Loïs Openda

Ikoma-Loïs Openda (born 16 February 2000) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Lyon, on loan from club Juventus, and the Belgium national team.

Club career Early career Openda played as a youth for Patro Othee FC and RFC Liège before joining the youth academy of Standard Liège.

Club Brugge

In 2015, he moved to the academy of Club Brugge, where he made his senior debut on 10 August 2018 in the Belgian Pro League against Kortrijk. Openda replaced Jelle Vossen after 80 minutes.

Loan to Vitesse

On 21 July 2020, Openda joined Dutch Eredivisie club Vitesse on a season-long loan deal. Vitesse reached the final of the KNVB Cup, but lost 2–1 to Ajax. Openda scored the only goal for the Arnhem-based team. In June 2021, Openda rejoined Vitesse on loan for another season.

Lens On 6 July 2022, Lens announced the signing of Openda on a five-year deal from Club Brugge. The striker scored his first goal against Inter Milan in a friendly game on 22 July. On 28 October, he scored his first hat-trick for Lens in a 3–0 win over Toulouse. After eight matches without scoring, on 12 March 2023, he scored the fastest hat-trick in Ligue 1 within four minutes and 30 seconds in a 4–0 away win over Clermont, beating the previous record of Matt Moussilou.

RB Leipzig

On 14 July 2023, Openda signed for Bundesliga club RB Leipzig on a five-year contract. The transfer fee reported was in the region of €43 to €46 million, with potential bonuses adding up to €6 million. On 19 August, he scored his first goal on his Bundesliga debut in a 3–2 defeat against Bayer Leverkusen. On 4 October, he netted his first Champions League goal in a 1–3 home defeat against Manchester City. On 28 November, Openda scored twice at the City of Manchester Stadium against Manchester City, although his team lost 3–2. He finished his debut Bundesliga season at the club as their top scorer with 24 goals, only behind Harry Kane and Serhou Guirassy in the league.

On 31 August 2024, Openda scored two goals against Bayer Leverkusen in a 3–2 away victory to end their unbeaten Bundesliga streak for the first time in 15 months.

Juventus On 1 September 2025, Openda signed for Serie A club Juventus on an initial loan deal worth €3.3 million, with an obligation to buy for €40.6 million, depending on certain conditions. Later that year, on 25 November, he scored his first goal for Juventus in a Champions League match, netting in a 3–2 away victory against Bodø/Glimt. A month later, on 20 December, Openda scored his first Serie A goal in a 2–1 victory over Roma.

In April 2026, the obligation to buy included in the agreement between Juventus and RB Leipzig was activated after Juventus secured a mathematical top-half finish in the Serie A standings, triggering the permanent transfer for a reported fee of €40 million.

Loan to Lyon On 28 July 2026, Openda joined Olympique Lyonnais on loan until the end of the season, with Lyon paying a €3.5 million loan fee.

International career On 18 May 2022, Openda was named to the squad for the four 2022–23 UEFA Nations League matches on 3, 8, 10 and 13 June 2022 against Netherlands, Poland (twice) and Wales respectively. He played again against Wales in the UEFA Nations League on 13 September 2022.

On 10 November 2022, he was named in the final squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Style of play Openda is a versatile forward who primarily plays as a central striker, though he is also capable of operating across both flanks due to his background as a winger. Known for his explosive pace and acceleration, he frequently exploits high defensive lines and thrives in quick-transition or counter-attacking systems. His low center of gravity allows him to maintain balance while driving at defenders or making overlapping runs into wide spaces to stretch opposing backlines.

Tactical analyses highlight Openda's high volume of shooting and intelligent off-the-ball movement, particularly his ability to drift wide to create space for midfield runners or a secondary strike partner. While noted for his directness and progressive carries rather than a deeper playmaking or possession-heavy build-up role, he contributes to the defensive phase through an active counter-pressing work rate, frequently winning duels and drawing fouls in advanced areas. Although relatively undersized for a traditional target man, he possesses a strong aerial leap and has scored a portion of his goals from headers through positional anticipation inside the penalty area.

Personal life Born in Belgium, Openda is of Moroccan and Congolese descent.

Career statistics Club

International

Scores and results list Belgium's goal tally first.

Honours Club Brugge Belgian Pro League: 2019–20 Belgian Super Cup: 2018

RB Leipzig DFL-Supercup: 2023

Individual Eredivisie Player of the Month: May 2022 UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Month: March 2023, April 2023 UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2022–23