Luca Bombino first arrived at San Diego FC’s facility in the dark of night. He had just driven down from Carson, California, where he watched his soon-to-be teammates play the first match in Club history. The next day, he wandered through the facility, in the academy side first by accident, but found his way to his locker. By the next night, he was bonding with his new teammates on the way to Outback Steak House.
That’s how the defender has always operated. His ability to adapt to new situations has allowed him to succeed quickly when being thrown into new challenges.
“He's always looking for the good in situations. He's not a negative personality at all. It's kind of inspiring. I don't know where it came from,” said Luca’s mother, Nadia Bombino.
Bombino has had to adapt to many environments quickly in his young career. From different youth clubs to an MLS academy to rising through the ranks to a first-team contract, Bombino was always pushing himself to the next level.
His football success was clear early on. Growing up in a football-loving family, he always had a ball at his feet and Juventus FC matches on the television. By the age of three, he was playing up with the five-year-olds and scoring 13 goals a game while he was at it. He found his way to FC Valencia under the coaching of Charles Martinez, who helped Bombino grow into his game.
He spent three years there, leading him to be scouted at 10 years old by Los Angeles Football Club’s academy in the city he would call home less than a decade later. Bombino was scouted and invited to the academy trials at State Cup in San Diego. His academy trials lasted several months before he got the call-up to join the MLS expansion side's academy, where he’d eventually progress from U-12 to U-17.
The Bombino family spent nearly three hours a day driving their oldest son from Santa Clarita to East LA for his training sessions. That usually consisted of Luca’s father, Tony Bombino, driving while Luca slept or worked on his schoolwork. Eventually, Luca even transitioned to online schooling to help with the schedule.
“It's like a complete lifestyle change for everyone,” Nadia said. “But I think ultimately, we saw that that was what he needed to keep his life, to keep his hunger and to keep striving.”
Milestones and memories were made along the drive. Nadia recalls the moment Luca got the call that he made the United States Men’s National Team roster as an alternate for the U-17 World Cup. Moments like that made the sacrifices worth it.
“Luca took the call in the car, and I could tell in his voice. He was so excited and so emotional. The minute he hung up the phone, he started crying. And then we were just crying," Luca’s mother recalled.
Luca had always envisioned a career as a professional footballer, but joining the academy allowed him to picture his future. His playing time came in waves, but that taught him how to make the best of every situation he was put in. By his U-17 year, he was getting looks from LAFC’s second team. He earned a contract a few months after that and signed a Homegrown contract with LAFC on September 13, 2024.
“I definitely learned a lot of things. What it's like to be in a mature and professional environment because everybody around is striving for the same goal to be a pro, and there are not many spots,” Bombino said. “So that was like my first experience of, like, a real cutthroat environment. If you don't bring it every day, you're not going to last.”
Bombino made 32 appearances and 29 starts across two seasons for LAFC2. He was put on the bench for LAFC 4 times in the 2024 MLS season yet wouldn’t make his debut for another year – with another club. Bombino also had the option to play at UCLA, but he ultimately chose to bet on his dreams now.
“My parents always have taught me if you're going to do something, you have to give it your all,” Bombino said. “My dad would always ask me, ‘Is this what you really want?’ The answer was always, ‘yes.’ But I think that little moment of reflection and verbally saying, ' Yes, I'm choosing to do this.’ I'm choosing to do the hard work and struggle when I need to struggle. Those were good moments because it realigned me back onto the path I knew I wanted to be on.”
In February of 2025, Luca was getting ready to head out to training with LAFC2 when he was told he was being loaned to San Diego FC. He had his exit meetings, wrapped up his locker, and said goodbye to a chapter of his life. The next day, he sat in the family section at Dignity Health Sports Park for San Diego FC's match against LA Galaxy, where his new team would write the first chapter of their history.
He drove down to begin his own story with San Diego that very night.
“I found myself cheering for a team I never trained with,” Bombino recalled.
“I got a call from Mikey and Tyler the day I got traded, and they just emphasized to me how important the trust was from top to bottom, throughout the club, in the young players. They showed a lot of care in my development. And as soon as I got here, I felt the same from my teammates. I knew I was in the right spot.”
His debut came faster than he could have imagined. On March 8, Bombino made his MLS debut when he subbed on for former SDFC defender Franco Negri in the 73rd minute. San Diego went on to score two goals in stoppage time for a 3-1 victory over Real Salt Lake. Bombino was awarded the game ball in the locker room after his professional milestone.
He’d go on to rack up many more milestones in his time with the Chrome & Azul. He recorded his first start the following week versus Columbus and scored his first MLS goal four months later in a home match versus Houston. His grandmother was in the stands to see the moment on her birthday.
“It was just a swell of emotion, and you could see it. I think it kind of unlocked something in him as well,” Tony Bombino said.
That moment also reminded the young player of an even younger version of himself who used to dream of hearing a stadium erupting with joy because of him.
“As a kid growing up, you're playing around with the ball at the park or whatever, and you shoot and you just, like, chant your own name and then for somebody else to do that and the whole stadium to do that is like, it's a dream come true,” Bombino said with a smile.
Shortly after that, Bombino was part of a group that was named the youngest backline in MLS history. At the time, he was just 19 years old. In his first season debuting in the MLS, Bombino started 24 of 26 regular season games and started in all 5 of San Diego FC’s first-ever playoff run, totaling 2530 minutes. He was named to the MLS 22 Under 22 list, ranking ninth overall, and he was awarded with “The Growth Mindset Award” in SDFC’s inaugural Flow Awards. Bombino was the only player under 22 to make 33 appearances across all competitions for SDFC.
All he needed was an opportunity to showcase himself and a platform to further his development.
“Luca is a player that came to us and was developed by another club in LAFC. And they did a fantastic job in developing him, but he just didn't have an opportunity or a pathway there,” Sporting Director and General Manager Tyler Heaps said. “And so I think us finding that right fit and giving him that opportunity and then it's full credit to Luca for taking the opportunity.”
In January, SDFC re-signed Bombino to a contract extension guaranteed through the 2028-29 season. Through 2026, Bombino racked up 4305 minutes across 56 appearances with 49 starts across all competitions. He scored 5 goals and picked up 9 assists across MLS, CONCACAF Champions Cup and Leagues Cup matches. In April, his goal in the 7th minute against Minnesota went down in the record books as the Club’s 100th goal across all competitions.
Bombino gives a lot of credit to the environment San Diego FC has given him to grow and develop into the player he is today. That is a testament to the model SDFC has in place for developing young talent and providing pathways to opportunity.
“I think this environment has given me everything I've needed to succeed. It's challenged me when I've needed it. It's supported me when I've felt low. But it's given me a lot of confidence to just learn and develop without, like, fear of consequence,” Bombino said.
“Everybody in the building always has a smile on their face, and they genuinely want the best for you. You can feel that from the coaches on the field. They challenge you to be better, but they always do it with an arm over your shoulder. Your teammates will do the same,” he continued.
As part of Right to Dream, development is one of San Diego FC's core values. When the Club played its first match, San Diego’s Right to Dream Academy was still scouting the first-ever class. The first team roster had to be built creatively with young talent developed by other academies. The dream for San Diego now is to develop this youth from their own academy system. And with multiple teams across the U-13, U-14, and U-16 level now training on the same grounds as the first team, that dream may soon become a reality for SDFC.
“I think development is at the forefront of everything we're trying to do. It's, but I don't think it's only development. I think it's opportunity. It's about getting these players professional-ready. And then it's whenever they're professional ready, giving them an opportunity to go showcase themselves,” Heaps said.
“At Right to Dream, we're the only multi-club in the world that has more academies than first teams. So, development is at the base of everything. And it's about developing the player, it's about developing the human, and then obviously trying to get them into a first team or professional environment. That could be us, or it could be anywhere in the world. I think that's what's so special about what we're doing, is trying to provide these opportunities for all of these kids that are coming through our pathways,” he continued.
For Bombino, this pathway is now leading him to the English Football League Championship with Stoke City FC located in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. The defender joins the EFL Championship side on a permanent transfer with SDFC retaining a future sell-on percentage.
“My dream is to play at the highest level I can, and I think this next opportunity is fantastic for that. It's a great test. And I'm really excited to take it. I've felt the support, the whole way through and especially today, you know, everybody has my back. Everybody's saying they're going to go and buy new jerseys and have a new favorite team in England,” Bombino said.
For the 20-year-old, it’s also another opportunity to prove himself and to continue to find his professional ceiling as he’s done every step of his way so far.
“Another door is opened, and I'm excited to go through it,” he said
Bombino’s key contributions to SDFC and this transfer represent the Club’s commitment to player-focused development. And while he may be the first young transfer out of San Diego FC, he is not the example of success in this development model.
“We have a locker room full of guys like me. That are just blossoming and becoming such incredible players. With me taking this step, it's the first one and you can say it opens the, the door a little bit, but I think those guys are opening the door for themselves,” Bombino said. “And I'm so excited to see what the future has for them.”
While Bombino may be closing this chapter on his time at SDFC, he will always be grateful to have been a part of building this Club’s history. His love for this organization, his teammates, and the entire San Diego community was evident in the way he carried himself in his time here, and especially in his heart-felt goodbye to San Diego.
“Playing for San Diego FC has been the most incredible experience of my life so far. And I will never forget the memories we've built together at this club. And I feel so privileged to be a part of its beginning. I can take a lot of pride in being part of the first squad in San Diego's history,” Bombino said.
“I'll never forget it.”
This move marks one of the first major transfers for this club. Here is a quick breakdown of why this is happening now, and what the transfer window is.
All MLS teams must freeze their roster by Friday, October 9, 2026, and submit their final 30-man roster through the day following the MLS Cup. The next registration window for players will open in the preseason for next year to add and make changes to the squad. This move for Bombino is happening in 2026’s Secondary Transfer Window. These windows allow MLS teams to request the international transfer certificate of a player under contract in another country.
An International Transfer Certificate is the formal electronic document needed to transfer a player's registration to a different country. It is required under FIFA rules, for a player to obtain an ITC before being officially registered to play for a club in a new country. The transfer window for most major European teams in 2026 closes September 1st , however, here are the MLS transfer windows for the 2026 season.
- Primary Transfer Window: Monday, January 26, 2026 – Thursday, March 26, 2026
- Secondary Transfer Window: Monday, July 13, 2026 – Wednesday, September 2, 2026
