Ismaïla Sarr facts for kids
Sarr in 2022
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 25 February 1998 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Saint-Louis, Senegal | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.85 m | ||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Winger, forward | ||||||||||||||||||
| Club information | |||||||||||||||||||
| Current club | 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 | 22 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||
| National team‡ | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | Senegal U23 | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2016– | Senegal | 69 | (14) | ||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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† Appearances (Goals). |
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Ismaïla Sarr (born on February 25, 1998) is a professional footballer from Senegal. He plays as a winger or forward. Currently, he plays for the Premier League club Crystal Palace and the Senegal national team.
Club Career Highlights
Ismaïla Sarr started his football journey in Saint-Louis, Senegal. He began his career at a Senegalese football club called Génération Foot.
Playing for Metz
On July 13, 2016, Sarr signed his first professional contract with Metz. He joined them for five years. He played his first league game as a substitute on August 13, helping Metz win 3–2 against Lille. This was Metz's first match of the 2016–17 Ligue 1 season. His first start as a professional player was on September 11, in a 3–0 win against Nantes.
Sarr scored his first goal in Ligue 1 on February 8, 2017, in a 2–1 victory over Dijon. He scored four more goals in his last eight games that season. He finished the 2016–17 season with five goals and five assists in 31 league games.
Time at Rennes
On July 26, 2017, Sarr signed a four-year contract with another Ligue 1 team, Rennes. Reports said the transfer fee was around €17 to €20 million. Sarr later said he chose Rennes over Barcelona. He felt it was too early to join a huge club like Barcelona. He saw Rennes as a team that would help him grow and reach big goals.
First Season at Rennes (2017–18)
Sarr played his first game for Rennes on August 5, 2017, against Troyes. He scored his first goal for the team on August 26 against Toulouse.
His first season was cut short by an injury. He broke a bone in his ankle during a match on September 24. His coach said Sarr would need surgery and would not play again until 2018.
Sarr finished the season with five goals and five assists in 24 Ligue 1 games. Rennes ended up in fifth place, which meant they qualified for the 2018–19 UEFA Europa League.
Second Season at Rennes (2018–19)
In the 2018–19 season, Sarr played his first UEFA Europa League game. He scored the first goal in a 2–1 win against Czech club FK Jablonec on September 20, 2018. This goal was even nominated for UEFA Goal of the Season! On December 13, 2018, he scored two goals. This helped Rennes move on to the next stage of the competition.
He scored his fourth Europa League goal against Arsenal in a 3–1 win. However, Rennes lost the second game 3–0 and were knocked out.
In Ligue 1, Sarr scored eight goals and made six assists. His great performance led to him being nominated for the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Season award.
Sarr also helped Rennes win their first Coupe de France in 48 years. He scored a key goal in a 2–2 draw with Brest. He also scored in the penalty shootout that followed. In the semi-final, he assisted a goal that helped Rennes win 3–2. Rennes then faced Paris Saint Germain in the final. Sarr scored the winning penalty kick after the game ended 2–2.
Overall, Sarr scored 18 goals and made 16 assists in 77 games for Rennes.
Moving to Watford
On August 8, 2019, Sarr joined Premier League club Watford. He signed a five-year contract. The transfer fee was a record for Watford, around €30 million.
First Season at Watford (2019–20)
Sarr made his debut for Watford as a substitute on August 24, 2019. It was a 3–1 Premier League loss to West Ham United. Three days later, he scored his first goal in English football. This was in an EFL Cup game against Coventry City.
On November 30, 2019, Sarr scored his first Premier League goal against Southampton. On December 22, he was named "man of the match" in Watford's 2–0 win over Manchester United. He scored the first goal and earned a penalty kick.
On February 29, 2020, Sarr scored two goals and assisted another. This helped Watford beat Liverpool 3–0. This was Liverpool's first league defeat of the 2019–20 season. It also ended their amazing 44-match unbeaten run.
On July 26, Watford was moved down to the EFL Championship after losing to Arsenal. Sarr finished the 2019–20 season with five goals and four assists in the Premier League.
Second Season at Watford (2020–21)
During the 2020–21 season, Sarr scored thirteen goals and made ten assists. He won Watford's Player of the Season award. On April 24, 2021, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 win over Millwall. This win meant Watford was promoted back to the Premier League.
Third Season at Watford (2021–22)
Sarr started the 2021–22 season strong. He scored five goals in the first twelve Premier League games. This included goals against Aston Villa, Norwich City, Newcastle United, and Manchester United. However, Sarr had injuries for the rest of the season. He did not score in his last ten games. Watford was moved down to a lower league again.
Fourth Season at Watford (2022–23)
On August 8, 2022, Sarr scored an amazing goal from his own half! It was in a 1–1 draw with West Bromwich Albion. This goal later won the EFL Championship Goal of the Season award. On October 5, he played his 100th game for Watford.
Sarr finished the season with 10 goals in 39 games. During his four years at Watford, he scored 34 goals in 131 games.
Playing for Marseille
On July 24, 2023, Sarr joined the French club Marseille.
Sarr played his first game for Marseille on August 9. It was a 1–0 loss to Panathinaikos in a UEFA Champions League qualifier. He scored his first goal on August 26 in a 2–0 Ligue 1 win over Brest.
Joining Crystal Palace
On August 1, 2024, Sarr returned to the Premier League. He signed with Crystal Palace. He was given the number 7 shirt. On August 27, he scored his first goal for the club. It was in a 4–0 EFL Cup win over Norwich City.
International Career
Sarr has played for his country with the Senegal U23 national team. In 2015, when he was only 17, he played in the 2015 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations. Senegal finished fourth in that competition.
He played for the first time with the senior Senegal national team in September 2016. This was in a match against Namibia. He came into the game in the 67th minute, replacing Sadio Mané. On January 8, 2017, Sarr scored his first goal for Senegal in a friendly match against Libya.
In May 2018, he was chosen to be part of Senegal's team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
In 2019, Sarr was part of the Senegal team that reached the final of the Africa Cup of Nations. This was only the second time in Senegal's history. He played the whole final game, but they lost 1–0 to Algeria.
Sarr was also in Senegal's team for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations. The "Lions of Teranga" (Senegal's nickname) won the tournament for the very first time! He scored one goal in a 3–1 win against Equatorial Guinea in the quarter-finals.
After the team won, the President of Senegal Macky Sall honored Sarr. He was made a Grand Officer of the National Order of the Lion.
Sarr started all four of Senegal's games at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He scored a goal in a 2–1 win against Ecuador. This win helped Senegal reach the "round of 16" (the knockout stage) for the first time since 2002.
In December 2023, he was named in Senegal's team for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
Career Statistics Summary
Ismaïla Sarr has played many games for different clubs and his national team.
- For Metz, he played 31 league games and scored 5 goals.
- With Rennes, he played 59 league games and scored 13 goals. Overall, he scored 18 goals and made 16 assists in 77 appearances for Rennes in all competitions.
- At Watford, he played 128 league games and scored 33 goals. In total, he scored 34 goals in 131 appearances for Watford.
- For Marseille, he played 23 league games and scored 3 goals.
- For Crystal Palace, he has played 22 league games and scored 4 goals so far.
For the Senegal national team, he has played 69 games and scored 14 goals since 2016.
Awards and Honours
Ismaïla Sarr has won several awards and honours throughout his career:
With Rennes
- Coupe de France: 2018–19 (They won this cup!)
- Trophée des Champions runner-up: 2019 (They were second place in this competition)
With Senegal
- African Cup of Nations: 2021 (They won this big African tournament!); runner-up: 2019 (They were second place in 2019)
Individual Awards
- EFL Goal of the Season: 2022–23 (Award for the best goal in the English Football League)
- UEFA Europa League Goal of the Season: 2018–19 (Award for the best goal in the Europa League)
- Watford Player of the Season: 2020–21 (Voted best player for Watford)
- Watford Players’ Player of the Season: 2020–21 (Voted best player by his teammates at Watford)
Special Recognition
- Grand Officer of the National Order of the Lion: 2022 (A high honour from the President of Senegal)
