Former FC Cincinnati player Aaron Boupendza has died after falling from a building in China. He was 28.

The New York Times reported that Boupendza had fallen to his death from his 11th-floor residence. The Gabonese soccer player lived in China and played for the Chinese Super League club Zhejiang FC.

Who was Aaron Boupendza?

“We are saddened to hear of the tragic passing of former FC Cincinnati forward Aaron Boupendza earlier today at his home in China,” FC Cincinnati said in a social media statement. “Our hearts go out to his family, friends, and teammates. He was a loved member of the FC Cincinnati family, and we offer our condolences to all who knew him.”

Boupendza signed to Cincinnati from the Saudi Pro League in June 2023, WLWT reported. He played with the team for two years, making 24 club appearances during the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

Boupendza played for FC before his release from the team

His brief stint in Cincinnati came with controversy after he engaged in an altercation with local boxer Quashawn Toler outside of Rusconi Bar and Kitchen in April 2024, which led to him sustaining a broken jaw that kept him off the pitch for nearly two months, per the New York Post and WLWT.

Boupendza returned to the field and played four matches with the FC before being terminated by the Major League Soccer in August. At the time, the league did not provide details or a reason for releasing him.

After leaving FC Cincinnati, Boupendza played for Romania’s Rapid București, scoring three goals in nine matches. He joined Zhejiang in China’s Super League earlier in 2025, where he tallied four goals and two assists in six games, per WLWT.

On Wednesday, the Fédération Gabonaise de Football also issued a statement following Boupendza’s death.

“FEGAFOOT and the Gabonese football community offer their sincere condolences to his biological family during this difficult time,” the league said in a translated statement shared on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Gabonese President-elect Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema also shared a message on X about Boupendza’s passing.

“It is with great sadness that I learned of the tragic passing of Aaron Boupendza, a talented center forward who brought honor to Gabonese football,” Nguema said in a translated statement. “I offer my sincere condolences to his family and loved ones. May God bless his soul.”

ChinaObituaries