This came in conjunction with the disclosure of details of a lawsuit, which he and his wife filed before a federal court in California, in which they accuse a real estate agency, two owners and two real estate agents of discriminating against them because of their family situation and the presence of their children.
Bakambu, 35, had joined San Diego on 3 September 2026. He announced his departure on 6 November in a message via his Instagram account, writing: "I sincerely hoped to continue this adventure, but some decisions are beyond our control."
The Congolese striker played nine matches with the American side, scoring four goals and providing one assist, according to ESPN data, which revealed the details of the case after reviewing a copy of the complaint.
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Filed before the Federal Court for the Southern District of California, the lawsuit centres on a claim by Bakambu and his wife Anne-Laure Houbeau that they faced discrimination because of their "family situation", after two attempts to rent a house in the area fell through due to the presence of their five children, who were supposed to live with them.
According to the complaint, the first attempt concerned a house in the city of San Diego, measuring around 528 square metres, listed for rent at 17,500 dollars per month.
During the negotiations, the issue of installing a safety barrier around the swimming pool came up because of the children's ages. Bakambu and his wife offered alternative solutions and eventually offered to bear the cost of installing the barrier, along with other guarantees, including paying a full year's rent in advance. Their offer was not accepted.
The listing was then withdrawn from the market after Bakambu's real estate agent raised concerns that the negotiation terms might breach housing anti-discrimination rules, the complaint states.
The second attempt involved a house in the Rancho Santa Fe area of California, measuring around 585 square metres. The couple submitted an offer to pay 23,500 dollars per month but received no response, even though the house later appeared listed for rent at 20,000 dollars per month, before it was withdrawn from the market on 6 November.
Bakambu and his wife accused the defendants of denying them a fair opportunity to rent the two properties because of the presence of their children. They also argued that the treatment they received in the second attempt came in response to their objection to what happened during the first negotiations.
Temporary accommodation
During that period, the family was forced to stay in temporary accommodation at their own expense. This caused, according to their account, additional costs and prolonged housing instability, as well as difficulties in organising the children's schooling and activities, on top of what they described as humiliation and psychological suffering.
The couple demanded financial compensation, along with other legal measures, based on the American Fair Housing Act and the anti-discrimination laws of the state of California.
Neither Major League Soccer nor San Diego FC is named in the lawsuit, and the accusations it contains remain claims submitted by the couple. No court ruling has been issued establishing the responsibility of the defendant parties so far.
Bakambu's career before the American experience
Bakambu's professional career has spanned several leagues. He started in France with Sochaux, before moving to Turkey's Bursaspor, then Spain's Villarreal. He also had a spell in the Chinese league with Beijing Guoan, and later played for Greece's Olympiacos and France's Marseille, before joining Spain's Real Betis, from which he moved to San Diego.
At international level, Bakambu represents the Democratic Republic of the Congo, taking part with them in the 2026 World Cup before his move to the American league last September.
He revealed his departure from San Diego days before the details of the lawsuit emerged, but there is no confirmed information proving that the real estate dispute was the direct reason behind his leaving the club.
