Jacob Montes

Jacob Christian Montes Hoff (born October 20, 1998) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for USL Championship club Monterey Bay FC. Born in the United States, he represents the Nicaragua national team.

At Georgetown, Montes was named the 2019 Big East Midfielder of the Year and helped the Hoyas win the 2019 NCAA national championship. In 2021, he became the first player in the history of Georgetown's men's soccer program to sign a Premier League contract when he joined Crystal Palace.

Club career

Portland Timbers Montes began his career with the FC Florida Prep Academy, whose alumni include Julian Gressel and Niko Hämäläinen. In October 2015, he trialled with English side Manchester United, and in February 2016, he spent a week with German club Borussia Dortmund.

In 2016, he joined the Portland Timbers Academy. Montes scored eight goals in 25 games for the Under-17/18 team and was subsequently signed to United Soccer League side Portland Timbers 2. He made his professional debut on March 25, 2017, as a 73rd-minute substitute in a 2–1 loss to Real Monarchs. Montes made a further seven appearances and was named the Timbers' 2017 Academy Player of the Year.

Georgetown University After one season with the Timbers, he opted to play college soccer at Georgetown University for four years. In 2019, he scored 11 goals as he captained the team to its first NCAA National Championship. With a further five assists, he was named Big East Conference Midfielder of the Year. Montes rejected multiple contract offers from the Portland Timbers during his collegiate career. On May 20, his MLS rights were made available to other clubs following the expiration of the Timbers' ownership, and later picked up by the New England Revolution.

Crystal Palace On May 25, 2021, it was announced that Montes would join Premier League side Crystal Palace on a one-year deal, subject to international clearance. He completed the move without being eligible for a British work visa, meaning he would have to leave the club temporarily on loan.

Loans to Belgium On July 31, 2021, Belgian First Division B Waasland-Beveren announced that they had acquired Montes from Crystal Palace on loan for one year, though this arrangement was ended in January 2022 and Montes joined another Belgian team, RWD Molenbeek, again on loan.

Botafogo On August 12, 2022, Montes signed a two-year contract with Brazilian Série A club Botafogo. The move reunited him with Botafogo owner John Textor, who had previously overseen his transfers within his multi-club network, including Crystal Palace and Belgian side RWDM.

RWDM Brussels In the summer of 2024, Montes returned to RWD Molenbeek, which had since rebranded as RWDM Brussels, remaining within the multi-club network owned by John Textor. In January 2025, Montes sustained an injury that ruled him out for the remainder of the season.

Monterey Bay FC On August 5, 2026, Montes returned to the United States, joining USL Championship side Monterey Bay FC on a short-term deal until the end of the season.

International career On October 7, 2016, Montes made his under-19 international debut for the United States in a 4–0 friendly victory against Liga MX side Club Tijuana. Montes is also eligible to play for Nicaragua through his paternal family.

Montes made his international debut for Nicaragua in a friendly match against Panama on June 10, 2023.

Career statistics

International career International goals Scores and results list Nicaragua's goal tally first. No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition Ref.1 September 11, 2023 Estadio Nacional de Fútbol, Managua, Nicaragua 5–0 5–1 2023–24 CONCACAF Nations League B 2 October 13, 2023 Wildey Turf, Wildey, Barbados 3–0 3–0 3 November 17, 2023 Wildey Turf, Wildey, Barbados 4–0 4–0 4 June 5, 2024 Estadio Nacional de Fútbol, Managua, Nicaragua 3–1 4–1 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification