Ballou Tabla

FC Montreal

On 10 November 2015, it was announced that Tabla had signed for FC Montreal, the second team of the Impact which competed in the United Soccer League, the second tier of the Canadian soccer league system. He made his professional debut on 9 April 2016 and scored his first professional goal as Montreal fell 1–2 to Toronto FC II. While with FC Montreal, Tabla regularly trained with the first team, which included fellow Ivorian Didier Drogba. In February 2016, Tabla and three of his teammates had a training stint with Bologna of Serie A. In April 2016, it was revealed that Tabla was being eyed by numerous big teams in Europe including Premier League clubs Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea, along with Barcelona. He was first spotted by scouts during a U20 match in March 2016, in which Canada beat England by a score of 2–1. It was also revealed that several European clubs had inquired about taking the player in on a trial.

Montreal Impact

On 20 October 2016, the Montreal Impact announced they had signed Tabla to a two-year contract as a homegrown player, which would begin in the 2017 season. During the 2017 season, he received comparisons to Canada international Alphonso Davies. On 8 August 2017, the Montreal Gazette reported that Tabla "missed practice Tuesday as the MLS team confirmed it has received a transfer offer for the 18-year-old from a second-division European club". The next day, Tabla issued an apology through Twitter.

Barcelona…

Youth

Tabla was 14 years old when he first participated in a national camp. He has represented Canada at the U15, U17, U18, and U20 levels. He was named to Canada's squad for the 2015 CONCACAF U-17 Championship. In 2014, he was named the Canada U17 Male Player of the Year. In 2015, he played with the Canada U18s at the Slovakia Cup. In August 2016, Tabla was called up to the U-20 team for a pair of friendlies against Costa Rica In 2016, he was named the Canada Soccer U20 Player of the Year for his performances with the U-20 squad in friendlies against England and Honduras. He later refused call-ups to Canada, citing a possibility to play for the Ivory Coast. It was reported that he sought advice from Didier Drogba, a former Ivory Coast striker with whom he struck a friendship during their time in Montreal. In September 2018, Tabla declared his international allegiance to Canada.

Senior

On 17 October 2018, Tabla made his senior national team debut, in a 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League qualification match against Dominica. Tabla replaced Jonathan David in the 54th minute. Tabla was named to the Canadian U-23 provisional roster for the 2020 CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Championship on February 26, 2020. He was named to the final squad on March 10, 2021.

Club

As of November 9, 2025

International

As of 18 November 2018

Tabla was born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on 31 March 1999, and he moved as a child to Canada at the age of eight. He was raised in Quebec. He played youth soccer with Pointe-aux-Trembles, a local amateur team. Tabla first joined the Montreal Impact Academy in 2012. On 9 December 2013, he left the club to join local amateur team Panellinios. In April 2015, he returned to the Impact as part of the team's U18 side, which finished the 2014/15 U.S. Soccer Development Academy in first place in the overall standings.