Yan Diomande scores his first Real Madrid goal, then stars in Rome

The 19-year-old Ivorian, Africa's most expensive player, is settling in fast at the Bernabeu.

By SitesNG Sports Desk · 14 October 2026 · 2 min read

Yan Diomande running with the ball for Ivory Coast against Ecuador — Yan Diomande in action for Ivory Coast against Ecuador at the 2026 World Cup (file photo). Photo: Bryan Berlin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Yan Diomande has his first goal for Real Madrid. The 19-year-old Ivory Coast forward scored in the 62nd minute against Villarreal on Saturday 10 October 2026, running onto Federico Valverde's pass. The goal was first flagged offside, then given after a VAR check.

It was the only goal of the game, and Madrid held on with ten men after Vinicius Junior was sent off. Diomande joined Real for a reported €125 million, a record for an African player.

A big night in Rome

On Wednesday 14 October he was on the big stage again, setting up Kylian Mbappe's goal as Real came from 3-1 down to beat Roma 4-3 in the Champions League, with Antonio Rudiger scoring the winner late on.

Diomande is also on the shortlist for the Kopa Trophy, the award for the best young player in the world, which will be presented at the Ballon d'Or ceremony in London on 26 October.

Reporting by the SitesNG Sports Desk, based on reports from Real Madrid, AfricaSoccer, UEFA, t-online, Africanews. Published 14 October 2026 in the African Sports News weekly edition of 15 October 2026.