When N'Golo Kanté left Chelsea to move to Saudi Arabia in 2023, many focused attention on the figures of his new contract.
But reducing the history of the French midfielder to the value of an engagement means ignoring an important part of the relationship Kanté has maintained with the country of origin of his family.
Born in Paris by Maltese parents emigrated to France, Kanté even bears in the name a call to West Africa: it was called N'Golo in reference to Ngolo Diarra, ruler of the Ségou Empire in the 18th century.
Then there is what he did away from the stadiums.
In 2025 several sources reported an important initiative in Mali: Kanté would have funded a health facility in Bamako with approximately $5 million, particularly for the care of vulnerable children and families.
A considerable figure for a project that brings attention to the tie of the footballer with the country from which his family comes.
And this is where history takes on a different meaning.
For a professional footballer at the highest level earning huge figures is not something exceptional. What can make a difference is how he decides to use a part of the opportunities gained during his career.
A former coach at the time of JS Suresnes, where Kanté played before reaching professional football, proudly recalled a principle that they tried to convey to him when he was still far from the great stages: success in football is important, but becoming a good person is even more.
Kanté built his career away from the spotlights of international football, to win at the highest levels with clubs and the French national team.
His relationship with Mali adds another dimension to that path: that of a child of immigrants who, reached a privileged position, maintained a link with the country of origin of their family.
For this reason a professional choice can be judged in a few seconds.
Understanding what a person decides to do with the opportunities he obtained, instead, requires to look farther than the football field.