Ricky Rubio denounces the use of very young players at professional level: « It looks like exploitation »
Sept. 20, 2025
Sylvain Sultat
He’s only 11, but already joining Real Madrid in the spotlight: how far will Moussa Balla Traore go?
Real Madrid officially announces the arrival of Moussa Balla Traore in its basketball section. The 11-year-old Malian joins the Infantil A category and is already creating a sensation on social media with his impressive physique for his age.
Photo Credit : Real Madrid
Real Madrid is betting on a young Malian power forward with an impressive physique. A deliberate strategy, combining media buzz and a bet on the future.
Real attracts new 11-year-old African talent
Real Madrid’s basketball section has just made a big move. The club has officially announced the arrival of Moussa Balla Traore, a power forward from Bamako, who is only 11 years old. Born on October 24, 2013, he will join the Infantil A category (equivalent to U13 in France) for the 2025-2026 season.
This recruitment is no coincidence. It’s part of a well-established strategy by the Madrid club: detecting and training African talents from a very young age. FC Barcelona already follows this approach, and Real Madrid intends not to fall behind. The young Moussa will participate in the Minicopa Endesa, a reference tournament for youth categories in Spain.
Madrid has announced a new addition to their academy, a center prospect playing on the Infant A team
🇲🇱 Moussa Balla Traore, out of Bamako Mali, who’s listed as being born October 24th 2013…. https://t.co/4A8AMX2evr pic.twitter.com/m7VXjBsBkN
— nbadraftpoint (@nbadraftpoint) September 19, 2025
An extraordinary physique already creating buzz
What’s immediately striking is Moussa Balla Traore’s physique. At first glance, it’s hard to believe he’s only 11. Impressive build, developed frame, mature musculature: everything about him already suggests a semi-professional player. As a result, the announcement of his signing quickly set social media ablaze.
Several international basketball accounts have shared the news. His profile image published by the club has gone viral, as it seems so mismatched with his young age. However, to date, no usable match footage has surfaced. It’s therefore difficult to evaluate his playing style or actual technical level.
This arrival reminds us of Mohamed Dabone, the 2.08m Burkinabe prodigy, who recently joined FC Barcelona’s professional team. He too had made waves in youth categories before joining the first team, drawing flattering comparisons to Giannis Antetokounmpo.
For now, only one thing is certain: Moussa Balla Traore is officially enrolled in Real Madrid’s elite U13 program. He will benefit from high-level coaching in one of Europe’s best youth academies.
Sylvain Sultat suit la NBA au quotidien, entre performances individuelles, dynamiques collectives et grandes histoires de la ligue. Sur BeBasket, il décrypte l’actualité américaine avec passion et régularité, toujours à l’affût des tendances qui font bouger le monde du basket.
Commentaires