Aïssata Traoré becomes first Malian player in the US women's football league

Boston Legacy FC signed striker Aïssata Traoré to a three-year contract through the 2028 NWSL season on Friday.

The deal makes Traoré, 27, the club's first international signing and the league's first player from Mali.

Traoré will remain on loan with French club FC Fleury 91 before joining Boston for its first preseason in 2026.

Traoré has nine goals and four assists in 20 matches since joining Fleury in 2024, after stints at France's Guingamp (2019-24) and Türkiye's Besiktas (2019).

Internationally, she has been a fixture in the Mali lineup since 2018 when she helped the team reach the semifinals at the Women's Africa Cup of Nations.