He played as a striker, mainly with Lyon, Bordeaux and Saint-Étienne and the France national team.

[2] With 255 goals scored in Ligue 1, he is the second-best striker of all-time in the French championship, after Delio Onnis.

He was instrumental in the successes of the club in Ligue 1 and also on the European scene, helping lead his side to seven-straight UEFA Champions League appearances.

Lacombe served as a "special adviser" to team president Jean-Michel Aulas for twenty years.

[4] He also had significant influence on choices made; for example, he helped retain several Brazilian players who would join Lyon during the 2000s, including Juninho, Edmílson, Cris, Caçapa and Fred).