Mané began his professional career withLigue 2 clubMetz at the age of 19, but he departed after a solitary season to join Austrian clubRed Bull Salzburg in 2012 for a fee of €4 million, winning aleague andcup domestic double in the2013–14 season. Later that summer, Mané transferred to English clubSouthampton for a club record fee of £11.8 million. There, he set a newPremier Leaguerecord for the fastesthat-trick, scored in 176 seconds in a 6–1 win overAston Villa in 2015.
At international level, Mané has registered 51 goals in 119appearances for Senegal since his debut in 2012, and currently ranks as his nation'sall-time top goalscorer, and second in all-time appearances.[10] He representedSenegal at the2012 Olympics, as well as the2015,2017,2019,2021 and2023 editions of theAfrica Cup of Nations. In the 2019 tournament, Mané helped Senegal to a runners-up finish, and a year later, was namedAfrican Footballer of the Year. In the2021 final, Mané scored the winning kick in the penalty shoot-out to give Senegal their first Africa Cup of Nations title and he was also named the Player of the tournament. In 2022, he was crowned African Player of the Year for the second time. Mané also represented his nation at the2018 FIFA World Cup, in its second-ever appearance in the competition.
Early life
"When I was young my dad was always saying how proud he was of me.. he was a man with a big heart. When he died, it had a big impact on me and the rest of my family.I said to myself:Now I have to do my best to help my mother.That's a hard thing to deal with when you are so young."
—Mané on the impact his father's death had on him.[11]
Mané was born toGuinean parents[12] inBambali,Sédhiou,Senegal.[11] He grew up in a religious household.[13] He wished for a career in football, but his father (who was animam) forbade him from playing the sport as a child;[14] His father wanted him to prioritize his religious studies.[15] however, his father died when he was seven years old. At the age of 15, he ran away from his home village with the help of a childhood friend, Luc Djiboune, and went toDakar to pursue his ambition of becoming a footballer; from that time he was supported by his family to fulfill his potential.[11]
Club career
Early career
In 2009, when playing inM'Bour, he was spotted by scouts and later referred toGénération Foot, a club that he helped attain promotion to the second division in the 2010–11 season.[11][16]
Metz set an asking price of €2 million for Mané, and he attracted attention, including fromAustrian Bundesliga sideRed Bull Salzburg sporting directorRalf Rangnick.[4] Having received several offers throughout the summer, Metz upped their asking price to €4 million,[4] and he moved to Salzburg on 31 August 2012, the third-biggest transfer fee that Metz had ever received.[17][18]
He scored his firsthat-trick for the club on 31 October, in a 3–1 away win at SC Kalsdorf in the third round of theAustrian Cup.[19]
On 27 October 2013, he netted his first hat-trick in the Austrian Bundesliga, during a 3–0 win away toGrödig.[20] He scored another treble on 7 May 2014 as Salzburg won 7–0 atHorn in the cup semi-finals;[21] the season ended with the team winning a domesticdouble. At the end of August 2014 Mané forced a transfer out of the club, by not coming to the training and to the most important game for Salzburg at that time to qualify for the Champions League.[22]
Southampton
2014–15 season
On 1 September 2014, Mané transferred toPremier League sideSouthampton for £11.8 million, signing a four-year contract.[23] He made his debut 22 days later in a 2–1League Cup victory overArsenal, winning the penalty for Southampton's first goal.[24] He made his first league appearance for the club in another 2–1 victory overQueens Park Rangers on 27 September, starting and assistingRyan Bertrand for the first goal of the game.[25] He scored his first goal for the club in an 8–0 victory overSunderland on 18 October,[26] although this was subsequently credited as an own goal byPatrick van Aanholt.[27] He did, however, score his first goal in his next game, a 1–0 win overStoke City a week later.[28]
In December and January he scored in three successive matches, againstCrystal Palace,[29]Chelsea[30] andArsenal.[31] Mané scored two late winning goals in 1–0 league victories atQueens Park Rangers on 7 February 2015 and at home toCrystal Palace on 3 March respectively.[32][33] However, Mané had been dropped from Southampton's starting line-up for their 0–2 home defeat toLiverpool on 22 February as a punishment for being late to the stadium.[34]
On 16 May, during Southampton's final home match of the season, Mané scored three times in 2 minutes 56 seconds in a 6–1 win overAston Villa to set a newPremier League record for the fastesthat-trick. The record had been held since 1994 byRobbie Fowler, who scored three againstArsenal in 4 minutes and 33 seconds.[35] Mané finished the season with 10 goals from 32 appearances in all competitions.
Mané began the2015–16 season by registering two assists in theUEFA Europa League third qualifying round first leg match withVitesse Arnhem at home and scoring in the return leg, as Southampton eased through to the next round 5–0 on aggregate.[36][37] On 2 December, he took 39 seconds to open the scoring against Liverpool in the quarter-finals of the League Cup, but the Saints eventually lost 6–1 at home.[38]
On 2 January 2016, he was again dropped from the starting line-up by managerRonald Koeman for a match atNorwich City when he turned up late for a pre-match meeting.[39] He received a straight red card on 12 March at the end of a 2–1 win atStoke City for a collision intoErik Pieters,[40] although this was quickly overturned on appeal.[41][42]
Having failed to score in the league for over four months, Mané scored twice in a 3–2 victory overLiverpool on 20 March 2016,[43] followed by five goals in the next five matches, including a hat-trick in a 4–2 victory againstManchester City on 1 May.[44] He finished the season as Southampton's top scorer, with 15 goals in all competitions.[citation needed]
On 28 June 2016, Mané joinedLiverpool for a transfer fee of £34 million (which could rise to £36 million) on a five-year contract. The transfer fee made him the most expensive African player in history at the time.[45][46] On 14 August, he made hisPremier League debut for the Reds, scoring the fourth goal in a 4–3 away win againstArsenal.[47] Having missed Liverpool's defeat atBurnley through a slight shoulder injury, Mané returned to the starting line-up againstBurton Albion in theLeague Cup where he had two assists in a 5–0 win.[48]
On 19 December, Mané scored the only goal of the 227thMerseyside derby in added time againstEverton atGoodison Park.[49]On 11 February 2017, Mané scored two goals within two minutes againstTottenham Hotspur at Anfield, for Liverpool's first league win in 2017.[50][51] On 20 April 2017, Mané was named in thePFA Team of the Year after scoring 13 league goals in his first season with Liverpool.[52] Despite missing the latter part of the campaign through injury, Mané was awarded the LiverpoolPlayer of the Season award on 9 May 2017.[53]
2017–18 season
In the first match of the new season, on 12 August 2017, away toWatford, Mané scored Liverpool's first goal of the season in a 3–3 draw. He was namedPremier League Player of the Month after scoring a goal in each of the Reds' three matches in August.[54] On 9 September 2017, he was given a straight red card in the first half of a 5–0 loss toManchester City for a high boot against goalkeeperEderson,[55] resulting in a three-match ban.[56] Mané,Mohamed Salah,Roberto Firmino andPhilippe Coutinho made up a prolific attacking quartet dubbed the "Fab Four" and "Fab Three" after the mid-season exit of the latter.[57]
On 14 February 2018, Mané scored his firsthat-trick for Liverpool in a 5–0 away win againstPorto in theround of 16 first leg of the2017–18 UEFA Champions League.[58] In doing so, he became only the second player to score an away hat-trick for the club in Europe.[59] Later, with a goal in the 3–0 win overAFC Bournemouth on 14 April, he overtookDemba Ba's record of 43 to become the highest scoring Senegalese in Premier League history.[60]
On 26 May, during the2018 UEFA Champions League final againstReal Madrid, Mané scored Liverpool's equalising goal in a 3–1 defeat.[61] In doing so, he became the first Senegalese player to score in the final of the competition. His goal was also his 10th for the campaign which saw Liverpool become the first team in history to have three players score 10+ goals in a single Champions League season, with Mané achieving the milestone alongside fellowforwards Salah and Firmino.[62]
2018–19 season
On 22 November 2018, Mané signed a new long-term deal with Liverpool.[63] On 10 March 2019, Mané scored twice in a 4–2 win over Burnley, the second of which was his 50th competitive goal for Liverpool.[64][65] His goals also saw him become only the fifth Liverpool player to score in six consecutive home Premier League appearances afterMichael Owen,Fernando Torres,Luis Suárez and Salah.[66] Three days later, he scored twice more in a 3–1 win overBayern Munich to help Liverpool progress to the quarter-finals of the Champions League. In doing so, he became the club's record goalscorer away from home in the competition with seven goals to his name.[67] During Liverpool's next match, he broke another of Ba's records to become the Senegalese player with the most goals scored in a single Premier League season, after scoring his 17th goal for the campaign in a 2–1 win overFulham.[68] On 20 April, he was one of six players nominated for thePFA Players' Player of the Year award alongside teammateVirgil van Dijk.[69] He was also named in thePFA Team of the Year alongside Liverpool teammates,Trent Alexander-Arnold,Andrew Robertson and Van Dijk.[70]
"What makes him special is that he never stops believing… in the meeting before the game he was really convinced that we could do it. Even though we were missing two of the best players in the world [Salah and Roberto Firmino]. He pushed the boys hard to give everything possible and tried to take the pressure off us."
— Mané on the impact his managerJürgen Klopp had on him and the whole Liverpool squad to inspire them to a famous Champions League comeback against Barcelona in the semi-finals.[11]
On the final day of the domestic campaign, Mané scored twice in a 2–0 win overWolverhampton Wanderers. His brace took him to 22 goals for the campaign which saw him share thePremier League Golden Boot award with Salah and Arsenal'sPierre-Emerick Aubameyang.[71] On 1 June, Mané helped win an early penalty for Liverpool in the2019 UEFA Champions League final against Tottenham, only 24 seconds after the kick-off, after his cross was judged to have hitMoussa Sissoko's arm inside the penalty area; Salah subsequently converted from the spot to open the scoring, and Liverpool ultimately won the match 2–0 to claim the title.[72]
2019–20 season
Mané lifting the UEFA Super Cup after scoring twice against Chelsea in the final.Mané playing for Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League, December 2019
On 14 August 2019, Mané scored twice in the2019 UEFA Super Cup final againstChelsea in a match that Liverpool won 5–4 on penalties after the game had finished 2–2 after 120 minutes.[73] Mané was named man of the match.[74] Exactly one month later, he scored twice in a 3–1 win overNewcastle United and extended his record run of matches without defeat for Liverpool atAnfield to 50 matches, a league record by any player at a particular stadium.[75] On his 100th Premier League appearance for Liverpool on 5 October, Mané scored his 50th league goal for the club in a 2–1 win overLeicester City.[76]
On 21 October, Mané was named in the 30-man shortlist for the2019 Ballon d'Or.[77] On 2 December he finished in fourth place for the award, behindLionel Messi, Liverpool teammateVirgil van Dijk andCristiano Ronaldo.[78] Two days later, he scored once and assisted two more goals as Liverpool beat Everton 5–2 in the Merseyside derby to extend their unbeaten run in league football to 32 matches, which was a new club record.[79] Later that month, Liverpool won the2019 FIFA Club World Cup, with Mané setting up the winning goal scored by Firmino in thefinal againstFlamengo.[80]
On 24 February, Mané scored the winner in a 3–2 home win againstWest Ham United in the Premier League as Liverpool made it 21 consecutive home wins, a league record shared withBill Shankly's Liverpool team from 1972, and also made it a joint Premier League record 18 wins in a row.[84][85] On 7 March, Mané scored the winning goal in a 2–1 win against Bournemouth at Anfield as Liverpool set a newEnglish top-flight record of 22 consecutive home wins.[86] Liverpool went on to win the Premier League title at the end of the season.[87]
2020–21 season
On 20 September 2020, Mané opened his scoring account in the2020–21 Premier League with both Liverpool goals in a 2–0 win away to Chelsea.[88] On 2 October 2020, Mané tested positive forCOVID-19.[89] Given his and Liverpool's stuttering form, Mané stated that 2020–21 had been the worst season of his career.[90] On 23 May 2021, the final day of the League season, Mané scored a brace in a 2–0 win over Crystal Palace securing third-place for Liverpool and qualification for thenext Champions League season.[91][92]
2021–22 season
Mané and Salah during a pre-season game in 2021
On 18 September 2021, Mané scored his 100th Liverpool goal in a 3–0 home win against Crystal Palace in the Premier League.[93] The goal against Crystal Palace also saw Mané set a new Premier League record by becoming the first player to score in nine consecutive league games against the same opponent.[93] On 16 October, Mané scored his100th Premier League goal—becoming the third African to reach the landmark afterDidier Drogba and Salah—with Liverpool's opening goal in the 5–0 win away toWatford.[94][95] On 10 April 2022, his 30th birthday, Mané scored Liverpool's equalising goal in a 2–2 away draw against Manchester City.[96] Mané then followed this with two goals against the same opposition on 16 April atWembley Stadium in a FA Cup semi-final, in a 3–2 win to help Liverpool reach their firstFA Cup final since 2012, which theyeventually won.[97] On 3 May, he scored the winning goal in a 3–2 away victory overVillarreal in theChampions League semi-final, to secure his team's place in thefinal,[98] which Liverpool eventually lost 1–0 to Real Madrid.[99] Liverpool narrowly missed out on the chance to achieve a historic quadruple, coming second in thePremier League and the 2021–22 UEFA Champions League but winning both theEFL Cup and theFA Cup.[100]
Bayern Munich
On 22 June 2022, Mané joinedBundesliga clubBayern Munich on a contract with the German side until 30 June 2025.[101] The fee was reported to be €32 million (£27.4m) potentially rising to €41 million (£35m) based on appearances plus individual and team achievements.[102][103] On 30 July 2022, Mané made his official debut, starting in the2022 DFL-Supercup and scored his debut goal to help Bayern to 5–3 victory overRB Leipzig at theRed Bull Arena.[104] He followed this up a week later with his first Bundesliga goal in a 6–1 victory overEintracht Frankfurt.[105]
On 8 November, Mané suffered an injury and had to go off after 20 minutes of Bayern's 6–1 victory againstWerder Bremen.[106][107] This injury prevented him from competing in the 2022 FIFA World Cup and he had to undergo surgery in his right fibula.[108] He stayed out for three months and made his return on 26 February 2023 as a substitute, coming on in the 65th minute forKingsley Coman in Bayern's 3–0 win againstUnion Berlin.[109]
On 13 April, Mané was suspended and fined by Bayern, following reports he punched teammateLeroy Sané in the dressing room after a 3–0 Champions League quarter-final loss toManchester City.[110] On 28 May, Bayern Munich won the Bundesliga following the concession of two points by league leadersBorussia Dortmund.[111]
Mané represented Senegal at the2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon and scored a goal in each of the nation's opening two games, 2–0 wins againstTunisia andZimbabwe.[119] After a goalless draw in the quarter-final clash againstCameroon, he missed the penalty in the shoot-out that saw Senegal eliminated from the tournament.[120]
In May 2018, Mané was named in Senegal's 23-man squad for the2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[121] He scored the opening goal in a 2–2 draw againstJapan in thegroup stage.[122] Mané started all three of Senegal's group matches as they were eliminated after the first stage, finishing below Japan on fair play points.[123]
Mané was once again called up to Senegal's final squad for the2019 Africa Cup of Nations.[124] He scored two goals and missed a penalty in a 3–0 win againstKenya, as Senegal finished second in thegroup stage and qualified for theknockout stage.[125] Mané scored the only goal of the match and missed another penalty in Senegal's 1–0 win overUganda in the round of 16.[126] He played in Senegal's next three matches as they advanced to thefinal, losing 1–0 to Algeria in a rematch of Senegal's opening game of the tournament.[127] Despite finishing the competition as runner-up, Mané was named in theTeam of the Tournament.[128]
2021–present
At the2021 Africa Cup of Nations, Mané starred for Senegal as they won the competition for the first time. In thefinal againstEgypt – a match which saw him go up against his Liverpool teammateMohamed Salah – Mané saw his penalty saved in the 7th minute, but went on to score the winning kick in the penalty shootout.[129] As well as scoring the decisive kick to win the trophy, Mané scored three goals and had two assists prior to the final, and was named the player of the tournament.[130] In thethird round of the 2022 World Cup qualifications, he also scored the winning kick in the penalty shoot-out against Egypt after a 1–1 draw on aggregate, in order to qualify his country to the2022 FIFA World Cup.[131]
On 11 November 2022, Mané was included in Senegal's 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar,[133] despite an injury he picked up during Bayern Munich's 6–1 win overWerder Bremen a few days prior.[134] However, on 17 November, Mané was ruled out of the tournament and withdrew from the squad.[135]
In December 2023, Mané was named in Senegal's squad for the postponed2023 Africa Cup of Nations held in theIvory Coast.[137] He ended the group stage with one goal againstCameroon and assists againstThe Gambia andGuinea. He then played the full 120 minutes against theIvory Coast in the round of 16, assistingHabib Diallo for Senegal's goal. After the match finished in a 1–1 draw after extra time, Senegal were knocked out by the hosts and eventual winners in the penalty shootout.[138]
On 14 October 2025, Mane netted twice in a 4-0 win against Mauritania, leading Senegal to qualify for theWorld Cup 2026.[139]
Style of play
Mané with Liverpool in 2017
Mané was described as a complete player who plays with "high levels of intensity and concentration" by Liverpool teammateFabinho.[140] Former Liverpool defenderJamie Carragher called Mané a "world-class winger", comparing him to the likes of former Liverpool playerJohn Barnes.[141] He was compared toCristiano Ronaldo by former Ajax defenderDanny Blind, who praised him for his ability to score with either foot and headers, along with making "astonishing" sprints.[142]
A versatile forward, Mané is a prolific goalscorer, whose main traits are his finishing, speed, technique, and trickery in possession, as well as his decision-making, tactical awareness, creativity, agility, balance, control, touch on the ball, anddribbling skills.[143][144][145][146][147] He has drawn praise in the media for his intelligent play, passing, and his ability to get into good positions, from which he can score goals or create chances for teammates.[144][145][148][149] Known for his quiet and timid personality, his ability to cope with pressure has also been highlighted as one of his main strengths.[145] Beyond his offensive, technical, and creative qualities, his high defensive work-rate has also been noted by pundits, as well as his ability in the air, despite his modest stature of 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in).[146] Mané usually plays as a winger on the left flank, a position which allows him to cut into the centre and shoot on goal with his stronger, right foot.[150] During the2021–22 season, with the signing ofLuis Díaz, Mané began playing more as a central striker.[151][152] Mané has been cited byKyle Walker as one of the toughest opponents he has ever faced.[153]
Community and philanthropy
In 2019, Mané donated £250,000 ($319,103; €284,813) to build a school in his home town of Bambali, Senegal.[154] In March 2020, Mané donated £41,000 ($52,564; €46,083) to the national committee fightingCOVID-19 in Senegal.[155] In 2021, he donated £500,000 ($684,932; €561,987) towards the construction of a hospital in Bambali.[156] In addition, he has also financed the building of a petrol station and a post office for his local community, supplying the school with free laptops and internet from the4G internet service he financed in the village. In total, he has spent more than £700,000 ($958,904; €786,782) on these upgrades. In addition, he commissioned a €70-a-monthstipend to each family in his 2,000-person hometown.[157][158] This is roughly equivalent to a month's wage for a Senegalese citizen on aminimum wage.[159]
Mané is also an ambassador forRight To Play, an international non-profit organization with a mission to empower vulnerable children. He has collaborated with the non-profit to provide equality and empowerment to young girls andwomen in Senegal, raising "awareness of the importance for both girls and boys to be able to access sport and education opportunities".[160]
Personal life
Whilst at Liverpool, Mané resided inAllerton, Liverpool, and has been burgled twice, once in November 2017 and again in February 2019.[161][162] He is a practisingMuslim and occasionally is seen makingdu'a before the start of each match.[163]
He married Aisha Tamba, who is 13 years younger than him, on 7 January 2024 through anIslamic rite. At the time of their marriage, he was 31 and she was 18 years old.[165] They had reportedly met more than two years before.[166]
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