A former No. 1 overall pick in Major League Soccer’s SuperDraft, defender Hamady Diop brings championship credentials and lofty promise to San Diego FC.
The Senegal native spent the 2023 MLS season and part of 2024 with Charlotte FC, honing his game primarily with the club’s MLS Next Pro reserve squad, Crown Legacy. San Diego FC took him in December’s MLS Expansion Draft; before that, he had been playing for via Cukaricki in the Serbian SuperLiga.
Diop played collegiately at Clemson, where he led the Tigers to the 2021 NCAA championship. He was an All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection in 2022; that December, Charlotte took him first overall in the SuperDraft.
Diop spoke with The Union-Tribune about his new club’s potential, moving to a new city, and expectations for the inaugural season:
How would you describe the character of this team, considering you were part of a championship team at Clemson?
A: “It’s obviously a completely different group because we’re professionals. We’ve come from all over the world and played all over the world, so we have different experiences (compared to my college team). But it’s great to be part of this and be around so many competitive guys.”
How have you seen that competitiveness help elevate your game as part of the team?
A: “It comes a lot from what we demand of each other in practice. Everybody wants to come to practice and give it 100%. Even when there are times you’re having an off day, these guys are going to come to you and get you going. It’s really nice, and it’s only been five weeks, but we’re already united.”
When you’re on a championship club, when do you see it click and recognize you have that championship potential?
A: “There is absolutely a point when you recognize it. For us, we noticed it the second week of training camp. I think we’re a pretty special group, and we’ve shown it during the preseason games. Even though the first two preseason games didn’t go as planned (SDFC lost to New York City FC 3-1 and Portland Timbers, 3-0), the score didn’t reflect how we played. With the last preseason game (a 6-0 win over the New York Red Bulls), we saw that we’re capable of doing great things.”
What’s the process of moving to and getting acclimated in San Diego been like for you?
A: “It’s been amazing; nice weather. It was hard finding an apartment — (housing) is quite a bit different than it was in Charlotte. But it wasn’t hard. We have people … who made the transition super easy.”
