One of the revelations of Nice's summer transfer window, Moïse Bombito has adapted quickly to life on the Côte d'Azur. But while his progress now seems unstoppable, the speedy 24-year-old central defender has come a long way. Here's a look back at an atypical career path full of obstacles.

A crazy run, a last-ditch tackle and a wild celebration. On Sunday 6 October, after winning a duel with Bradley Barcola in the 1-1 draw between Le Gym and Paris Saint-Germain, Moïse Bombito pulled off a stunning defensive recovery against the Parisian star before celebrating with his fans. It was a moment that perfectly encapsulated the Montreal-born player's start at Nice, having arrived on the Côte d'Azur last summer from Colorado Rapids in the United States.

That evening, Rocco Placentino was in the stands at the Allianz Riviera to watch his former player play for the first time since his arrival in Europe. Sporting director of CS Saint-Laurent, Bombito's very first club, the 42-year-old is a very happy man. “He's a young lad who played for our club for almost 10 years, and he's our pride and joy," he says. “I always imagined seeing a player who came through Saint-Laurent play at the highest level. But to see it in front of my eyes was magnificent."

Having played in 15 games since his arrival was officially announced on 19 August (with the exception of the match against Angers, where he was sent off in the 65th minute), Moïse Bombito has adapted quickly. The 24-year-old centre-back has become a key member of Franck Haise's rearguard and has quickly won the hearts of Nice fans, who have been won over by his speed, bright personality and warrior-like attitude on the pitch. A Canadian international since June 2023, the man from Saint-Laurent is going through the best period of his career, and is also shining with his national team, where he is coming off a fine Copa America campaign. Yet while his rise in recent months seems unstoppable, Bombito has come a long, long way.

AN UNATTAINABLE DREAM

Born in Montreal on 30 March 2000, little Moïse grew up in a modest family. A passionate football fan, he dreamt of a future as a professional. But like many children in the region, this dream seemed out of reach. “The province of Quebec is very big, we have a population of almost 9 million (8,874,683 in total) and yet we only have one professional club, CF Montreal,” says Anis, an independent scout and manager of the Montreal Cracks Instagram page, followed by over 3,000 people. “There's only one professional academy for all young Québécois. There's a desperate lack of opportunities,” explains Anis, who followed Bombito's career in his youth.

In such a situation, the chances of standing out from the crowd are few and far between. Undeterred by his unsuccessful trial with Montreal Impact (the former name of CF Montreal) at the age of 13, Bombito focused on his progress with his amateur club, CS Saint-Laurent. Even with his local team, the Canadian struggled to stand out. "When I met him, he was 12 and a half," recalls Rocco Placentino. "He was part of the ‘year 2000’ generation. It was a really strong generation, he was one of the 20 players in the team, but was he one of the best players? No, he wasn't. There were a lot more interesting young players than him."

At the time, the tall right- footer was playing as a striker and nobody was really betting on him. Nobody, that is, except Kwame Ansah, then coach of the Saint-Laurent youth teams and now technical director. "He was always a boy with good ball control,” recalls the coach. "But he was small and his team-mates were taller than him. His physical condition prevented him from expressing himself to the full, but there was something about him when I first saw him play. I remember one of my assistants saying to me: ‘Kwame, when this kid gets bigger, he's going to be something’."

A MEETING AND A TURNING POINT

But the clock was ticking and Bombito was still as far away from the professional world as ever. At the age of 17, the North American started college (sixth form). While playing for his school team, the Collège Ahuntsic Aigles, he met someone who would change the course of his career.

A French coach in exile in Quebec, François Bourgeais, coach of the college team, saw the potential in young Moïse. He recruited him for his club, CS Saint-Hubert, to continue his training in the summer of 2020. “When I met him, he was at U18 level and playing as a striker at Saint-Laurent. He was good up front, he scored goals and he was very quick, but he wasn't the most consistent player,” explains the coach, who is now assistant coach of FC Lorient's U19s. “We felt that he wasn't finished physically. As a striker, he lacked freshness and consistency. There were other players who were more effective than he was as a striker."

Bourgeais, a former professional defensive midfielder, soon realised that his young talent's future lay in playing deeper on the pitch. "At college, I decided to use him as a defensive midfielder and then as a central defender," explains Bourgeais. "I was convinced that he could express himself even better on the pitch by playing in another position, further back. We had to convince Moïse, who wasn't necessarily in favour at first. But he had faith in me, we got on well and the message got through. As a central defender, often in a three-man defence, he became impassable."

Under the guidance of his new coach, the future Aiglon progressed at Saint-Hubert, despite limited competition at ‘R1-N3’ level according to François Bourgeais. Above all, little Moïse was growing, making physical progress and developing his prime quality: speed. “He developed the muscular strength to respond to duels," recalls the French coach. "It's very rare to see boys of his size (1m91), who go as fast as he does. And he's not fast, he's ultra-fast," laughs the former mentor.

TRUST THE PROCESS

Québécois football became too small for Bombito. To grow even more, the defender had to cross the border. His sights were set on the United States and the MLS, whose bright lights attract all young Canadian players. "At the time, he turned down several offers from clubs playing in the Canadian Premier League, preferring to wait it out because he knew he had a chance in MLS," reveals Anis. "He could have turned pro sooner, but he preferred to put himself out there and go through the NCAA (the American university championship) to play in front of the MLS scouts."

Determined and self-confident, the 21-year-old took a risk. Especially as access to the best American universities is difficult. The NCAA championship is an essential stage for players who are not accepted into the academies of professional clubs and is a breeding ground for talent from which the biggest clubs in the United States come to tap into. But to get into a prestigious university and be able to develop under the eyes of the scouts, your academic record has to be up to scratch. "Moïse didn't have the grades to go straight into the top flight of universities," says Anis.

This latest setback did not discourage Bombito. The Canadian decided to take a step back in order to make a bigger leap forward: "He had to go through Junior College, a sort of preparatory course, while the academic formalities were sorted out," explains the independent scout. For a year, the future Allianz Riviera favourite played for Iowa Western Reivers in a league well below his level. "He had the humility to go and play at a level that was very easy for him, to kill off a year during which he could have tried his hand at playing professionally in Canada. He mapped out a path and he trusted himself to follow it and become a pro. That just goes to show how clear-headed he was. To do that, you really have to be humble and trust the process."

 

The plan worked perfectly. Eighteen months later, the Montréaler received an offer from the University of New Hampshire and moved to New England. His 2022 was the year he burst onto the scene. In the space of six months, Moïse rose through the ranks. Thanks to his performances, his school team, the Wildcats, won the conference championship. The individual honours came thick and fast: best defender in the conference, named in the championship's all-star team... Most importantly, Bombito obtained the ‘Generation Adidas’ tag and signed a contract with the renowned brand, giving him the chance to be drafted into MLS in his first year at university. “Usually, players spend 3 or 4 years at university before joining MLS," explains Anis. “But Moïse blew up so much in six months that he already had no business being there. He was doing just about everything in the team."

“IN MONTRÉAL, MOÏSE BOMBITO IS AN ICON”

At home in Saint-Laurent, those close to him continue to follow him and are impressed by his transformation. "He wasn't the same Moïse Bombito I'd known before," says his first coach Kwame Ansah. "He understood football a lot better and technically he had progressed. He had turned a corner." Spotted by Colorado Rapids, the 22-year-old defender saw his dreams come true. He joined the MLS franchise and finally became a professional player. "From the moment he left for Colorado, you could feel that he was evolving with every game. We realised that he was going to be one of the best defenders in the world,” enthuses the coach.

Bombito quickly became a key figure in his new team, and was ready to take off for the next chapter in the summer of 2024: Europe, with OGC Nice. Not without leaving his mark on Quebec. "He hasn't forgotten where he comes from," confirms Rocco Placentino. "For young players in Saint-Laurent, he's a role model. All over the world, children are fans of Messi, Ronaldo... But here, young people want to be Moïse Bombito."

 

From nothing, the Montreal native has become a trailblazer, a beacon of hope for the young people of his province and his country. "None of this was written for him. At 20, he's not even sniffing around the professional level. He's gone from a university player to a national star," explains Anis. "The route he decided to take, by going through a year of prep school, despite his talent, he was one of the first to do it."

“He represents a player who became a professional without going through an academy,” says François Bourgeais. “When Moïse comes back, he gives out shirts, he comes to sign autographs with starry-eyed kids. Just like when Zidane or Mbappé come to their neighbourhoods in France. He has become a role model, and yet he remains very humble, with his head on his shoulders. While enjoying his life, every time there's a victory, we see his big smile. Moïse's smile is hard to miss. He's tall, he's bright, he's just enjoying life. Today, in Montreal, Moïse Bombito is an icon." In Nice, he could well become one too.

---

Hugo Rondet