Frisco, Texas – From playing street soccer with friends in DR Congo, to playing professionally with North Texas SC, Leo Londe Jr. has climbed the ladder to professional status in an alternative route that he never imagined.
Londe was born in Kinshasa, DR Congo on February 27, 2003. Growing up, he would play soccer with friends and family in the streets near their homes. He never once played in an organized team back in his home country.
“Back home it was mostly streetball,” Londe mentions. “I was never in a team nor in an academy. I was just always outside with friends and family.”
Little did he know his family had big plans for their future. Londe’s mother was selected as one of the recipients of the 2016 Diversity Visa Lottery. Each year, the Diversity Immigrant Visa program selects more than 50,000 recipients from countries that rarely send immigrants to the United States to help them obtain permanent residency. Londe and his family relocated to Grapevine, Texas, just 22 minutes away from NTSC’s home Choctaw Stadium.
“My mom won the lottery and did not hesitate to upload our pictures and start the process to move to the US,” Londe says. “Once it went through, we got here in September of 2016."
Settling in wasn’t easy for Londe. He started off in fifth grade due to the language barrier and had to make new friends in a place he never imagined living. Once he entered ninth grade, Londe started to learn the feeling of playing organized sports. He played two semesters at L.D. Bell High School before transferring to Grapevine High School.
During his three years as a Mustang, Londe became one of the school’s best players of all time with 60 goal contributions in 41 appearances – an astonishing record. At 18 years old, he tried his luck and attended North Texas SC’s open tryouts for the first time. He wasn’t selected, but the initial denial did not end Londe’s dedication and passion for the game.
“I wasn’t emotionally hurt because I felt like I had the time to keep working hard and look for another chance in the future. It felt more like a lesson to me because it motivated me to keep going and try harder for the next time I would attend a tryout.”
After being denied in 2021, Londe decided to give it another go and attended another club open tryout in late 2023. He was offered an invitation to camp which ultimately led him to signing his first professional contract with North Texas SC.
Londe is thankful for all the people that have helped and motivated him to get to where he is now. He is most thankful for his mother who currently serves in the United States Army. He hopes to make her proud every time he plays since she has not been able to attend one of his soccer games due to her travel schedule. It would mean the world to him to see his mom in the stands cheering him on as a professional player after everything they have experienced in the past years.
“It was always a dream to be part of a team. My mom knew that, and she has always worked hard for us to provide what we needed to get there. To this day, she has continued working for us. I hope she is able to attend one of our games this season so she can see me play live and at a professional level for the first time.”
