Commerce City, Colo. – Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Kosi Thompson’s move to Colorado and the Rapids in late March may have been a bit of a surprise to Toronto FC fans. After all, beginning his football career in the TFC academy, the next steps always pointed towards a long run of seasons with the Canadian MLS club.
“I grew up in the TFC academy and when I started to play with the second team that’s where my football career took off. Being from Toronto and playing for the hometown team, it’s amazing. The academy days were really fun. All of us were so close-knit,” the 23-year-old told Burgundy Wave after a recent training session.
“The journey shapes you as a human being as well. Having like-minded people around you is nice to have but it also pushed you in trying to get to the same place you are. There’s a limited amount of spots, and as competitive as that sounds, it’s healthy competition which is amazing for everyone.”
Soccer runs deep in the Thompson household. A big family of footballers helped him develop as a player and have a support system.
“I grew up with an older sister, an older brother, me – I’m the middle of all the siblings – then I have a younger brother. We’re all really tight,” Kosi says of his home growing up.
“Ever since I can remember I always had a ball at my feet, it’s always been around the family – father played, older brother played, older sister played, uncle played – it’s a heritage thing at this point. My younger brother leaves in a couple of weeks for Seattle University for soccer. He actually comes here for a game against Denver in October so that’ll be nice to see him.”
Even as a young player in an Academy side, Kosi admits he’s always had to make his work ethic something that sets him apart from countless others trying to attain the same goal.
“I’m a very similar player as of right now as I’ve always been, someone’s that very energetic and wants to be part of the core of the team.
“It was difficult being in the Academy not being the most talented player, because that’s how it always was as a kid – The most talented kid becomes the professional footballer. It was a grind, I’ve always been a hard-worker, and still am, so I carry that very close to my heart.”
At the start of 2021, Kosi received his chance out of TFC’s academy and signed on with TFC II at the age of 18. That season really solidified his path to the first team and playing against men well his senior both on the pitch and in life.
“From a professional standpoint, seeing and being in a locker room with guys who are 5, 10 years older with families, and have been doing this for a long time, helps a lot,” Kosi admits. “There’s a lot of guys that put their arm around me and definitely showed me what it’s like to be a true professional. At the same time, it’s a community as well. Your teammates are your guys for as long as you’re there and they become like family.”
“As a young player, I’d definitely say you grow up a bit quicker than most. You’re thrown into this environment where it’s black and white, you either do or you don’t, and I feel like I adapted to it fairly well. I’ve always loved living my life that way. It’s the ‘want’ to have to do that I feel like has taken me to where I am right now.”
That “want to” attitude is always something that’s driven Kosi down his path. That became evident during a time when even though he was a bona-fide MLS player, moving back and forth between the first and second teams brought about a desire for something more possibly outside of MLS.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to go overseas and see what I could do over there. At the end of the day, it’s football.”
That dream became reality in 2023, when Thompson acquired a loan move to Lillestrøm SK of the Norwegian First Division.
“It popped up during a pretty dark time for Toronto,” Kosi explains. “Even with all the love, it just didn’t seem like the right time. We (Kosi and his agent) were definitely pushing for a move, but we just didn’t know it was going to be Norway.”
“My time over there was really, really good. Very eye-opening, but it was unfortunate that after 5 games I ended up fracturing my hip. That took me until pretty much our off-season. There was still a lot more that I was able to give, so I took the time to really enjoy the city, enjoy the fans, and embrace the rivalries.”
His return to Toronto saw the versatile defender/midfielder develop a regular place in the lineup for the next two seasons, making almost 30 league appearances each in 2024 and 2025. However, lucky for the Rapids during their roster rebuild under Head Coach Matt Wells, Kosi is exactly the type of gritty, never-give-up player Colorado was looking for to add depth and experience.
Even though Kosi is still a new face to Rapids fans, given his arrival just over 3 months ago and the World Cup break as of late, his type of game should appeal to those looking for a spark on the pitch for Colorado.
“I would say I’m a player that uplifts the team,” Kosi says proudly. “I do whatever I need to do to make sure the team has that energy and confidence within the group to know in times of struggle we can come out on top.”
“My own personal game is all about duels. I love putting in a tackle and hearing the crowd cheer. There’s that recognition that attacking players get, but I feel like the backline goes unseen. Having that energy, for lack of better terms a soldier, but also being able to play the beautiful game – string passes, progressing forward with great combinations – we’re kind of performers so I want people to be entertained.”
Read More: Kosi Thompson Debut Brace as Colorado Rapids Crush Houston!
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Eamon Shaw 
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