Training alongside Vinicius and Mbappé forced Yan Diomande to raise his level

Yan Diomande has gone from playing football on any surface he could find in Abidjan to training every day alongside Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Junior at Real Madrid. The 19-year-old says the level at the Spanish club leaves him no choice but to improve.

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Because I grew up in Abidjan, football meant everything to me. We played on any surface we could find, without proper shoes or a suitable pitch, simply out of love for the game.

“Because I grew up in Abidjan, football meant everything to me. We played on any surface we could find, without proper shoes or a suitable pitch, simply out of love for the game,” Diomande told Spain’s Marca.

Real Madrid paid 135 million euros to sign him from Leipzig this summer. He has made three appearances so far, all from the bench, and has yet to score. Before moving to Madrid, the Ivory Coast international impressed at Leipzig with 13 goals and 10 assists.

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Winning the award for the best young player in the German league in my first full season proved that all the sacrifices my family and I made had paid off.

Diomande moved to the United States at 15 to join a football academy in Florida. He went to Leganés in 2024, making 10 appearances, before moving to Leipzig. He said winning Germany’s young player of the year award in his first full season proved that the sacrifices made with his family had paid off.

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This is the fulfillment of my childhood dreams, everything I have worked for.

“This is the fulfillment of my childhood dreams, everything I have worked for,” he said. “I can’t wait to write my chapter at this club and contribute to its success.” He also said watching Mbappé and Vinicius move, think and prepare each day gave him something new to learn.

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The level of performance at every training session is so high that you have no choice but to raise your level.