Adingra and nine other boys were left to choose between returning home or trying to survive. They stayed together, washing plates in restaurants in exchange for food and small payments.
A passer-by later recognised their Ivorian accent, found them somewhere to live and helped establish a small football academy. That intervention gave the group structure, but the next breakthrough came at a tournament in Ghana, where Adingra was spotted by Right to Dream.
The academy combined education with football. Adingra studied and prayed in the mornings before training in the afternoons, sharing the environment with Mohammed Kudus and Kamaldeen Sulemana.
Adingra’s development accelerated in Denmark, where he scored 10 goals and earned a £6m move to Brighton & Hove Albion. A loan at Union SG in Belgium followed, producing 15 goals and strengthening his case for a higher level.
His Brighton spell brought 73 appearances and 12 goals. Those figures mark a clear progression from academy prospect to established professional, even though his route was rarely straightforward.
The latest setback came after his move to Sunderland in 2025, when he was in and out of the side during the first half of the season. A loan move to Monaco provided a reset, and his improvement there helped restore his place in Ivory Coast’s plans.
Adingra grew up idolising Didier Drogba. Now, at 24, he is preparing to represent the country he left as a boy chasing a football opportunity.
The next test is the World Cup itself. Adingra’s journey through Benin, Ghana, Denmark, Belgium, Brighton, Sunderland and Monaco has already demanded resilience; the tournament will show how that experience translates on football’s biggest stage.