Sadio Mané #10

Profile

Mané is one of the most decorated African players in history. But before winning the Champions League and Premier League with Liverpool, or the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich, he had to batter down some doors. He comes from Bambali, a village from where becoming a pro footballer seemed impossible, and left for an opportunity in Dakar wearing a wrecked pair of football boots – the source of mockery from one coach in his first sessions. Mané’s response became famous: “I am here with the best that I have.” Now a two-time African Player of the Year and the driving force behind Senegal’s first Afcon triumph in 2022, the forward has spent millions building hospitals and schools back home. “I don’t need 10 Ferraris; I want my people to receive a bit of what life has given me,” he has said. A level-headed captain amid the chaos at Afcon earlier this year, the 34-year-old persuaded his teammates to return to the pitch in the final against Morocco.

Key stats