Bakambu · Biography

Cédric Bakambu was born on 11 April 1991 in Vitry-sur-Seine, in the French department of Val-de-Marne. He came through US Ivry and, from 2006, the Sochaux academy. He is a forward who can also play out wide. He has played for the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 2015, and his club career has taken him to France, Turkey, Spain, China, Greece and the United States. He has played for MLS side San Diego FC since September 2026.

From Ivry to the Sochaux academy

He started out at Ivry, just outside Paris, where he played from around 2000 to 2006. That year he joined the Sochaux youth academy. In 2010 he scored in the final of the Coupe Gambardella, France's main youth cup, which his side lost on penalties. That summer he moved up to the first team, though he kept playing for the reserves for several seasons. His first professional goal came in September 2011. In 2012 he scored twice against Evian in the Coupe de la Ligue. In 2013-14 he scored seven goals in 31 league games, but it was not enough to save Sochaux from relegation. He finished with 107 competitive appearances and 21 goals for the club.

European Under-19 champion with France

Before choosing the country of his family roots, he played for France at Under-18, Under-19 and Under-20 level. At the 2010 European Under-19 Championship, held in France, he scored twice in the 4-1 opening win over the Netherlands and got the winner against Croatia in the semi-final. France won the title and UEFA named him in the Team of the Tournament. A year later he was part of the France squad that finished fourth at the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Bursaspor and the breakthrough at Villarreal

In September 2014 he joined Turkish club Bursaspor for a reported €1.8 million. In Turkey he scored a hat-trick in a 5-0 away win at Balıkesirspor. He was also the top scorer in the 2014-15 Turkish Cup with eight goals, although Bursaspor lost the final to Galatasaray. In August 2015 he signed a five-year deal with Villarreal. In his first season he scored nine Europa League goals, one behind the competition's top scorer, and the club named him its rookie of the year. In October 2017 he scored a hat-trick against Eibar and became the first African player to be named LaLiga Player of the Month. He left Villarreal with 32 goals in 75 league games.

China, Marseille, Olympiacos and Galatasaray

In January 2018 he terminated his Villarreal contract, and Beijing Guoan paid his €40 million release clause. In Beijing he won the 2018 Chinese FA Cup and was the Chinese Super League's top scorer in 2020. With 58 goals in 87 competitive games, he became the club's all-time leading scorer. In January 2022 he returned to France with Olympique de Marseille and scored four goals in 15 league games. In September that year he joined Olympiacos. He was the top scorer in the 2022-23 Greek Super League and was named in the Team of the Season. He signed for Dubai club Al-Nasr in June 2023 but never played for them. In July he moved to Galatasaray for around €700,000. With the Turkish club he made his Champions League debut, and in November 2023 he scored in Munich in a 2-1 defeat to Bayern.

International career with DR Congo

In March 2015 he chose to represent DR Congo. He made his debut as a starter in a 1-1 friendly against Cameroon in Mons, Belgium, on 9 June 2015. His first goal was a penalty in a 2-1 win over Angola on 26 March 2016. He played at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. At the 2019 tournament in Egypt he scored twice against Zimbabwe (4-0) and once against Madagascar in the round of 16 (2-2). In April 2022, after DR Congo lost to Morocco in World Cup qualifying, he announced his international retirement, but he later changed his mind. He was in the squad for the 2023 tournament, played in Ivory Coast in early 2024. On 27 December 2025 he scored against Senegal (1-1) in the group stage of the edition held in Morocco. On 19 May 2026 he was named in the 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup. As of June 2026 he had 72 caps and 21 goals.

Real Betis and San Diego FC

On 1 February 2024 he returned to LaLiga with Real Betis on a two-and-a-half-year contract. In 2024-25 he scored seven goals in the UEFA Conference League. Betis reached the final and lost to Chelsea in Wrocław in May 2025. He played 47 league games for the Seville club and scored five goals. He left as a free agent and on 3 September 2026 he signed with Major League Soccer side San Diego FC, where he wears the number 94.