Who is Diomande, the diamond who debuted in La Liga at the "Bernabéu"?

Yann Diomande is only 19 years old, yet he has convinced Real Madrid to shell out a colossal minimum of 125 million euros for his services. An additional 15 million euros could be paid to his current club, RB Leipzig, upon the fulfillment of certain clauses. Who is this footballer for whom "Los Blancos" have agreed to pay such a hefty sum?

His story begins in Abidjan, the largest city and commercial hub of Ivory Coast. Twenty-five people shared the family home. Yann played football in cheap white flip-flops on dusty pitches. “We didn’t know if we were rich or poor. We only knew happiness,” he once recalled.

In the evenings, he would wait for his mother to fall asleep before quietly turning on the television to watch football at an almost imperceptible volume. He dreamed of becoming one of those blurred figures on the screen.

Even as a child, coaches recognized his talent. At 9 years old, he regularly traveled long distances near the Ghanaian border to train with the Inter Foot Sud Comoé team.

His powerful shot earned him the nickname “Roberto Carlos.” Ironically, he never liked it. His idol was Cristiano Ronaldo.

When his relatives gave him a fake Manchester United jersey, he personally wrote Ronaldo’s name and number on the back. That jersey remains one of the family’s most cherished possessions. Around the age of 10, his family finally managed to buy him his first real football boots. He was so overjoyed that he fell asleep hugging them.

He was equally close to his younger sister, Roxane. She called herself his “agent” and was his biggest supporter.

At 15, Diomande finally got the chance to travel abroad, but it quickly turned into a heartbreaking experience. He trained with clubs in both Europe and the United States, but none signed him. Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Rangers, Olympiacos, MLS clubs… Each opportunity, however, ended the same way. He remembers playing alongside future stars Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise during one of these trials. Both praised his performance, but the compliments offered little solace. Eventually, his visa expired, and he returned to Ivory Coast, convinced his dream was dead.

“My dream was over. They sent me back to Africa, and we cried together,” he later wrote in an emotional letter published by The Players’ Tribune.

His sister Roxane, however, wouldn't let him give up. She constantly encouraged him to keep believing. Then, in January 2025, Leganes offered him an opportunity in Spain. He cried when the contract became official. Weeks later, everything changed again. He made his first-team debut on March 29, ironically at the “Bernabéu” against Real Madrid.

Shortly after, his phone rang: his sister had passed away. According to his family, someone allegedly put something in her drink at a party, and she never woke up. She was only 15 years old. “I don’t think I cried. I was just in shock. Since she died, I’ve been empty,” Diomande later shared.

Since then, nothing has been the same, with every goal dedicated to his sister. Every celebration belongs to her. Money no longer motivates him. “I don’t want to be rich. I see what money does to people, even to families. The football pitch is the only place where I feel at home. There, I can talk to you.”

He concluded his letter to Roxane with a promise: “You always said I’d be better than Cristiano. If I see him at the World Cup, I’ll say hello to him from you. I’ll prove you were right, or I’ll die trying.”