Real Madrid's woe could be Folarin Balogun's UCL gain

All is not well at Real Madrid.

A poor run of form saw coach (and club legend) Xabi Alonso unceremoniously sacked in early January; his replacement, former player Alvaro Arbeloa, improved nothing and lost to a struggling second-division side in his first game in charge. Fans are booing the team relentlessly; club management is threatening to ban anyone they catch doing it. Owner Florentino Perez is speaking publicly about solving Madrid's defensive woes by signing striker Erling Haaland. Nothing is making sense. Everything is swirling into chaos.

Real Madrid is the winningest team in European history, but in 2026, it's losing battles on all fronts. If there's ever a time to play it in European competition, that time is right now.

United States Men's National Team striker Folarin Balogun is going to have that opportunity. His Monaco side is set to face Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday, Jan. 20, and if it wins, it will be one step closer to qualifying for the tournament's Round of 16.

"Playing Real Madrid in the Champions League is special," Balogun told ESPN. ""It is important that we go there to qualify, though. We have our own objectives. We are not just going there to enjoy the experience."

A legacy of European excellence

Balogun may be after more than just enjoyment in his game against Real Madrid, but there's no denying that he's enjoyed his time in the Champions League thus far.

He scored in each of his last three Champions League appearances against Turkiye's Galatasaray, Cyprus's Pafos and Norway's Bodo/Glimt. Balogun is the first American player in Champions League history to manage that feat.

Consistency is one thing, but it's the diversity of Balogun's Champions League goals that makes him such a potent attacking threat. His goal against Bodo/Glimt was a stellar, tight-angled laser of a shot into the top corner, while his goal against Pafos was a clever poached effort nicked off a goalkeeper's error. His record-breaking goal against Galatasaray was an inside-the-box scramble. Skill, intelligence and grit: Balogun's three consecutive Champions League goals embodied each of them in turn.