Mali national football team

Mens national football team.

The Mali national football team, known as Les Aigles (The Eagles), represents Mali in international football competitions. It is governed by the Malian Football Federation, the governing body for football in Mali. The team is a member of CAF in Africa and FIFA in global competitions. Their traditional colors are green, yellow, and red, reflecting the colors of the Malian flag.

Since gaining independence in 1960, Mali has been a consistent presence in African football. While they have never qualified for the FIFA World Cup, they have made 13 appearances in the Africa Cup of Nations. Their best performance in this tournament came in 1972 when they finished as runners-up. Mali has also reached the semi-finals of the competition on four occasions (1994, 2002, 2004, and 2012).

Les Aigles have produced several notable players throughout their history. Seydou Keita holds the record for most caps (102) and is also the team's top scorer with 25 goals. Other prominent players include Frédéric Kanouté, Mahamadou Diarra, and Adama Traoré.

Mali's highest FIFA ranking was 23rd, achieved in June 2013, marking a significant rise from their lowest ranking of 117th in October 2001. The team's home stadium is the Stade du 26 Mars in Bamako, where they have played most of their matches since its opening in 2001.

Despite not qualifying for the World Cup, Mali has shown strength in youth competitions, winning the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2019. This success at the youth level has led to optimism about the future of Malian football.

Under the current management of Tom Saintfiet, Mali continues to strive for success on the continental stage. They have consistently performed well in the African Nations Championship, finishing as runners-up in 2016 and 2020.