Ismaïla Sarr facts for kids
Sarr in 2022
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Ismaïla Sarr | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 25 February 1998 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Saint-Louis, Senegal | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | forward, winger | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Crystal Palace | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2016 | Génération Foot | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Metz | 31 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2019 | Rennes | 59 | (13) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2023 | Watford | 128 | (33) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Marseille | 23 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Crystal Palace | 51 | (11) | |||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | Senegal U23 | 3 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2016– | Senegal | 81 | (18) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 25 January 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 18 January 2026 |
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Ismaïla Sarr, born on February 25, 1998, is a talented professional footballer from Senegal. He plays as a forward or winger for the Premier League club Crystal Palace and is also a key player for the Senegal national team. Sarr is known for his speed and skill on the field.
He started his journey in football at a youth academy in Senegal. He then played for clubs like Metz and Rennes in France, where he won the Coupe de France in 2019. Later, he moved to England to play for Watford, where he was named Player of the Season in 2021. After a season back in France with Marseille, he returned to England to join Crystal Palace in 2024. He helped them win the FA Cup in 2025 and the FA Community Shield in 2025.
For his country, Sarr has proudly represented Senegal in multiple major tournaments. These include the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups. He was also part of the Senegal team that won the Africa Cup of Nations in both 2021 and 2025.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting in Senegal and France
Ismaïla Sarr began his football journey in his home country, Senegal, at a club called Génération Foot. This is where he developed his early skills.
In 2016, Sarr signed his first professional contract with Metz, a club in France. He made his debut in a league match in August 2016. He scored his first goal for Metz in February 2017. By the end of the 2016–17 season, he had scored five goals and made five assists in 31 league games.
Moving to Rennes
In July 2017, Sarr joined another French club, Rennes. He chose Rennes because he felt it would help him grow as a player. He even mentioned turning down a chance to join Barcelona at that time.
During his first season at Rennes, he scored his first goal in August 2017. An injury to his ankle bone in September kept him out of play for a few months. He still finished the season with five goals and five assists in 24 league games. Rennes finished fifth, qualifying for the 2018–19 UEFA Europa League.
In the 2018–19 season, Sarr played in the UEFA Europa League for the first time. He scored important goals, including two against FK Jablonec and FC Astana. One of his goals was even nominated for UEFA Goal of the Season. He scored eight goals and made six assists in the French league that season.
Sarr also played a big part in Rennes winning the Coupe de France in 2019. This was their first win in 48 years! He scored a crucial penalty in the shootout during the final against Paris Saint Germain, helping his team to victory. Overall, he scored 18 goals and made 16 assists in 77 games for Rennes.
Time at Watford
In August 2019, Sarr moved to England to join Premier League club Watford. This transfer was a club record for Watford. He made his debut shortly after joining.
Sarr scored his first goal in English football in an EFL Cup match. He scored his first Premier League goal in November 2019. A memorable moment was in February 2020 when he scored two goals and assisted another in a 3–0 win against Liverpool. This ended Liverpool's long unbeaten run in the league. Watford was relegated at the end of that season.
In the 2020–21 season, Sarr was a star player in the EFL Championship. He scored thirteen goals and provided ten assists. He was named Watford's Player of the Season. His goal against Millwall in April 2021 helped Watford get promoted back to the Premier League.
He continued to score important goals in the 2021–22 Premier League season. However, injuries affected his playing time, and Watford was relegated again. In the 2022–23 season, Sarr scored a fantastic goal from his own half against West Bromwich Albion, which was named the EFL Championship Goal of the Season. He played 100 matches for Watford during this season. In total, Sarr scored 34 goals in 131 appearances for Watford.
Return to France with Marseille
In July 2023, Sarr returned to France to play for Marseille. He made his debut in a Champions League qualifier. He scored his first goal for Marseille in a league win against Brest in August.
He had a strong start, but then faced some challenges with his form and fitness. He scored three goals and made three assists in 15 league starts. He also contributed two goals and three assists in the Europa League, where Marseille reached the semi-finals.
Joining Crystal Palace
On August 1, 2024, Sarr moved back to the Premier League, signing with Crystal Palace. He quickly made an impact, scoring his first goal for the club in an EFL Cup win against Norwich City in August.
His first league goal for Crystal Palace came in November in a draw against Aston Villa. He also provided an assist in that game. In December, he scored twice and assisted another goal in a 3–1 win against rivals Brighton & Hove Albion, earning him the Man of the Match award.
Sarr was a key player in Crystal Palace's successful run to the 2025 FA Cup final. He scored in the quarter-final and two goals in the semi-final at Wembley Stadium. On May 17, 2025, Sarr played in the FA Cup final, where Crystal Palace beat Manchester City 1–0 to win their first major trophy. He also scored in the 2025 FA Community Shield match, which Palace won against Liverpool.
International Career with Senegal
Ismaïla Sarr has proudly represented his home country, Senegal, at various levels. He played for the Senegal U23 national team in 2015 when he was just 17 years old.
He made his debut for the Senegal senior national team in September 2016. His first international goal came in a friendly match against Libya in January 2017.
Sarr was part of Senegal's squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. He started in all three group matches. In 2019, he helped Senegal reach the final of the Africa Cup of Nations, where they finished as runners-up.
A major achievement came in 2021 when Sarr was part of the Senegal squad that won the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in their history. He scored a goal in the quarter-final match. Following this historic win, he was honored by the President of Senegal.
He also played in all four of Senegal's matches at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He scored a goal in a 2–1 win against Ecuador, which helped Senegal qualify for the knockout stage.
In December 2023, Sarr was named in Senegal's squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. He started all four matches, providing an assist against The Gambia and both scoring and assisting against Cameroon. He was also part of the team that won the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Personal Life
Ismaïla Sarr holds French citizenship through his mother.
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Metz | 2016–17 | Ligue 1 | 31 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 5 | ||
| Rennes | 2017–18 | Ligue 1 | 24 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 5 | ||
| 2018–19 | Ligue 1 | 35 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 4 | — | 50 | 13 | ||
| Total | 59 | 13 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 4 | — | 77 | 18 | |||
| Watford | 2019–20 | Premier League | 28 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 30 | 6 | ||
| 2020–21 | Championship | 39 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 40 | 13 | |||
| 2021–22 | Premier League | 22 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 22 | 5 | |||
| 2022–23 | Championship | 39 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 39 | 10 | |||
| Total | 128 | 33 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 131 | 34 | ||||
| Marseille | 2023–24 | Ligue 1 | 23 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | 12 | 1 | — | 35 | 4 | ||
| Crystal Palace | 2024–25 | Premier League | 38 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 47 | 12 | ||
| 2025–26 | Premier League | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 22 | 8 | |
| Total | 51 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 69 | 20 | ||
| Career total | 292 | 65 | 12 | 4 | 13 | 4 | 27 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 345 | 81 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senegal | 2016 | 1 | 0 |
| 2017 | 9 | 2 | |
| 2018 | 10 | 1 | |
| 2019 | 9 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 3 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 8 | 4 | |
| 2022 | 12 | 2 | |
| 2023 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 13 | 3 | |
| 2025 | 9 | 4 | |
| 2026 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 81 | 18 | |
- Scores and results list Senegal's goal tally first.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 January 2017 | Stade Municipal de Kintélé, Brazzaville, Congo |  Libya |
2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 2 | 5 September 2017 | Stade du 4 Août, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso |  Burkina Faso |
1–1 | 2–2 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 3 | 8 June 2018 | Gradski Vrt Stadium, Osijek, Croatia |  Croatia |
1–0 | 1–2 | Friendly |
| 4 | 1 July 2019 | 30 June Stadium, Cairo, Egypt |  Kenya |
1–0 | 3–0 | 2019 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 5 | 9 October 2020 | Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat, Morocco |  Morocco |
1–3 | 1–3 | Friendly |
| 6 | 5 June 2021 | Stade Lat-Dior, Thiès, Senegal |  Zambia |
3–0 | 3–1 | Friendly |
| 7 | 7 September 2021 | Stade Alphonse Massamba-Débat, Brazzaville, Congo |  Congo |
2–1 | 3–1 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 8 | 14 November 2021 | Stade Lat-Dior, Thiès, Senegal | Congo |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 9 | 2–0 | |||||
| 10 | 30 January 2022 | Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium, Yaoundé, Cameroon |  Equatorial Guinea |
3–1 | 3–1 | 2021 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 11 | 29 November 2022 | Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar |  Ecuador |
1–0 | 2–1 | 2022 FIFA World Cup |
| 12 | 19 January 2024 | Charles Konan Banny Stadium, Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast |  Cameroon |
1–0 | 3–1 | 2023 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 13 | 6 June 2024 | Diamniadio Olympic Stadium, Diamniadio, Senegal |  DR Congo |
1–0 | 1–1 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 14 | 9 September 2024 | Bingu National Stadium, Lilongwe, Malawi |  Burundi |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 15 | 6 June 2025 | Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland |  Republic of Ireland |
1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 16 | 10 June 2025 | City Ground, Nottingham, England |  England |
1–1 | 3–1 | Friendly |
| 17 | 10 October 2025 | Juba Stadium, Juba, South Sudan |  South Sudan |
1–0 | 5–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 18 | 3–0 |
Honours
Rennes
- Coupe de France: 2018–19
Crystal Palace
- FA Cup: 2024–25
- FA Community Shield: 2025
Senegal
- African Cup of Nations: 2021, 2025; runner-up: 2019
Individual
- EFL Goal of the Season: 2022–23
- UEFA Europa League Goal of the Season: 2018–19
- Watford Player of the Season: 2020–21
- Watford Players' Player of the Season: 2020–21
Orders
- Grand Officer of the National Order of the Lion: 2022
See also
In Spanish: Ismaïla Sarr para niños
 | Victor J. Glover |
 | Yvonne Cagle |
 | Jeanette Epps |
 | Bernard A. Harris Jr. |
