Exclusive | Diadié Samassékou on leaving Mali for Austria, his time at Hoffenheim and moving to America

We are just one month away from the 2026 Major League Soccer season, which will see quite a few ex-Bundesliga stars take the pitch in American soccer’s premier division.

Roman Bürki will be looking to keep things tight in between the sticks for St. Louis City in their opener vs. Charlotte, whilst Thomas Müller will be looking to lead last year’s runners-up Vancouver Whitecaps to victory against Real Salt Lake. 

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting will be looking to guide New York Red Bulls to victory at Orlando City, whilst Marco Reus will be looking to help LA Galaxy bounce back from a nightmare 2025 with a win against New York City FC. 

And in Texas, Diadié Samassékou will be looking to make his second appearance for Houston Dynamo.

Born and raised in Bamako, Mali, Samassékou enjoyed a breakout 2015 by leading Mali to a bronze medal in the U-20 World Cup in New Zealand and earning a move to Red Bull Salzburg. Samassékou ascended from Liefering to the Salzburg first team and established himself as a vital cog, cementing himself as one of the most promising midfielders in the game alongside the likes of Felipe Martins and helping Salzburg win three Austrian Bundesliga titles and two Austrian Cups. 

He then made the move to Hoffenheim in 2019, where he made 97 appearances over the next six years (save for loan spells at Olympiacos and Cádiz) before making the move across the Atlantic and joining Houston on a free transfer, making his debut vs. Portland Timbers on September 20.

Samassékou will be looking to not only get back to the starting XI after an injury-plagued year, but he’ll also be seeking to make his 42nd Mali appearance and return to the side for the first time since June 2024, having missed out on a fifth AFCON participation this past month. 

Get German Football News spoke to Samassékou about a number of topics, including:

What was it like leaving Mali in 2015 and starting a new life for yourself in Austria?

First of all, the weather was really cold, because I arrived in August, and 1-2 months later, it was winter, it was snowing every day. When you are used to the weather like we have here in Houston, and you’ve got to play 5 or 10 degrees below freezing, it’s really difficult. It took me 6 months to really integrate myself, and I had bad luck because I went to the under-23 qualification for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and then I got injured there. I missed 3 months of competitions, but the people really helped there. You have people from every country, from Asia, from Africa, from the Americas, from everywhere around, which made things really easier for me.

After a sensational chapter in Salzburg, you had the chance to pick from quite a few different suitors. What made you select Hoffenheim?

I had the chance to go to a lot of teams, but for me, it was always about the team that showed the most interest, and they sent a lot of people to speak to my representatives and I. At the time, I was working with Mino Raiola, and he told me, ‘Of course, you’re performing, but you’re doing it in the lesser-known leagues. If you go to another league, it’s better to start with a team where the pressure isn’t as high as opposed to at a bigger club. That’s why I went to Hoffenheim, and my time in the first three seasons was really good, but unfortunately, it became a bit harder as time went on. That’s part of football, you have to accept it and put in the work and wait for whatever chance you get.

Lastly, what have you made of your first five months of living in Texas? How does it compare with Europe and Africa?

I’m from Mali, near the Sahara, where it’s hot but not quite as humid. The first few weeks in training were different to everywhere I’ve been, but you get used to it with time. I’m coming from a small town in Germany, and I really like the environment here at Houston. The people are really nice, and I think you cannot ask for more.

GGFN | Zach Lowy