Keita Baldé Diao (born 8 March 1995) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward or winger for club Monza. Born in Spain, he plays for the Senegal national team.
Born in Arbúcies, Girona, Catalonia, to Senegalese parents, Keita came up through the FC Barcelona's youth academy. In 2010, Keita travelled with the Barcelona youth team to Qatar for a tournament, where he played a practical joke by placing an ice-cube in a teammate's bed; As a punishment, Barcelona sent the 15-year-old Keita on loan to satellite club UE CornellÃÂ, despite his reputation as a future prospect for the first team. The loan meant Cornellàheld the rights to a fraction of Keita's playing rights. After a season in which he scored 47 goals for Cornellà's youth side, Keita turned down the chance to return to Barcelona, attracting the interest of Real Madrid and Manchester United.
In the summer of 2011, Keita was signed by Serie A club Lazio for a â¬300,000 transfer fee, of which 10% went to Cornellà. Keita was unable to play official matches for Lazio's youth sides for a year, as he had to wait to be granted Spanish citizenship and the EU passport required for the Italian club to register him. However, he impressed while playing in the Torneo Karol Wojtyla youth competition, where he scored six goals in just four matches.
Keita then spent the 2012âÂÂ13 season playing with Lazio's Primavera youth side and training with the first team. He was selected by head coach Vladimir Petkoviàto sit on the bench for some matches in the latter part of the season but did not make his senior debut.
Promoted to the first team for the following season, Keita made his league debut in a 3âÂÂ0 home win against Chievo at the Stadio Olimpico on 15 September 2013, coming on as a late substitute for Luis Pedro Cavanda. Five days later, Keita made his debut in the Europa League group stage match against Legia Warsaw, starting and providing the match's only goal scored by Hernanes. On 10 November 2013, he scored his first senior goal in a 1âÂÂ1 draw against Parma.
On 18 August 2015, Keita came off the bench to score the only goal of the game as Lazio beat Bayer Leverkusen 1âÂÂ0 in the first leg of their Champions League play-off at the Stadio Olimpico.
Keita fully established himself in the starting lineup in the 2016âÂÂ17 season, scoring his first goal of the season in Serie A matchday 6 against Empoli at home. On 6 March of the following year, Keita made his 100th Serie A appearance in the 2âÂÂ0 win at Bologna. Later on 23 April, Keita scored his maiden hat-trick, contributing in Lazio's 6âÂÂ2 thrashing of Palermo, taking his tally up to 11 goals, reaching double figures for the first time in his career. He completed the hat-trick in five minutes, making it the fastest hat-trick scored in Serie A since 1974âÂÂ75 season. One week later, in the Derby della Capitale against Roma for the matchday 34, Keita scored a brace, as Lazio won 3âÂÂ1, the first win in the league against them since November 2012. He also become the first Lazio player to score a brace in the derby since Roberto Mancini in 1998âÂÂ99 season.
On 29 August 2017, Keita joined Monaco on a five-year contract for a reported â¬30 million transfer fee. He was assigned the number 14 shirt vacated by Tiémoué Bakayoko, who left for Chelsea earlier that summer. On 21 October 2017, Keita opened the scoring in the 2âÂÂ0 Ligue 1 home win over Caen to register his first competitive Monaco goal after playing seven matches in all competitions for the club.
On 13 August 2018, Keita signed for Inter Milan on loan of â¬6 million with a â¬30 million option to buy at the end of the season. He made his Serie A debut for the club on the first matchday of the 2018âÂÂ19 season, in a loss to Sassuolo. On 24 November, he scored his first goals for the Nerazzurri; a brace in a 3âÂÂ0 win over Frosinone. While not making many appearances, he found his way to the net again on 3 December in the away match against Roma, which ended 2âÂÂ2. On 29 December, he scored the 1âÂÂ0 winner over Empoli in the 72nd minute off a pass from à  ime Vrsaljko. During the second half of the season he scored one goal, also against Empoli, on 26 May 2019, the opening goal in a 2âÂÂ1 win for Inter Milan. At the end of the season, Baldé returned to Monaco as Inter did not trigger the buyout clause.
On 29 September 2020, Keita joined Sampdoria on loan until 30 June 2021. On 23 December, after being sidelined for almost two months due to an injury, he scored his first goal for Sampdoria in his fourth appearance, in the 2âÂÂ3 home defeat against Sassuolo, a game in which he was also sent off.
On 31 August 2021, Keita joined then-Serie A side Cagliari, where he played for one season.
On 26 August 2022, Keita signed a three-year contract with Russian Premier League club Spartak Moscow. He made his debut on 4 September in a 1âÂÂ2 loss to Zenit Saint Petersburg.
On 17 September 2022, it was announced that the Italian Anti-Doping Organization concluded an investigation into Balde's actions from the time he was playing for Cagliari and banned him from playing until 5 December 2022 for violating testing procedures, despite no banned substances being found. Spartak announced it would comply with the decision taken in Italy.
On 4 April 2023, Baldé scored his first goal for Spartak in a 1-2 cup loss to Ural Yekaterinburg.
On 1 September 2023, Keita was moved to Espanyol back in his home country on loan for the 2023âÂÂ24 season.
On 6 July 2024, Baldé's contract with Spartak was terminated by mutual consent.
On 13 August 2024, Baldé signed a two-year contract with Sivasspor in Turkey.
On 13 February 2025, Baldé signed a contract with Serie A club Monza until the remainder of the 2024âÂÂ25 season.
Keita was born in Spain to Senegalese parents. Although he was eligible to play for Spain, he chose to play for his parents' country, Senegal, being called up by their manager, Aliou Cissé, for the match against Niger for 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification Group K. He made his debut for Senegal on 26 March 2016, in a 2âÂÂ0 win over Niger as a late substitute. He also played a friendly match with the Catalonia national team in December 2015 against Basque Country.
In May 2018, Keita was named in Senegal's 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
He was part of Senegal's squad for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations; the Lions of Teranga went on to win the tournament for the first time in their history.
His younger brothers Ibourahima and Mahamadou Baldé are also footballers.
As a child, Keita supported Inter Milan and has credited Samuel Eto'o for being his childhood idol.
He was appointed a Grand Officer of the National Order of the Lion by President of Senegal Macky Sall following the nation's victory at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.
Lazio
Monaco
Cagliari
Spartak Moscow
Senegal
Individual
Orders