Mali’s Sangaré makes history after scooping Marc-Vivien Foé Award
Mamadou Sangare of Mali during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations AFCON match between Mali and Tunisia at the Mohamed V Stadium in Casablanca, Morocco on 03 January 2026 ©Nour Aknajja/BackpagePix
Tuesday May 12, 2026. 11:00
Mali international Mamadou Sangaré of RC Lens has been named the winner of the 2026 Prix Marc-Vivien Foé as the best African player in the French Ligue 1.
The 23-year-old midfielder becomes the first Malian to win the award since its creation in 2009, beating runner-up Lamine Camara (Monaco) and third-placed Moussa Niakhaté (Lyon), the Senegalese duo.
Sangaré, who joined Lens in 2025 after progressing through Austrian clubs, made an immediate impact, earning praise for his standout performances both for the club and the Mali national team.
“In the lineage of his predecessors,” a Lens statement read.
“First Malian to receive the Marc-Vivien Foé award, which pays tribute to the former number 17 of RCL.
“Mamadou Sangaré received his trophy in the studios of RFI. He is the third Lensois winner after Gaël Kakuta and Seko Fofana.”
In the 2025/26 season, his first with RC Lens after a €8 million transfer from Vienna, Sangaré played 28 Ligue 1 matches (26 starts), scoring three goals and providing four assists while delivering strong defensive and progressive midfield performances.
Internationally, he has earned 15 caps for Mali since his senior debut in September 2024, featuring in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers and the tournament itself, after previously winning bronze with the Mali U23 team in 2023.
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