Mohamed-Ali Cho
Mohamed-Ali Cho is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Nice. Born in France, Cho previously represented England as a youth international before switching his allegiance to France.
Early life
Cho was born in France to an Ivorian father and a French mother of Moroccan origin and moved to England at one week old, where his family worked in London. He spent his childhood moving between England and France several times. Cho briefly returned to France at age 6 to play in Chantilly's and then Paris Saint-Germain's academy, before returning to England at age 11.
Club career
A youth product of Paris Saint-Germain and Everton, Cho signed his first professional contract with Angers on 2 May 2020. In doing so, he became the second youngest player to sign a professional contract in France. Angers had initially planned to use him in the reserves, but he quickly became part of the first team. He made his professional debut with Angers in a 2–0 Ligue 1 loss to Bordeaux on 30 August 2020. He was one of the 10 youngest players to play in the top European leagues during the season. He started his first match for Angers on 11 February 2021, in a 2–1 cup win against Rennes. He made his first league start on 17 April 2021 also against Rennes.
Real Sociedad
On 15 June 2022, it was announced that Cho had signed a five-year deal with La Liga side Real Sociedad. The transfer fee paid to Angers was reportedly in the region of €12 to €15 million. On 21 December, he scored his first goal at the club in a 5–0 away win against CD Coria in the Copa del Rey second round. On 4 June 2023, he scored his first La Liga goal in a 2–1 victory against Sevilla.
Nice
On 8 January 2024, Cho returned to France, signing a four-and-a-half-year contract with Ligue 1 club OGC Nice, for a reported transfer fee of €12 million.
International career
Born in France, raised in England, and of Ivorian and Moroccan descent, Cho is eligible for all four national teams. He was a youth international for England with two caps for the England U16s. He has also played for the England U15s. In early 2021, Cho said that he hadn't decided on who to represent internationally, stating: "I am well aware of the options I have and we will see later". He switched to represent the France U21s in April 2021.