Ibrahim Mbaye’s Rise Continues Rapidly, But "Nothing Changes"

Ibrahim Mbaye’s breakthrough season shows no signs of slowing down, both at Paris Saint-Germain and with the Senegal national team. The 17-year-old winger has taken a major step forward at club level and marked a symbolic milestone with Senegal by scoring his first international goal during only his second cap. Yet for PSG manager Luis Enrique, nothing about Mbaye’s status has changed — the expectations remain just as high.

This season, Mbaye has played more minutes with PSG’s senior squad than ever before, benefiting from a string of injuries in the club’s attacking department. With Désiré Doué and Ousmane Dembélé still unavailable, the teenager will again have opportunities to impress when PSG face Le Havre on Saturday. Despite his promise and dynamic style, Mbaye has not yet found the net in his 13 appearances for the French champions.

Nonetheless, Luis Enrique has shown considerable trust in the young winger, handing him a starting role against Barcelona in the Champions League in October. Mbaye also drew attention from Senegal coach Pape Thiaw, who met the player’s family and convinced him to commit to the Lions of Teranga despite interest from Morocco and France — the latter having previously included him in youth squads.

Mbaye joined Senegal for the first time during the November international break, choosing to follow his heart even as friends and relatives advised him to take more time before committing to a national team. The prospect of playing in the Africa Cup of Nations and the World Cup with Senegal likely influenced his decision.

The teenager needed far less time to open his goal account for Senegal than he has at PSG. In only his second appearance — and his first start — he seized on Kenya’s defensive lapses during an 8–0 friendly win on 18 November. Mbaye delivered two assists, including a superb one-touch pass for Sadio Mané, and scored his first international goal to complete a standout performance.

Luis Enrique was quick to praise the “beautiful left-footed goal” Mbaye scored for Senegal. “He’s a very young player, and we have a lot of confidence in his future,” the Spaniard said. But the compliments stopped there. Known for demanding the highest standards, Enrique stressed the importance of keeping Mbaye grounded as he adapts to Champions League football and senior international competition in the same year.

“There is no change in status for Mbaye,” Enrique insisted. “We are very happy to have a player of his quality. But I expect from him exactly what I expected before his matches with Senegal. Nothing changes — the demands are at the maximum, and he must continue like this.”

That challenge is significant. Competition for attacking roles within Senegal is fierce, and securing a place at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco will require standout performances with PSG. Once the injury list shortens, Mbaye will also need to fight for minutes in one of Europe’s busiest attacking rotations.