Abdou-Lakhad Diallo (born 4 May 1996), known as Abdou Diallo, is a professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Qatar Stars League club Al-Arabi. Born in France, he plays for the Senegal national team.

Abdou Diallo
Personal information
Full name Abdou-Lakhad Diallo[1]
Date of birth (1996-05-04) 4 May 1996 (age 28)
Place of birth Tours, France
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)[2]
Position(s) Centre-back
Team information
Current team
Al-Arabi
Number 22
Youth career
2002–2003 OC Saint-Herblain
2003–2004 Grand Font
2004–2005 AS Angoulême-Charente 92
2005–2007 Angoulême Charente
2007–2009 Tours
2009–2011 US Chambray-les-Tours
2011–2014 Monaco
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2015 Monaco B 29 (0)
2014–2017 Monaco 10 (0)
2015–2016Zulte Waregem (loan) 33 (3)
2017–2018 Mainz 05 27 (2)
2018–2019 Borussia Dortmund 28 (1)
2019–2023 Paris Saint-Germain 50 (0)
2022–2023RB Leipzig (loan) 8 (1)
2023– Al-Arabi 18 (1)
International career
2011–2012 France U16 13 (0)
2012–2013 France U17 8 (0)
2013–2014 France U18 4 (0)
2014–2015 France U19 16 (1)
2016 France U20 4 (2)
2016–2019 France U21 16 (0)
2021– Senegal 30 (2)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Senegal
Africa Cup of Nations
Winner 2021 Cameroon
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 05:07, 30 August 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:49, 29 January 2024 (UTC)

Club career

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Monaco

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Born in Tours, Diallo joined the youth academy of Monaco at the age of 15.[3] On 28 March 2014, he signed his first professional contract with the club. Vice-president of the club, Vadim Vasilyev commented that Diallo "fits perfectly into our sports project. He has a lot of talent and we hope that he will continue to progress alongside the great players of AS Monaco".[4] On 14 December, he made his first team debut, coming on as a substitute for Bernardo Silva in the extra time of a 1–0 league victory against Marseille.[5]

In June 2015, Diallo was loaned out to Belgian club Zulte Waregem for the 2015–16 season.[6] During his stint at the club, he was deployed at an attacking role, scoring three goals in 33 league matches.[3] In December 2016, media reports emerged that Spanish club Real Betis was interested in signing him.[7] Nevertheless, he made five league appearances during the 2016–17 season, with his side winning the league.[3]

Mainz 05

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On 14 July 2017, Diallo moved to Bundesliga club Mainz 05, and signed a five-year contract.[8] On 9 September, he scored his first goal for the club in a 3–1 league victory against Bayer Leverkusen.[9] During the season, he was deployed at both back three and back four; and had an 80% pass success rate. He started in 27 league matches during the season.[3]

Borussia Dortmund

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On 26 June 2018, Diallo joined Borussia Dortmund on a five-year deal for a fee of €28 million.[10][11] In an interview, he said that Ousmane Dembélé advised him to join the club.[12] On 15 September, he scored his first goal for the club in a 3–1 league victory against Eintracht Frankfurt.[13]

Paris Saint-Germain

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On 16 July 2019, Diallo signed for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) until June 2024.[14] The transfer fee of his deal to the French club was of €32 million.[15][16]

On 3 August 2019, Diallo made his debut for Paris Saint-Germain in the Trophée des Champions, which ended as a 2–1 win for PSG over Rennes.[17] He made his league debut against Nîmes, in a 3–0 home win on 11 August.[18] Diallo's UEFA Champions League debut came on 18 September, in a 3–0 win against Real Madrid.[19] At the end of the 2019–20 season, he received a Ligue 1 winners medal for his contributions that season, which was ended early (on 30 April 2020) due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[20]

Loan to RB Leipzig

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On 1 September 2022, Diallo completed a return to Germany, signing for Bundesliga club RB Leipzig on a season-long loan with an option-to-buy for a reported fee of €25 million.[21][22]

Al-Arabi

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On 15 August 2023, Diallo signed for Qatar Stars League club Al-Arabi for a transfer fee in the region of €15 million. He joined the club on a four-year contract.[23]

International career

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Diallo was born in France and is Senegalese by descent.[24] He played for many youth teams of France, and even captained France's under-21s.[3]

On 17 March 2021, Diallo was called up to the Senegal national team for the first time.[25] He made his debut in a 0–0 draw against Congo on 26 March.[26]

He was part of Senegal's squad for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations; the Lions of Teranga went on to win the tournament for the first time in their history.[27][28] Diallo was appointed a Grand Officer of the National Order of the Lion by President of Senegal Macky Sall following the nation's victory at the tournament.[29]

Diallo played in all four of Senegal's matches at the 2022 FIFA World Cup as the nation reached the round of 16 for the first time since its debut in 2002.[30]

In December 2023, he was named in Senegal's squad for the postponed 2023 Africa Cup of Nations held in the Ivory Coast.[31]

Style of play

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Diallo plays as a central defender. Mainz 05 sporting director Rouven Schröder has said that Diallo is "strong in the air and shrewd in the challenge".[3] Michael Zorc, the sporting director of Borussia Dortmund, described Diallo as "a modern, strong central defender who is very intelligent. He can play a wider defensive role too or even be deployed in a defensive midfield role".[32]

Personal life

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Diallo's younger brother, Ibrahima, is also a footballer for Al-Duhail.[33]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of match played 27 August 2023[34]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup League cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Monaco B 2013–14 CFA 18 0 18 0
2014–15 CFA 11 0 11 0
Total 29 0 29 0
Monaco 2014–15 Ligue 1 5 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 8 0
2016–17 Ligue 1 5 0 4 0 1 0 1 0 11 0
Total 10 0 5 0 3 0 1 0 19 0
Zulte Waregem (loan) 2015–16 Belgian Pro League 33 3 2 0 35 3
Mainz 05 2017–18 Bundesliga 27 2 3 1 30 3
Borussia Dortmund 2018–19 Bundesliga 28 1 3 0 7 0 38 1
Paris Saint-Germain 2019–20 Ligue 1 16 0 1 0 2 0 3 0 1[a] 0 23 0
2020–21 Ligue 1 22 0 5 0 8 0 1[a] 0 36 0
2021–22 Ligue 1 12 0 1 0 2 0 1[a] 0 16 0
Total 50 0 7 0 2 0 13 0 3 0 75 0
RB Leipzig (loan) 2022–23 Bundesliga 8 1 2 0 5 0 15 1
Al-Arabi 2023–24 Qatar Stars League 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Career total 186 7 22 1 5 0 26 0 3 0 242 8
  1. ^ a b c Appearance in Trophée des Champions

International

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As of match played 29 January 2024[35]
National team Year Apps Goals
Senegal 2021 7 1
2022 15 1
2023 4 0
2024 4 0
Total 30 2
Scores and results list Senegal's goal tally first. Score column indicates score after each Diallo goal.[35]
List of international goals scored by Abdou Diallo
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 1 September 2021 Stade Lat-Dior, Thiès, Senegal   Togo 2–0 2–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
2. 2 February 2022 Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo, Yaoundé, Cameroon   Burkina Faso 1–0 3–1 2021 Africa Cup of Nations

Honours

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Monaco

Paris Saint-Germain

RB Leipzig

Senegal

Individual

References

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  1. ^ "Abdou Diallo". Onze Mondial (in French). Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  2. ^ "Abdou Diallo".
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Abdou Diallo: Mainz's natural-born defensive leader with an eye for goal". Bundesliga. 27 May 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  4. ^ Orocoti, Franck (29 March 2014). "Monaco: Abdou Diallo signe pro" [Monaco: Abdou Diallo signs pro] (in French). Africa Top Sports. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  5. ^ "MATCH REPORT: AS Monaco 1-0 AS Monaco". AS Monaco FC. 14 December 2014. Archived from the original on 12 September 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  6. ^ "Abdou Diallo joins Zulte Waregem". Get French Football News. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  7. ^ Moran, Miguel A. (31 December 2016). "Abdou Diallo, central zurdo del Mónaco, otra opción para la defensa del Betis" [Abdou Diallo, left-back at Monaco, another option for Betis defense] (in Spanish). Marca. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  8. ^ "Mainz sign France Under-21 captain Abdou Diallo". Bundesliga. 14 July 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  9. ^ "Mainz off the mark with 3-1 victory over winless Leverkusen". Bundesliga. 9 September 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  10. ^ "Wechsel perfekt: Diallo der zweitteuerste BVB-Neuzugang" (in German). 26 June 2018. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  11. ^ "Borussia Dortmund sign Abdou Diallo, France under-21 defender, from Mainz". ESPN. 26 June 2018. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  12. ^ "Wolf, Diallo, Delaney, Hakimi and Hitz: meet the Borussia Dortmund new boys". Bundesliga. 4 August 2018. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  13. ^ "Dortmund overpower Frankfurt 3-1 in German Bundesliga - Xinhua | English.news.cn". www.xinhuanet.com. 15 September 2018. Archived from the original on 15 September 2018. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  14. ^ "Abdou Diallo signs for Paris Saint-Germain". Paris Saint-Germain F.C. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  15. ^ "Paris Saint-Germain Confirm Signing of Abdou Diallo from Borussia Dortmund on Five-Year Deal". 90Min. 16 July 2019.
  16. ^ "Dortmund confirm €32M Diallo deal with PSG". Goal.com. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  17. ^ "French Trophy of Champions: Paris Saint-Germain vs Rennes". Xinhuanet. Archived from the original on 4 June 2020. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  18. ^ "Starting Lineups - PSG vs Nimes". Sky Sports. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  19. ^ "Paris-Real Madrid". UEFA.com. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  20. ^ "Grading PSG: Decent Debut For Diallo in Paris". PSG Talk. 5 May 2020. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  21. ^ "Abdou Diallo loaned to RB Leipzig". Paris Saint-Germain F.C. 1 September 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  22. ^ "Transferts : le PSG officialise les départs d'Abdou Diallo à Leipzig et de Layvin Kurzawa à Fulham". L'Équipe (in French). 1 September 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  23. ^ "Mercato – Abdou Diallo quitte le PSG pour le Qatar". Canal Supporters (in French). 15 August 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  24. ^ "ABDOU DIALLO, LE RETOUR DU "PRINCE" !". 30 June 2016.
  25. ^ "CAN 2021 : LE SÉNÉGAL AVEC ABDOU DIALLO, BALLO-TOURÉ ET NAMPALYS MENDY". foot365 (in French). 17 March 2021. Archived from the original on 17 March 2021. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  26. ^ "Congo vs Sénégal : Les compositions officielles - Equipe nationale Football, Football". wiwsport (in French). 26 March 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  27. ^ "Cisse unveils Senegal squad, hopes for elusive TotalEnergies AFCON title". Confederation of African Football. 25 December 2021. Archived from the original on 9 January 2022. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  28. ^ "Senegal 0-0 Egypt". BBC Sport. 7 February 2022. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  29. ^ a b "Cash prizes, real estate, and highest honours as Senegal celebrates Nations Cup heroes". Reuters. 8 February 2022. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  30. ^ "Senegal Squad". ESPN UK. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  31. ^ "Afcon 2023: Senegal and Sadio Mane set for defence of title". BBC Sport Africa. 29 December 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  32. ^ "Abdou Diallo quits Mainz 05 for Borussia Dortmund". The New Indian Express. 26 June 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  33. ^ "Monaco prête le jeune Ibrahima Diallo à Brest". 13 August 2018.
  34. ^ "A. Diallo". Soccerway. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  35. ^ a b "Abdou Diallo". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
  36. ^ "Christopher Nkunku-inspired RB Leipzig beat Eintracht Frankfurt to win DFB Cup". Bundesliga. 3 June 2023. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  37. ^ "PSG champions as season ended". Ligue 1. 30 April 2020. Archived from the original on 1 May 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  38. ^ Luke, Bosher; Whitehead, Jacob (23 April 2022). "PSG crowned Ligue 1 champions after draw against Lens". The Athletic. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  39. ^ "Paris St-Germain 1–0 Saint-Etienne: PSG win French Cup despite Kylian Mbappe injury". BBC Sport. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  40. ^ "Kylian Mbappé stars as PSG beat Monaco in Coupe de France final". ligue1.com. 19 May 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  41. ^ "PSG Claim 4th Domestic Treble Following Coupe de la Ligue Final Win". PSG Talk. 31 July 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  42. ^ "Mbappé and Di Maria Earn PSG First 2019-20 Trophy". ligue1.com. 3 August 2019. Archived from the original on 3 August 2019. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
  43. ^ "Neymar and Icardi fire Pochettino to first title". ligue1.com. 13 January 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  44. ^ "A final, lots of goals and a trophy: a great start to the season!". Paris Saint-Germain F.C. 31 July 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  45. ^ "Paris St-Germain 0–1 Bayern Munich: German side win Champions League final". BBC Sport. 23 August 2020. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  46. ^ "Christopher Nkunku-inspired RB Leipzig beat Eintracht Frankfurt to win DFB Cup". Bundesliga. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  47. ^ "Africa Cup Of Nations: Senegal Beat Egypt To Win Final (AFCON)". Sports Illustrated. 6 February 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
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