The centerback and fan favorite has rejoined the Black and Gold after a year in Spain, and he’s not your everyday footballer.
1. ONE-OF-A-KIND JOURNEY
Born in the West African nation of Senegal, Fall began training with Villareal CF (one of Spain’s oldest clubs) as an adolescent. His progression continued at Montverde Academy near Orlando, Florida. LAFC supporters who remember Fall’s above-the-crossbar aerial skills won’t be surprised to learn that in 2019 he participated in a dunk contest at Montverde that featured several future Division I basketball players, including Cade Cunningham (currently with the NBA’s Detroit Pistons), Dariq Whitehead (Brooklyn Nets), and Scottie Barnes (Raptors).
2. LA LIGA LOVE
Fall played 30 minutes in Villareal’s 1-0 win over Girona on Jan. 22, 2023, in his only regular-season appearance in Spain’s first division. The game featured NYCFC forward and 2021 MLS Golden Boot winner Taty Castellanos (currently on loan to Girona). Fall blocked one shot and completed 13 passes in a game that was decided on a late penalty kick (90+11 minute) by Villareal’s Daniel Parejo.
3. MATI & MAMADOU
Fall and his new Black & Gold teammate Mateusz Bogusz were in Ibiza together in March— but not for vacation. Fall’s team at the time (Villareal 2) played Bogusz’s side (UD Ibiza) in a match in Spain’s Segunda Division. The game ended in a 0-0 draw.
4. MULTILINGUAL
In addition to the dialects in and around his native Senegal, Fall speaks French (Senegal’s official language), Spanish, Portuguese, and English.
5. MARVEL-OUS NAME
Mamadou Fall is also the name of a Marvel character). Mamadou Fall (the Wakandan, not the footballer) was the first member of the Jabari Tribe to ascend to Black Panther status. Many millennia later, when King T’challa became the Black Panther, Mamadou Fall was one of the ancestral spirits he summoned for advice and counsel.
