Jean-Aniel Assi

Jean-Aniel Eclesiaste Assi (born 12 August 2004) is a professional soccer player who plays as a winger for Crown Legacy FC of MLS Next Pro. Born in the Ivory Coast, Assi represents Canada internationally.

Early life
Born in Adzopé, Ivory Coast, in 2004, Assi moved to Canada at age 10. He began playing youth soccer in Canada with ASM LaSalle, before joining Royal-Sélect de Beauport. In 2017, he joined the Montreal Impact Academy. In 2020, he took part in the pre-season training camp with the first team, when he was only fifteen.

Club career
On 4 December 2020, Assi signed his first homegrown contract with Montreal Impact (later renamed CF Montréal for the 2021 season). Assi made his professional debut with Montreal Impact in a 1-0 CONCACAF Champions League win over C.D. Olimpia on 15 December 2020, becoming the youngest ever player to play for the club at the age of 16 years and 125 days.

In March 2022, Assi went on a one-year loan with Canadian Premier League side Cavalry FC. In February 2023, he went on loan with Atlético Ottawa. Upon completion of the 2023 Season, CF Montréal would announce that they would not pick up Assi's contract for 2024, ending his time with the club.

In January 2024, Assi joined Crown Legacy FC, the MLS Next Pro affiliate of Charlotte FC.

International career
, Assi is eligible to represent both the Ivory Coast and Canada. In July 2019, he made his debut in the Canadian youth program at a U15 camp. He represented the Canada U15s at the 2019 CONCACAF Boys' Under-15 Championship, where he was named to the Tournament All-Star XI. In June 2022, he was named to the Canadian U-20 team for the 2022 CONCACAF U-20 Championship.