Inside how a U.S. academy helped mold World Cup ph...
Key takeaways
- Some would have heard of Yan Diomande before they saw him play a full match.
- He has been one of the breakout stars of the past season, but he only played top-flight football for the first time 15 months ago.
- Diomande was one of several African soccer players who had been recommended to the DME Academy and opted to take spots in their program.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
Some would have heard of Yan Diomande before they saw him play a full match. Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool have been frequently mentioned as suitors alongside nine-figure transfer fees, with news Sunday that he's leaning towards PSG. All the while, in his own understated way, as the hype grows, Diomande, 19, just goes about his business, ruining defenders and thrilling those watching.
He has been one of the breakout stars of the past season, but he only played top-flight football for the first time 15 months ago. One of his close friends and former roommates James Eliuda at the private sports training and educational institution DME Academy in Daytona Beach has been fully aware for a while of the man they call "Dio."
Diomande was one of several African soccer players who had been recommended to the DME Academy and opted to take spots in their program. "We got sent a video of him from the under-17 AFCON and the minute you watched it, you thought, 'Oh well, this is going to be fun,'" Todd Eason, director of soccer at DME from 2021 to 20224, tells ESPN.