Ibrahim Diarra. This name may not mean anything to you, but this Malian striker made a splash at the U17 World Cup. The captain of the Aiglonnets was simply monstrous throughout the competition and largely contributed to the beautiful bronze medal (3rd place) won by his team. It must be said that he finished the tournament as the most decisive player. In 7 matches, he simply scored 5 goals and delivered 4 assists. No one has done better during this World Cup. This left-handed, fast and confusing dribbler was involved in 50% of his team’s goals (9 out of 18) and was only decisive in one match (1-0 defeat against Spain).
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The 16-year-old winger could therefore easily have claimed the title of best player of the tournament, ultimately won by Nationalmannschaft striker Paris Brunner. He will be able to console himself with the Silver Boot, awarded to the second highest scorer in the competition. But if for many this tournament was the revelation for Ibrahim Diarra, this player trained at the Africa Foot Academy in Mali had already made a name for himself in other competitions on his continent. He finished as the best player and top scorer in the UFOA A U17 Tournament with Mali, which qualified for the U17 CAN. A CAN that he also left in the semi-final, eliminated by Morocco.
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Barça offered itself the new Kaka
But already at that time, his profile was followed by several European clubs, notably in Spain which no longer hesitates to draw on the level of African academies. FC Barcelona, which recently distinguished itself by signing partnerships in Senegal and by recruiting young people like Mikayil Faye (19 years old) and Mamadou Mbacke Fall (20 years old) for its reserve team, had shown an interest. Above all, a Barcelona delegation made up of scout leaders from the Catalan club visited the Africa Foot Academy at the start of 2023. And young Ibrahim Diarra did not escape the recruiters. Very quickly, the Spanish press revealed that the 16-year-old winger had signed a contract with Barça to join the club when he came of age. Information denied by the academy in a press release published at the beginning of September.
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“We would like to set the record straight regarding the recent information circulating about Ibrahim Diarra and FC Barcelona. It is essential to clarify that Ibrahim Diarra is currently a minor, which prevents him from signing a professional contract with FC Barcelona. We strictly respect FIFA rules regarding underage players, and no contract will be signed before reaching the age of majority.”, we could read in particular. However, despite this press release, Ibrahim Diarra is well promised to FC Barcelona. During the U17 World Cup, the Catalan press claimed that Ibrahim Diarra, nicknamed Kaka in the country, was going to join Barça. Information that we are able to confirm to you. If no contract has been signed, the Spanish club already has an agreement and Diarra will move to Spain when he comes of age, in December 2024. He will initially join the reserve team before being integrated into A if he performs . Moreover, several players from Barça’s youth teams, including Marc Giu, have already welcomed the Malian nugget. He quickly got everyone in agreement at the club during his trial period where he was described as impressive, technically and physically. So, good pick for FC Barcelona? It seems like it. Answer in 2025…
Pub. 06/12/2023 19:01 Updated 06/12/2023 19:14
2023-12-06 18:01:49
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