SOCCER PLAYERS from Mali

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Malian Soccer Players of all time. This list of famous Malian Soccer Players is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Malian Soccer Players.

1. Salif Keïta (1946 - 2023)

With an HPI of 52.59, Salif Keïta is the most famous Malian Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 20 different languages on wikipedia.

Salif Keïta Traoré (6 December 1946 – 2 September 2023), known as Keita, was a Malian footballer who played as a striker. He was also the first person to receive the African Footballer of the Year award in 1970. He was nicknamed the 'Black Panther'. Which inspired the club

2. Seydou Keita (1980 - )

With an HPI of 49.99, Seydou Keita is the 2nd most famous Malian Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 47 different languages.

Seydou Keïta (French pronunciation: [sɛdu kɛjta]; anglicised to Keita; born 16 January 1980) is a Malian former professional footballer. A versatile midfielder, he operated as both a central or defensive midfielder. Keita most notably played for Lens (five seasons) and Barcelona (four), winning 14 titles with the latter club after signing in 2008. He started his youth career in Mali and his professional career with Marseille. His career would take him to clubs in France, Spain, China, Italy and Qatar. Keita represented Mali since the age of 18, appearing in seven Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and winning 102 caps. In addition to his Malian nationality, he also has French nationality.

3. Mahamadou Diarra (1981 - )

With an HPI of 44.78, Mahamadou Diarra is the 3rd most famous Malian Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 37 different languages.

Mahamadou Diarra (born 18 May 1981) is a Malian former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. He served as captain for the Mali national team.

4. Cheick Diabaté (1988 - )

With an HPI of 37.38, Cheick Diabaté is the 4th most famous Malian Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 26 different languages.

Cheick Tidiane Diabaté (born 25 April 1988) is a Malian professional footballer. From 2005 to 2016, he played for the Mali national team internationally.

5. Adama Coulibaly (1980 - )

With an HPI of 33.87, Adama Coulibaly is the 5th most famous Malian Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

Adama Coulibaly (born 10 September 1980) is a Malian former professional footballer who played as a defender.

6. Modibo Maïga (1987 - )

With an HPI of 33.45, Modibo Maïga is the 6th most famous Malian Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 28 different languages.

Modibo Maïga (born 3 September 1987) is a Malian professional footballer who plays as a striker. A full international for Mali since 2007, he was part of their squads at the four Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, helping them to third place in the 2012 and 2013 editions.

7. Adama Traoré (1995 - )

With an HPI of 33.17, Adama Traoré is the 7th most famous Malian Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Adama Traoré (born 28 June 1995), also known as Adama Noss Traoré, is a Malian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Hull City and the Mali national team since 2015. After winning the Golden Ball as best player at the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup, he made his senior debut for Mali. He represented the country at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2017 and 2019.

8. Almamy Touré (1996 - )

With an HPI of 29.70, Almamy Touré is the 8th most famous Malian Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 21 different languages.

Almamy Touré (born 28 April 1996) is a Malian professional footballer who plays as a right-back for 1. FC Kaiserslautern and the Mali national team.

9. Hamari Traoré (1992 - )

With an HPI of 28.78, Hamari Traoré is the 9th most famous Malian Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Hamari Traoré (born 27 January 1992) is a Malian professional footballer who plays as a right-back for La Liga club Real Sociedad, and captains the Mali national team.

10. Adama Tamboura (1985 - )

With an HPI of 28.20, Adama Tamboura is the 10th most famous Malian Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

Adama Tamboura (born 18 May 1985) is a Malian former professional footballer who played as a left-back. At international level, he made 84 appearances for the Mali national team.