Boulaye Dia

Boulaye Dia (born 16 November 1996) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Lazio. Born in France, he plays for the Senegal national team.

Club career

Reims Dia signed a professional contract with Reims on 16 July 2018 after a successful debut season with Jara Sud, where he scored 15 goals in 21 games. He made his professional debut with Reims in a 1–1 Ligue 1 tie with Angers on 20 October 2018.

On 25 October 2020, Dia scored a hat-trick in a 4–0 win against Montpellier, thereby becoming the first Reims player to score one in the top flight since Santiago Santamaría in 1978. The win was the club's first in the league in the 2020–21 season.

Villarreal On 13 July 2021, Villarreal announced the signing of Dia on a five-year deal from Reims. On his first official debut for Villarreal, which was against Chelsea in the 2021 UEFA Super Cup, he received lots of praise for his fine display.

Loan move to Salernitana On 18 August 2022, Dia went to Serie A club Salernitana on loan for one year, with a buyout clause.

Lazio On 16 August 2024, Dia joined Lazio on a two-season loan, with a conditional obligation to buy.

International career Born in France, Dia holds French and Senegalese nationalities. He was called up to represent the Senegal national team on 1 October 2020. He first played for Senegal in a friendly 3–1 loss to Morocco on 9 October 2020 and scored his first goal in a 3–1 win over Congo on 7 September 2021.

He was part of Senegal's squad for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations; the Lions of Teranga went on to win the tournament for the first time in their history. Dia was appointed a Grand Officer of the National Order of the Lion by President of Senegal Macky Sall following the nation's victory at the tournament.

Dia started all four of Senegal's matches at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, scoring the opening goal of a 3–1 win over hosts Qatar, as the nation reached the round of 16 for the first time since its debut in 2002.

In December 2023, he was named in Senegal's squad for the postponed 2023 Africa Cup of Nations held in the Ivory Coast. However, an injury forced him to forfeit and he was replaced in the Senegalese group by Bamba Dieng.

Career statistics Club

International

Scores and results list Senegal's goal tally first. Score column indicates score after each Dia goal.

Individual Grand Officer of the National Order of the Lion: 2022