SAN DIEGO (Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026) – San Diego FC (SDFC) announced today that the Club has signed Free Agent and Congo DR Men’s National Team Forward Cédric Bakambu through the 2026 season with Club options for the 2027 MLS Sprint Season and the 2027-28 season. Bakambu, who represented his country at the FIFA World Cup 2026™, will be added to the roster pending receipt of his P1 Visa.
“Cédric brings an incredible level of experience and proven quality to San Diego FC,” said SDFC Sporting Director Tyler Heaps. “He has built an outstanding career competing at the highest levels in Europe and internationally, and his ability to consistently find the back of the net has been a defining part of his game. He understands what it takes to perform on the biggest stages and brings a winning mentality that will be extremely valuable to our group. We’re thrilled to welcome Cédric and his family to San Diego and look forward to seeing him make his mark with our Club.”
Bakambu, 35, joins SDFC as a free agent after spending the past two seasons with La Liga side Real Betis Balompié, where he made 74 appearances (36 starts), recording 15 goals and seven assists across all competitions. Over the course of his club career, Bakambu has registered 191 goals and 39 assists in 492 appearances.
Born in Ivry-sur-Seine, France, Bakambu developed through the academy ranks at Ligue 1 side FC Sochaux, making 107 appearances and recording 21 goals and three assists from 2010-2014. He then moved to Turkish Süper Lig side Bursaspor in September 2014, where he recorded 21 goals and seven assists in 40 appearances across all competitions. During the 2014-15 season, he finished as the Turkish Cup's top scorer with eight goals.
Bakambu joined La Liga side Villarreal CF on Aug. 19, 2015, and spent three seasons with the club from 2015-2018. He made 105 appearances across all competitions, scoring 47 goals and adding five assists. During Villarreal's run to the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League semifinals, Bakambu scored nine goals in 13 appearances.
From 2018-2022, Bakambu played for Chinese Super League side Beijing Guoan, recording 58 goals and 21 assists in 87 appearances and helping the club win the 2018 Chinese FA Cup. He also finished as the Chinese Super League's top scorer during the 2019-20 campaign with 14 goals.
Bakambu returned to Europe in 2022, joining Olympique de Marseille, where he scored four goals and recorded two assists in 24 appearances. Later that year, he moved to Greek side Olympiacos, scoring 18 goals and adding three assists in 37 appearances while finishing as the league's top scorer.
In 2023, Bakambu moved to Al-Nassr before joining Turkish Süper Lig side Galatasaray later that summer. With Galatasaray, he earned his second Turkish championship, helping the club claim the 2023-24 Süper Lig title before moving to Real Betis.
Internationally, Bakambu represented France at the youth level from U-18 through U-21, making 38 combined appearances. He was a key member of France's squad at the 2010 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, scoring three goals during the tournament, including the game-winning goal in France's 2-1 semifinal victory over Croatia on July 27, 2010. France defeated Spain 2-1 in the final on July 30, 2010, to claim the U-19 European Championship title.
Born to Congolese parents, Bakambu later chose to represent the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the senior international level. He made his debut in a 1-1 friendly draw against Cameroon on June 9, 2015. At the 2026 FIFA World Cup™, Bakambu made three appearances for Congo DR, making his World Cup debut in the team's historic 1-1 draw against Portugal on June 17, 2026.
Transaction: SDFC sings Free Agent and Congo DR Men’s National Team Forward Cédric Bakambu through the 2026 MLS season with Club options for the 2027 MLS Sprint Season and the 2027-28 season.
Name: Cédric Bakambu
Position: Forward
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 160
Born: 4/10/1991
Age: 35
Birthplace: Ivry-sur Seine, France
Pronunciation: Sé-drik bah-KAHM-boo
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