Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 19, 2026

Jonathan Bamba

Jonathan Fousseni Bamba is a professional footballer who plays as a left winger or attacking midfielder for Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire. Born in France, he plays for the Ivory Coast national team.

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Jun 19, 2026
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Jonathan Bamba
Bamba with the Chicago Fire in 2025
Personal information
Full name Jonathan Fousseni Bamba1
Date of birth (1996-03-26) 26 March 19962
Place of birth Alfortville, France
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)3
Positions
Team information
Current team
 Chicago Fire
Number 19
Youth career
2002–2005 CA Paris
2005–2011 UJA Alfortville
2011–2015 Saint-Étienne
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2015 Saint-Étienne B 51 (12)
2015–2018 Saint-Étienne 42 (8)
2016 → Paris FC (loan) 14 (0)
2016 → Sint-Truiden (loan) 8 (2)
2017 → Angers (loan) 16 (3)
2018–2023 Lille 167 (27)
2023–2025 Celta Vigo 39 (3)
2025– Chicago Fire 43 (7)
International career‡
2011 France U16 2 (0)
2013 France U18 3 (0)
2015–2016 France U20 7 (2)
2017–2019 France U21 21 (5)
2023– Ivory Coast 9 (1)
Medal record
Representing  Ivory Coast
Men's football
Africa Cup of Nations
Winner 2023 Ivory Coast
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 13 May 2026
‡ National team caps and goals as of 26 March 2024

Jonathan Fousseni Bamba (born 26 March 1996) is a professional footballer who plays as a left winger or attacking midfielder for Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire.4 Born in France, he plays for the Ivory Coast national team.

Club career

Saint-Étienne

Bamba playing for Paris FC in 2016. source ↗

Jonathan Fousseni Bamba is a graduate of Saint-Étienne youth academy, which he joined in 2011.

Bamba made his Ligue 1 debut on 25 January 2015 against Paris Saint-Germain replacing Yohan Mollo after 82 minutes in a 0–1 home defeat. During the summer of 2015 he scored against Ajax Amsterdam in a pre-season friendly. On 20 September 2015, he started in the Ligue 1 match against Nantes and scored in the 26th minute to register his first competitive goal for Saint-Étienne's first team in a 2–0 home win.5

On 18 January 2016, Bamba joined Ligue 2 club Paris FC on loan until the end of the 2015-16 season, with Paris FC not given an option to buy him when the loan expired.67 Bamba was loaned to Belgian First Division A club Sint-Truiden in the summer of 2016. However Sint-Truiden sent him back early to Saint-Etienne during the winter break of the 2016–17 season. On 4 January 2017, Bamba was loaned to Ligue 1 club Angers until the end of the 2016-17 season.8

On 24 September 2017, Bamba scored Saint-Étienne's second equalizing goal from the penalty spot in a 2–2 Ligue 1 home draw against Rennes to register his fourth Ligue 1 goal (three of which were penalties) of the 2017–18 season.9

Lille

Bamba (black) with Lille against Salzburg in 2021 source ↗

On 2 July 2018, Bamba signed a five-year deal with Lille OSC.10 On 11 August 2018, Bamba made his competitive debut for Lille and scored the final goal of the match in the 3–1 Ligue 1 home win over Stade Rennais. Two weeks later, he played his third Ligue 1 match for Lille and took his 2018–19 Ligue 1 goal tally to three when he scored two goals in the 3–0 Ligue 1 home win over Guingamp.11 On 30 September, Bamba scored two goals (including a penalty) in the final six minutes of the match in the 3–0 Ligue 1 home win over Marseille.12 On 6 October, he took his 2018–19 Ligue 1 goal tally to seven (he had scored only seven Ligue 1 goals during the entire 2017–18 season) when he scored two goals again and assisted Nicolas Pépé's goal in a 3–1 Ligue 1 home win over Saint-Étienne.13

After a cancelled 2019–20 Ligue 1 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bamba became confirmed as a regular starter, as Lille won their fourth league title during the 2020–21 season, being in the field in all league games.14

During the 2021–22 Lille OSC season, he participated in the 1–0 win against PSG in the Trophée des Champions, with the club winning that trophy for the first time ever.15 Later, he helped the team to get out of the 2021–22 UEFA Champions League group stage and played against Chelsea in round of 16.16

Celta

On 18 July 2023, Bamba signed with La Liga club Celta.17

Chicago Fire

On 21 January 2025, Bamba moved to Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire on a three-year deal.1819

International career

Bamba was born in France and is of Ivorian descent.20 He is a dual-national, and was able to choose to represent either France or Ivory Coast internationally.20

Bamba (right) with Ivory Coast in 2024 source ↗

After representing France at various youth levels, he switched his allegiance to the latter in March 2023, as he accepted a call-up to the Ivorian senior national team for two Africa Cup of Nations qualification matches against Comoros.21

In December 2023, Bamba was named in the Ivory Coast's squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.222324 He was in the starting XI for Ivory Coast's 2–0 win over Guinea-Bissau in the tournament's opening match.25

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 13 May 20264
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cupa League cupb Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Saint-Étienne 2014–15 Ligue 1 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 — 4 0
2015–16 5 1 1 0 1 0 4c 0 — 11 1
2017–18 34 7 2 1 1 0 — — 37 8
Total 42 8 4 1 2 0 4 0 0 0 52 9
Paris FC (loan) 2015–16 Ligue 2 14 0 0 0 0 0 — — 14 0
Sint-Truiden (loan) 2016–17 Belgian Pro League 8 2 3 1 — — — 11 3
Angers (loan) 2016–17 Ligue 1 16 3 4 0 0 0 — — 20 3
Lille 2018–19 Ligue 1 38 13 3 1 0 0 — — 41 14
2019–20 26 1 3 0 2 0 6d 0 — 37 1
2020–21 38 6 2 0 — 8c 1 — 48 7
2021–22 31 1 1 0 — 6d 0 1e 0 39 1
2022–23 34 6 1 0 — — — 35 6
Total 167 27 10 1 2 0 20 1 1 0 200 29
Celta 2023–24 La Liga 27 3 1 2 — — — 28 5
2024–25 12 0 2 1 — — — 14 1
Total 39 3 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 42 6
Chicago Fire 2025 Major League Soccer 34 5 3 0 — — 3f 1 40 6
2026 9 2 0 0 — — 0 0 9 2
Total 43 7 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 49 8
Career total 329 50 27 6 4 0 24 1 4 1 388 58

Honours

Lille

Ivory Coast

Individual

References

References

  1. "CÔTE D'IVOIRE" (PDF). CAF. 5 January 2024. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  2. "Jonathan Bamba (Celta Vigo)". L'Équipe.
  3. "Jonathan Bamba". RC Celta de Vigo. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  4. Jonathan Bamba at Soccerway. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  5. "Saint-Étienne vs. PSG - 25 January 2015 - Soccerway". soccerway.com. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  6. "Jonathan Bamba to join Paris FC on loan". Get French Football News. 18 January 2016.
  7. "Bilel Moshni (Angers) et Jonathan Bamba (Saint-Etienne) au Paris FC". L'Équipe. 18 January 2016.
  8. "Transfert : Jonathan Bamba prêté à Angers". L'Équipe. 4 January 2017.
  9. "Saint-Étienne come from behind twice in Rennes draw". www.ligue1.com. 24 September 2017.
  10. "En fin de contrat à Saint-Etienne, Jonathan Bamba signe à Lille". L'Équipe. 2 July 2018.
  11. "Bamba doubles up as Lille take down Guingamp". www.ligue1.com. 26 August 2018.
  12. "Lille stun Marseille to move up to second". www.ligue1.com. 30 September 2018.
  13. "Lille sink Saint-Etienne to go second". www.ligue1.com. 6 October 2018.
  14. "Lille hold their nerve to clinch their first Ligue 1 title for a decade". The Guardian. 23 May 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  15. "Lille 1–0 Paris Saint-Germain: Les Dogues clinch first French Super Cup". Sky Sports. 1 August 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  16. "A nouveau battu par Chelsea, Lille éliminé de la Ligue des champions en huitièmes de finale". Le Monde (in French). 16 March 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  17. "Libre, Jonathan Bamba rejoint le Celta Vigo pour 3 ans" [Free, Jonathan Bamba joins Celta Vigo for 3 years] (in French). L'Équipe. 18 July 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  18. "Chicago Fire FC Acquires Winger Jonathan Bamba as Designated Player | Chicago Fire FC". chicagofirefc.
  19. Calabrese, Alex (20 January 2025). "Chicago Fire Announce Jonathan Bamba Signing". MIR97 Media. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  20. "Jonathan Bamba: le jeune ivoirien à Saint Trond". africatopsports.com (in French). Africa Top Sports. 17 August 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  21. "Elim. CAN 2023 (3è et 4è CIV-COM & COM-CIV) : Jean Louis Gasset dévoile les 23 Eléphants". Fédération Ivoirienne de Football. 15 March 2023. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  22. "LA LISTE" (in Portuguese). Ivorian Football Federation. 28 December 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2024 – via Facebook.
  23. Sahi, Tristan (28 December 2023). "Côte d'Ivoire: voici les 27 Eléphants de Gasset, Zaha et des ténors font leurs adieux à la CAN 2023" (in French). 7info. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  24. "CÔTE D'IVOIRE" (PDF). Confederation of African Football. 5 January 2024.
  25. "Côte d'Ivoire 2–0 Guinea-Bissau". Confederation of African Football. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  26. "Lille beat PSG to clinch first French Super Cup". Sky Sports. 1 August 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  27. Stevens, Rob (11 February 2024). "Nigeria 1–2 Ivory Coast". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  28. "Jonathan Bamba, joueur du mois d'avril !" (in French). UNFP. 13 May 2019. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  29. "Jonathan Bamba, joueur du mois d'octobre de la Ligue 1 Uber Eats !" (in French). UNFP. 19 November 2020. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
External links