced some searing talent in recent years, as Mikel Arteta will tell you.
The 2024/25 season was one to remember for Hale End, as Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri became secure members of the Arsenal first team.
Max Dowman is set to follow, in what has been a year to remember for the academy, but not every Hale End talent is destined to make it at Arsenal.
Former Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun backed to shine at 2026 World Cup
Academy product Donyell Malen has been compared to Lionel Messi since leaving Arsenal, and he’s not the only one to find a new lease of life elsewhere.
Folarin Balogun made the decision to leave Arsenal in 2023, signing for Monaco on the back of a Ligue 1 season that saw him score 21 times for Stade Reims.
2023 was a year of change for Balogun, not only domestically but at international level too, as he switched his alliances from England to the United States.
It’s a decision that has paid off for the striker so far, as after the USA’s 1-1 draw with Ecuador, ESPN’s Herculez Gomez backed the 24-year-old to be a starter at the 2026 World Cup.
“Folarin Balogun had a coming out game, if we could call it that. He’s been giving us glimpses of how good he can be,” Gomez said on his YouTube channel.
“How crisp, intelligent and decisive his movements are. Right now, pole position as the number nine heading into the World Cup. I thought he was brilliant.”
Balogun is in a good position ahead of the summer tournament, with Mauricio Pochettino a fan of the former Arsenal striker.
Thierry Henry told Balogun to leave Arsenal
Arteta told Balogun to leave Arsenal to secure the game time he deserved elsewhere, and the Arsenal manager wasn’t the only one to hold the opinion.
Speaking to CBS Sports in May 2023, Thierry Henry urged the striker to find a new club after choosing to change national teams.
“He’s been great in the league. He’s a good 9. Now he’s going to have to find a team where he’s going to play next year, that’s very important,” Henry said at the time.
The Hale End product took the advice on board and signed permanently for Monaco, with time proving that the transfer was right for both the player and Arsenal.
Since signing for Monaco, Balogun hasn’t hit the heights he discovered at Reims, scoring only four league goals last season.
Arsenal cashed in at the perfect time, but the player won’t have any regrets, being on the right path to play a key role at the upcoming World Cup.
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