We’re just a month away from the 2026 Major League Soccer season, which will see many former Bundesliga stars take the field in American soccer’s top division.
Roman Bürki will look to keep things close between the sticks for St. Louis City in their opener against Charlotte, while Thomas Müller will look to lead last year’s runners-up Vancouver Whitecaps to victory against Real Salt Lake.
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Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting will look to guide the New York Red Bulls to victory at Orlando City, while Marco Reus will look to help the LA Galaxy bounce back from a nightmare 2025 with a win against New York City FC.
And in Texas, Diadié Samassékou will try to make his second appearance with the Houston Dynamo.
Born and raised in Bamako, Mali, Samassékou had his breakthrough in 2015, leading Mali to a bronze medal at the U-20 World Cup in New Zealand and securing a move to Red Bull Salzburg. Samassékou moved from Liefering to the Salzburg first team and established himself as a vital cog, cementing himself as one of the game’s most promising midfielders alongside players like Felipe Martins and helping Salzburg win three Austrian Bundesliga titles and two Austrian Cups.
He then moved to Hoffenheim in 2019, where he made 97 appearances over the next six years (excluding loan spells at Olympiacos and Cadiz) before crossing the Atlantic and joining Houston on a free transfer, making his debut against Portland Timbers on 20 September.
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Samassékou will not only be looking to return to the starting XI after an injury-plagued year, but he will also be looking to make his 42nd appearance in Mali and return to the team for the first time since June 2024, after missing a fifth AFCON appearance last month.
Receive German football news spoke with Samassékou on a number of topics, including:
What was it like leaving Mali in 2015 and starting a new life in Austria?
First of all, it was really cold, because I arrived in August, and 1-2 months later it was winter, it was snowing every day. When you’re used to weather like we have here in Houston, and you have to play at 5 or 10 degrees below zero, it’s really difficult. It took me 6 months to really settle in, and I was unlucky because I went to the under-23 qualifier for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and then I got injured there. I missed 3 months of competitions, but the people really helped me. You have people from every country, from Asia, from Africa, from the Americas, from everywhere, which really made it easier for me.
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After a sensational chapter in Salzburg, you were given the opportunity to choose from many different suitors. What made you choose Hoffenheim?
I was lucky enough to go to a lot of teams, but for me it was always the team that showed the most interest, and they sent a lot of people to talk to my reps and me. At the time, I was working with Mino Raiola, and he said to me: “Of course, you are performing well, but you are doing it in lesser known leagues.” If you are going to another league, it is better to start with a team where the pressure is not as great as at a bigger club. That’s why I went to Hoffenheim, and my time in the first three seasons was very good, but unfortunately it became a little more difficult over time. It’s part of football, you have to accept it, work and wait for the slightest opportunity.
Finally, what did you think of your first five months living in Texas? How does it compare to Europe and Africa?
I come from Mali, near the Sahara, where it is hot but not as humid. The first few weeks of training were different from anywhere I’ve been, but you get used to it with time. I’m from a small town in Germany and I really like the environment here in Houston. The people are really nice and I think you couldn’t ask for better.
