Ousseni Bouda

Ousseni Bouda Bio

Ousseni Bouda (born 28 April 2000) is a Burkinabé professional footballer who plays for Major League Soccer club San Jose Earthquakes and the Burkina Faso national team. Bouda was the recipient of the Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year award for the 2017–18 season. The award is a nationally recognized honor given to the best high school athlete in each sport in the United States.

Early Life and Background

Born in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Ousseni Bouda spent four years at the Right to Dream Academy in Ghana. He then moved to the Millbrook School in New York, where he led the Millbrook Mustangs to a Class C championship in the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council. Bouda finished his high school career with 82 appearances for the Mustangs, scoring 156 goals. In his last two high school games, he scored five goals in each game, leading the Mustangs to win the championship. Bouda made his amateur club debut with Black Rock FC as a substitute in their 1-1 draw with Seacoast United Phantoms on May 23, 2018. Ahead of his first college season, he played with Black Rock in the 2019 USL League Two season, scoring eight goals in only six matches played.

Path to Soccer

Bouda was listed as a five-star recruit by Top Drawer Soccer and played college soccer for the Stanford Cardinal men’s soccer program. He was the first Stanford soccer player to win the Gatorade High School Player of the Year Award. On August 30, 2019, Bouda made his collegiate debut for Stanford in a 5–0 win against Penn State, where he also scored his first college goal. On October 15, 2019, he earned the Pac-12 Men’s Soccer Player of the Week honor, being the first freshman of the season to receive this recognition. Bouda was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year on November 20, 2019, concluding the 2019 Pac-12 Conference men’s soccer season. He sat out the 2020 season due to injury, but in the 2021 season, he led Stanford with nine assists and five goals, earning spots on the United Soccer Coaches All-Region first team and the All-Pac-12 first team.

Ousseni Bouda Career

Early Career (2018–2021)

On January 6, 2022, Bouda was announced as one of the eight members of the 2022 Generation Adidas class ahead of the 2022 MLS SuperDraft. Five days later, he was chosen by the San Jose Earthquakes as their first and the eighth overall selection in the MLS SuperDraft. Bouda made his professional debut on March 5, 2022, as a substitute in San Jose’s draw with the Columbus Crew. He made his first professional start and scored his first professional goal on April 19, 2022, in San Jose’s 5–0 victory over Bay Cities FC in the Third Round of the 2022 U.S. Open Cup. Bouda also played three matches with San Jose Earthquakes II in MLS Next Pro during the 2022 season, scoring two goals.

Breakthrough (2022–Present)

In the 2023 season, Bouda made the most MLS appearances of his career, appearing 15 times for the Earthquakes during the regular season. He also played for San Jose’s second team, appearing in eight matches and scoring seven goals during the 2023 MLS Next Pro regular season, helping propel them to the MLS Next Pro playoffs for the first time. Bouda started and scored in Earthquakes II’s first-ever playoff victory, a 2–0 win away to St. Louis City SC 2 in the Western Conference quarter-finals. He scored the game-winning goal for the Earthquakes in their 2024 U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 match against Oakland Roots SC on May 7, 2024. On June 28, 2024, Bouda moved on loan to USL Championship side Monterey Bay FC for the remainder of their 2024 season, with San Jose retaining the right to recall him at any time before the completion of the loan deal. Bouda made his debut with Monterey Bay on June 29, 2024, as a substitute in a 1–0 loss away to Colorado Springs Switchbacks. The following week, he had his first start with Monterey Bay, scoring the game-winning goal in the 91st minute of a 1–0 away result against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. Bouda was recalled to the Earthquakes on July 20, 2024, ahead of San Jose’s match away to Minnesota United FC.

Notable Works and Milestones

Ousseni Bouda’s signature work includes his performances in Major League Soccer and his contributions to the Burkina Faso national team. He has achieved significant milestones, including being named the Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year and earning multiple honors during his collegiate and professional career.

Ousseni Bouda Award Nominations

Throughout his career, Ousseni Bouda has received nominations for various awards, including the Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year, which he won in 2018.

Ousseni Bouda Awards Won

Ousseni Bouda has won the Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year award for the 2017–18 season, recognizing him as one of the top high school soccer players in the United States.

Ousseni Bouda Family

Information regarding Ousseni Bouda’s family is not publicly available.

Personal Life

Details about Ousseni Bouda’s personal life, including marital status and children, are not publicly disclosed.