Mali national football team
Eagles · WAFU-A · Elo 1695 (8th in Africa)
About the Mali national team
The Mali national football team (Eagles) represents Mali in men's international football and competes in CAF's West African Zone A (WAFU-A) region.
Across their history, Mali have played 572 recorded internationals since 1960: 234 wins (40.9%), 152 draws and 186 defeats, with 751 goals scored and 628 conceded.
Mali have played at 14 Africa Cup of Nations tournaments without winning the title, reaching the final in 1972.
Mali have not yet qualified for a FIFA World Cup finals tournament.
Our Elo rating puts Mali on 1695 points: 8th in Africa and 57th in the world. Their highest rating (1721) came in 2024.
Frédéric Kanouté is the leading scorer in our match records with 17 goals for Mali.
Next matches
All fixtures →
Recent results
All results →DDDWLDLWWD
| Date | Opponent | Score | Competition | Venue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Oct 2026 | D |  Morocco |
1–1 | International Friendly | A · Tangier |
| 29 Sep 2026 | W |  Liberia |
1–0 | AFCON Qualification | A · Monrovia |
| 25 Sep 2026 | W |  Cape Verde |
3–1 | AFCON Qualification | H · Bamako |
| 4 Jun 2026 | L |  Iran |
0–2 | International Friendly | N · Antalya |
| 31 Mar 2026 | D |  Russia |
0–0 | International Friendly | A · Saint Petersburg |
| 9 Jan 2026 | L |  Senegal |
0–1 | Africa Cup of Nations | N · Tangier |
| 3 Jan 2026 | W |  Tunisia |
1–1p | Africa Cup of Nations | N · Casablanca |
| 29 Dec 2025 | D |  Comoros |
0–0 | Africa Cup of Nations | N · Casablanca |
| 26 Dec 2025 | D | Morocco |
1–1 | Africa Cup of Nations | A · Rabat |
| 22 Dec 2025 | D |  Zambia |
1–1 | Africa Cup of Nations | N · Casablanca |
| 18 Nov 2025 | W |  Jordan |
3–2 | International Friendly | N · Radès |
| 12 Oct 2025 | W |  Madagascar |
4–1 | World Cup Qualification | H · Bamako |
Key facts
- At home
- 102W 45D 30L (58% wins)
- Away
- 56W 57D 99L (26% wins)
- Neutral venues
- 76W 50D 57L (42% wins)
- Goals per match
- 1.31 scored, 1.10 conceded
- Clean sheets
- 194 (34%)
- Failed to score
- 172 matches (30%)
- Most common score
- 1–1 (75 times)
- vs Asia
- 4W 4D 8L
- vs Europe
- 1W 1D 1L
- Best decade
- 2020s (54% wins)
- First recorded match
- Mali 4–3 Central African Republic (1960)
Where Malian players were born
All birthplaces →Each dot is a birthplace; bigger dots mean more players. Players born outside Africa are on the born abroad page.
Active Malian internationals
Where they play →| Player | Position | Club | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yves Bissouma | Midfielder | AFC Ajax | 50 | 5 |
| Modibo Maïga | Forward |  Buriram United F.C. | – | – |
| Cheick Diabaté | Forward | Esteghlal F.C. | – | – |
| Moussa Djenepo | Wing half |  Standard Liège | – | – |
| Abdoulay Diaby | Forward |  Sporting CP | – | – |
| Yacouba Sylla | Midfielder | R.E. Virton | 16 | 0 |
| Samba Sow | Midfielder |  Nottingham Forest F.C. | – | – |
| Dorgeles Nene | Forward |  Fenerbahçe Istanbul | – | – |
| Hadi Sacko | Wing half | Adanaspor | 3 | 0 |
| Adama Traoré | Wing half |  Ferencvárosi TC | 9 | 1 |
| Oumar Sissoko | Goalkeeper |  Besançon R.C. | – | – |
| Aliou Dieng | Midfielder |  Al Ahly SC | – | – |
| Boubakar Kouyaté | Centre-back | FC Metz | – | – |
| Mamadou Samassa | Goalkeeper | Stade Lavallois | – | – |
| Moussa Sissako | Defender | PFC Sochi | 4 | 0 |
| Adama Niane | Forward | Royal Charleroi S.C. | – | – |
| Bassekou Diabaté | Forward |  FC Maxline Viciebsk | 6 | 0 |
| Aissata Traore | Midfielder | En avant Guingamp | 5 | 1 |
| Nathan Gassama | FC Baltika Kaliningrad | – | – | |
| Oumar Traoré | Midfielder |  Al Jazira Club | – | – |
| Oumar Sidibé | Midfielder |  Association Sportive Vita Club | 1 | 0 |
| Sadio Kanouté | Central midfielder |  Simba Sports Club | 7 | 0 |
| Coulouba Sogoré | Defender | AJ Auxerre | – | – |
Players with an open club spell and a senior cap on record; not an official squad list.
Top scorers
Full list →- Frédéric Kanouté2004–2010
- Seydou Keita2002–2013
- Ibrahima Koné2021–2022
- Kamory Doumbia2023–2025
- Lassine Sinayoko2024–2026
- Soumaïla Coulibaly2003–2008
- Fantamady Keita1972–1972
- Adama Traoré1972–2021
- Mamadou Samassa2009–2013
- Cheick Diabaté2012–2015
Record by competition
| Competition | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Titles | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFCON Qualification | 132 | 68 | 30 | 34 | 197 | 121 | 1965–2026 | |
| Amílcar Cabral Cup | 74 | 34 | 22 | 18 | 96 | 58 | 1979–2001 | |
| Africa Cup of Nations | 64 | 21 | 25 | 18 | 74 | 73 | 1972–2026 | |
| World Cup Qualification | 58 | 24 | 16 | 18 | 78 | 59 | 2000–2025 | |
| All-African Games | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 10 | 1965–1978 | |
| Tournament Burkina Faso | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1988–1988 |
Notable Malian players
All players →
Seydou KeitaMali · b. 1980
Frédéric baldiMali · b. 1977
Mohamed SissokoMali · b. 1985
Mahamadou DiarraMali · b. 1981
Yves BissoumaMali · AFC Ajax
Amadou HaidaraMali · b. 1998
Abdoulaye DoucouréMali · b. 1993
Modibo MaïgaMali · Buriram United F.C.
Cheick DiabatéMali · Esteghlal F.C.
Cheick DoucouréMali · b. 2000
Salif KeïtaMali · b. 1946
Diadie SamassékouMali · b. 1996
Frequently asked questions
What is the nickname of the Mali national team?
Mali are nicknamed the Eagles.
How many times have Mali won AFCON?
Mali have won the Africa Cup of Nations 0 times.
Have Mali played at the World Cup?
No, Mali have not qualified for a World Cup finals tournament yet.
Who is the top scorer for Mali?
In our match database, Frédéric Kanouté leads with 17 goals. Goal data is most complete for tournament matches.
What is the biggest win in Mali history?
Mali 6–0 Sierra Leone on 17 June 2007 (AFCON Qualification).