{{Short description|Senegalese footballer (born 1992)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Dominique Badji | image = Dominique Badji 2023.jpg | caption = Badji with FC Cincinnati in 2023 | fullname = Dominique Joël Badji<ref>{{TFF player|2624627}}</ref> | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1992|10|16|df=y}} | birth_place = Dakar, Senegal | height = {{convert|1.83|m|order=flip}}<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.mlssoccer.com/players/dominique-badji/ |title=Dominique Badji |publisher=MLS |access-date=22 September 2023}}</ref> | currentclub = | clubnumber = | position = Forward | collegeyears1 = 2011–2014 | college1 = Boston University Terriers | collegecaps1 = 69 | collegegoals1 = 26 | years1 = 2014 | clubs1 = Real Boston Rams | caps1 = 6 | goals1 = 4 | years2 = 2015–2018 | clubs2 = Colorado Rapids | caps2 = 91 <!--MLS Only--> | goals2 = 24 <!--MLS Only--> | years3 = 2015 | clubs3 = → Charlotte Independence (loan) | caps3 = 6 | goals3 = 3 | years4 = 2018–2020 | clubs4 = FC Dallas | caps4 = 38 | goals4 = 8 | years5 = 2020–2021 | clubs5 = Nashville SC | caps5 = 17 | goals5 = 1 | years6 = 2021 | clubs6 = Colorado Rapids | caps6 = 12 | goals6 = 5 | years7 = 2022–2023 | clubs7 = FC Cincinnati | caps7 = 47 | goals7 = 5 | years8 = 2024 | clubs8 = Bandırmaspor | caps8 = 7 | goals8 = 1 | years9 = 2024–2025 | clubs9 = D.C. United | caps9 = 30 | goals9 = 2 | club-update = 25 October 2025 | ntupdate = }} '''Dominique Joël Badji''' (born October 16, 1992) is a Senegalese professional footballer who plays as a forward.
==Career== ===Early life=== Born in Dakar, Senegal, Badji moved to Tanzania and Zimbabwe prior to moving to the United States to help further his education. He is the firstborn son of Daniel, an interpreter, liaison and teacher, and Clotilde, a homemaker.<ref name="full circle">{{cite news |last1=Goff |first1=Steven |title=The ‘full circle’ soccer journey that brought Dominique Badji to D.C. United |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/10/02/dominique-badji-dc-united/ |access-date=5 July 2025 |work=Washington Post |date=2 October 2024 |language=en}}</ref> Badji spent two years at Episcopal High School, a prestigious boarding school in Alexandria, Virginia<ref name="full circle"/> on a full scholarship before eventually attending Boston University where he played soccer for the Boston University Terriers.<ref name="Rapids Signing 2015">{{cite news|title=Rapids sign SuperDraft pick Dominique Badji after successful preseason|url=http://www.coloradorapids.com/news/2015/03/rapids-sign-superdraft-pick-dominique-badji-after-successful-preseason|access-date=7 March 2015|website=coloradorapids.com|publisher=Colorado Rapids|date=4 March 2015|archive-date=6 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150406193058/http://www.coloradorapids.com/news/2015/03/rapids-sign-superdraft-pick-dominique-badji-after-successful-preseason|url-status=dead}}</ref> While with the Terriers, Badji was included on the 2014 All Region First Team and was the 2014 Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year.<ref name="Rapids Signing 2015"/> Badji was one of the most athletic collegiate players in the MLS Combine in 2015 in Ft. Lauderdale.<ref name="mlssoccer.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2015/01/11/2015-adidas-mls-player-combine-top-10-players-power-agility-and-speed-rankings|title=2015 adidas MLS Player Combine: The top 10 players in power, agility and speed rankings|website=mlssoccer.com|publisher=Major League Soccer|date=11 January 2015|access-date=20 May 2020}}</ref> With a time of 3.98 secs in the 30-meter dash, 4.10 secs in the 5–10–5 agility and a vertical leap of 36 inches, Badji was the only athlete to score in the top 10 of each category.<ref name="mlssoccer.com"/>
===Colorado Rapids=== On 15 January 2015, Badji was selected by the Colorado Rapids as the 67th overall selection during the 2015 MLS SuperDraft.<ref name="Rapids Signing 2015"/> After impressing the coaching staff during pre-season, Badji was signed to a professional contract on March 4.<ref name="Rapids Signing 2015"/> Badji scored his first professional goal on April 10 against FC Dallas, ending a 600 minute goalless drought for the club, dating back to 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fcdallas.com/news/2015/04/match-recap-fc-dallas-0-colorado-rapids-4|title=Match Recap: FC Dallas 0, Colorado Rapids 4|website=fcdallas.com|publisher=FC Dallas|date=10 April 2015|access-date=20 May 2020|archive-date=16 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016094153/http://www.fcdallas.com/news/2015/04/match-recap-fc-dallas-0-colorado-rapids-4|url-status=dead}}</ref> Badji's performance earned him a spot on the MLS Team of the Week alongside teammate Dillon Powers <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2015/04/13/team-week-wk-6-colorado-rapids-spring-life-young-guns-dispatch-fc-dallas|title=Team of the Week (Wk 6): Colorado Rapids spring to life as young guns dispatch FC Dallas|website=mlssoccer.com|publisher=Major League Soccer|date=13 April 2015|access-date=20 May 2020}}</ref>
=== FC Dallas === On 23 July 2018, Badji was traded to FC Dallas for Kellyn Acosta. Badji made his debut for the club in August 2018 against Seattle Sounders FC and scored. Dallas went on to lose that game 2–1. Badji was subbed on and started games for the club more frequently. He achieved a total of ten appearances for the club in the 2018 season.
=== Nashville SC === On 2 December 2019, Nashville SC acquired Badji from FC Dallas in exchange for $175,000 in Targeted Allocation Money and $150,000 in General Allocation Money.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2019/12/02/fc-dallas-trade-dominique-badji-nashville-sc-325000-allocation-money|title=FC Dallas trade Dominique Badji to Nashville SC for $325,000 in allocation money|last=Boehm|first=Charles|date=2 December 2019 |website=mlssoccer.com|publisher=Major League Soccer|access-date=2 December 2019}}</ref>
===Return to Colorado Rapids=== On 29 July 2021, Badji returned to Colorado Rapids, traded in exchange for up to $100,000 in General Allocation Money.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nashvillesc.com/news/nashville-soccer-club-trades-dominique-badji-to-the-colorado-rapids|title=Nashville Soccer Club Trades Dominique Badji to the Colorado Rapids|first=Nashville|last=SC|website=Nashville SC}}</ref>
===FC Cincinnati=== On 4 January 2022, Badji signed a one-year deal with FC Cincinnati as a free agent.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fccincinnati.com/news/fc-cincinnati-sign-forward-dominique-badji|title=FC Cincinnati sign forward Dominique Badji | FC Cincinnati|website=fccincinnati}}</ref>
==Career statistics== {{updated|10 May 2025}}<ref>{{Soccerway|dominique-badji/399039}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |- !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|Cup{{efn|Includes U.S. Open Cup}} !colspan="2"|League Cup{{efn|Includes MLS Cup Playoffs}} !colspan="2"|Continental !colspan="2"|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="5"|Colorado Rapids |2015 |rowspan="4"|Major League Soccer |15||2||2||2|| colspan="2" |—||colspan="2"|—||17||4 |- |2016 |27||6||2||1||4||0||colspan="2"|—||33||7 |- |2017 |33||9||2||1||colspan="2" |—||colspan="2"|—||35||10 |- |2018 |16||7||—||—||0||0||2{{efn|Appearance(s) in CONCACAF Champions Cup}}||0||18||7 |- !colspan="2"|Total !91!!24!!6!!4!!4!!0!!2!!0!!103!!28 |- |Charlotte Independence (loan) |2015 |United Soccer League||6||2||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||6||2 |- |rowspan="3"|FC Dallas |2018 |rowspan="2"|Major League Soccer |10||2||0||0||0||0||0||0||10||2 |- |2019 |28||6||0||0||0||0||0||0||28||6 |- !colspan="2"|Total !38!!8!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!38!!8 |- |rowspan="3"|Nashville SC |2020 |rowspan="2"|Major League Soccer |12||1||0||0||0||0||0||0||12||1 |- |2021 |5||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||5||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !17!!1!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!17!!1 |- |Colorado Rapids |2021 |Major League Soccer |12||5||colspan=2|—||0||0||colspan=2|—||12||5 |- |rowspan="3"|FC Cincinnati |2022 |rowspan="2"|Major League Soccer |24||0||0||0||1||0||0||0||25||0 |- |2023 |23||5||4||0||4||0||0||0||31||5 |- !colspan="2"|Total !47!!5!!4!!0!!5!!0!!0!!0!!56!!5 |- |Bandırmaspor |2023–24 |TFF First League |7||1||1{{efn|Appearance in Turkish Cup}}||0||0||0||colspan=2|—||8||1 |- |rowspan="3"|D.C. United |2024 |rowspan="2"|Major League Soccer |9||1||colspan=2|—||0||0||2{{efn|Appearance(s) in Leagues Cup}}||0||11||1 |- |2025 |10||0||colspan=2|—||0||0||colspan=2|—||10||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !19!!1!!0!!0!!0!!0!!2!!0!!21!!1 |- !colspan="3"|Career Total !237!!47!!11!!4!!9!!0!!4!!0!!261!!51 |} {{notelist}}
==Honours== '''FC Cincinnati''' *Supporters' Shield: 2023
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == * {{MLS player|dominique-badji}} * {{Soccerway}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Badji, Dominique}} Category:1992 births Category:Living people Category:Footballers from Dakar Category:Senegalese men's footballers Category:Men's association football forwards Category:Boston University Terriers men's soccer players Category:Boston Rams players Category:Colorado Rapids players Category:FC Dallas players Category:Charlotte Independence players Category:Nashville SC players Category:FC Cincinnati players Category:Bandırmaspor footballers Category:D.C. United players Category:Colorado Rapids draft picks Category:USL League Two players Category:Major League Soccer players Category:USL Championship players Category:TFF 1. Lig players Category:Senegalese expatriate men's footballers Category:Senegalese expatriate sportspeople in the United States Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States Category:Senegalese expatriate sportspeople in Turkey Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Turkey Category:21st-century Senegalese sportsmen Category:Episcopal High School (Alexandria, Virginia) alumni
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