Diomande recalls growing up in a crowded household, playing football in dirt fields, and dreaming of becoming the next Cristiano Ronaldo.
His path included moving alone to an academy near the Ghanaian border, a difficult transition to the United States as a teenager, and unsuccessful trials with several European clubs before finally earning a contract with Leganés.
"They just kept taking me all around Europe, and everybody kept saying no," he recalled.
"My visa was up. My dream was over. They sent me back to Africa, and we cried together.
"You were the one who never stopped believing. A few weeks later, I signed for Leganés and we cried different tears."
