Yan Diomande dedicates rising career to late sister
In an emotional letter for The Players' Tribune, RB Leipzig's Yan Diomande reflects on his journey from poverty in Abidjan to professional football in Europe and the FIFA World Cup with Côte d'Ivoire, while paying tribute to his late sister, Roxane.
Diomande recalls growing up in a crowded household, playing football in dirt fields, and dreaming of becoming the next Cristiano Ronaldo.
His path included moving alone to an academy near the Ghanaian border, a difficult transition to the United States as a teenager, and unsuccessful trials with several European clubs before finally earning a contract with Leganés.
"They just kept taking me all around Europe, and everybody kept saying no," he recalled.
"My visa was up. My dream was over. They sent me back to Africa, and we cried together.
"You were the one who never stopped believing. A few weeks later, I signed for Leganés and we cried different tears."
Shortly after making his professional debut against Real Madrid at age 18, Diomande received devastating news: his 15-year-old sister had died after her drink was spiked at a party.
The Ivorian youngster says the loss left him emotionally numb and remains the motivation behind everything he does on the pitch.
"I don't even look at it like a game. I look at it like a stage. This is my chance to show the whole world what you saw in me," Diomande wrote, describing a career driven not by wealth or fame, but by humility, grief and a determination to honour his sister's belief in him.
"Every time I score, I'll make sure everybody knows your name. I'll make sure they don’t forget you."
Now starring for Leipzig in the Bundesliga and representing Côte d'Ivoire at World Cup 2026 - where he earned Player of the Match honours on his tournament debut - Diomande says every achievement in his career is dedicated to Roxane.
Her unwavering belief that he could become one of world football's best players continues to inspire him, and he views every goal he scores as a tribute to her memory.
"The pitch is the only place that I feel at home anymore," admitted the 19-year-old winger. "It’s the place where I feel calm, and I can speak to you. I just wish you were still here so I could tell you….. We did it."
Watch: Diomande was voted Bundesliga Rookie of the Season
Diomande's moving letter closes with a promise: to fulfil the dreams they shared and prove that his sister's faith in him was justified.
"You always said that I could be better than Cristiano. If I see him there, I’ll tell him hello for you.
"I'm going to do what you predicted, I swear. Before I even had real boots, you were telling everybody, 'My brother is going to be the greatest in the world.'
"I will prove that you were right, or I will die trying."
