Moise Bombito cementing status as key player for Canadian men's team

Moïse Bombito can barely catch his breath these days. 

Not literally, of course. Still only 24, the Canadian centre back is in peak physical condition and at the top of his individual game with French club OGC Nice, routinely testing himself against some of the best forwards that France’s first division has to offer. 

No, Bombito’s shortness of breath is purely figurative, the byproduct of a spellbinding stretch that has seen him go from U.S. junior college soccer hopeful, to NCAA standout, to MLS prospect and, finally, to playing in one of Europe’s top leagues. While Bombito’s stock has enjoyed a whirlwind surge at club level, the Quebec native has simultaneously cemented himself as a key figure for the Canadian men’s team.  

Although first capped in 2023, the towering defender was largely overlooked by former manager John Herdman. But he’s played every minute of all 13 games that Canada has had under Jesse Marsch since the American’s appointment last May, including all six matches during the team’s magical semifinal run at last summer’s Copa América. 

Bombito will add to his national team totals this week at the Concacaf Nations League finals in Los Angeles. Canada meets Mexico in Thursday’s semifinal and will play either in Sunday’s championship match or third-place game against the United States or Panama. He’s expected to once again be front and centre in the heart of Canada’s defence during the continental tournament, continuing an amazing career trajectory that has left his head spinning.  

“To be honest, it's been going really fast, and I didn't have time to sit down and really let it all sink in, right? But I've been enjoying the meteoric rise because as a kid, that's what you dream about,” Bombito told Sportsnet. 

Don’t think for one second that Bombito hasn’t earned this, though. He’s put in his time, working his way up from humble beginnings in Montreal's soccer circles to the top of the European club game through hard work, graft and self-belief. He began his youth soccer career in Quebec with CS St-Laurent before attending College Ahuntsic, where he was named to the RSEQ all-star team. Yet, he went largely unnoticed at home as professional opportunities didn’t present themselves.  

A move to Iowa Western Community College in 2020 proved to be the turning point. It was at the modest junior college that Bombito’s star began to shine, as he helped the Reivers win a national championship. After two seasons there, he transferred to the University of New Hampshire in 2022. That season, he was named the team MVP and a Second Team All-American, and was a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy, awarded to NCAA soccer’s best player. But rather than continue his collegiate career, he turned pro early and was drafted in the first round (third overall) by the Colorado Rapids of MLS. 

Bombito made his league debut in 2023, overcoming a knee injury he suffered early on in the season. He appeared in only 34 games for the Rapids, but impressed with his athleticism and technical ability, so much so that Nice came calling. The fabled French club took notice of his ascent at club level and with the Canadian national team, purchasing him last summer in a transfer that Rapids proudly boasted “broke the MLS record fee for a centre back.”

He’s been a regular starter for Nice ever since, racking up 29 appearances for the club in all competitions, including six in the UEFA Europa League. The Canadian’s path to one of the top French clubs wasn’t achieved via a direct route. Instead, there were a number of divergent roads he had to travel to get to this place. But it’s just as much about the journey as it is about the final destination, something that Bombito believes helped him get to where he is today.  

“To be honest, I wouldn't want it any other way, just because of where I come from. It's been a bit of a struggle just to come up in Montreal and then having to move to Iowa; the sacrifice that I had to make with my friends and family. The only thing that I knew was Montreal, and to just leave and go into a different environment, it takes a lot of courage, and I feel like that helped me for what was next,” Bombito said. 

Both Bombito and Derek Cornelius were very much on the fringes of Canada’s starting 11 under Herdman. But Marsch made them his starting centre-back duo almost immediately after taking over the coaching reins. 

They’ve repaid his faith with their chemistry in the heart of defence, developing a reputation as one of the best centre-back duos in the Concacaf region. And it was only after watching film of the unheralded-at-the-time defenders that Marsch decided to take on the job as Canada’s coach. 

“Before I said yes to Canada Soccer, I told him I had to take 24 hours to look at the defensive players,” Marsch told Sportsnet. "I had to review them on video. We basically agreed on everything, and I said, 'Before I make a final decision, I have to make sure that these defensive players are good.' And then I watched specifically those two guys, and I was like, 'All right, we're good. Let's do this.' So, I believed from the beginning that those two were going to be essential."   

Herdman gave Bombito his national team debut, but he never fully trusted him as he continued to rely on more experienced centre backs such as Steven Vitória, who immediately lost his place in the team under Marsch. 

Bombito played only four games for Canada with Herdman at the helm, and was often deployed as a holding midfielder. Marsch quickly corrected that, installing the soft-spoken and likable Bombito in his natural centre-back position where he has flourished and won plaudits for his positional strength and reading of the game. 

“I think John saw my potential, but I don't think he was sure of where I was going to play, because at the Gold Cup, when I had my first game, it was at the No. 6 position, right?” Bombito said. "I felt like he definitely saw that raw power, the rough strength that I had. But I feel like Jesse knew exactly where he wanted me to play, and where I was going to flourish the most. And I think that was spot on."