--- title: "They came for autographs but got money and fruit: 19-year-old Real Madrid winger Yan Diomande touches hearts outside Ivory Coast training base" description: "19-year-old Real Madrid and Ivory Coast winger Yan Diomande handed out money and fruit to children gathered outside the national team's base before an AFCON qualifier. The video of the children's reactions went viral." date: 2026-11-12T20:36:57.819Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/yan-diomande-gives-money-fruit-children tags: [yan-diomande, real-madrid, ivory-coast, can-qualifiers, charity] author: "Dmitriy Shatolov" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # They came for autographs but got money and fruit: 19-year-old Real Madrid winger Yan Diomande touches hearts outside Ivory Coast training base ![Footballer Yan Diomande smiling while standing by a stone wall wearing casual clothes and a beanie](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/12/yan-diomande-podaril-dengi-i-frukty-detyam-u-bazy-sbornoy-kot-divuara/yan-diomande-podaril-dengi-i-frukty-detyam-u-bazy-sbornoy-kot-divuara-1.webp) ## Key Points - Before an AFCON qualifier against The Gambia, Yan Diomande approached children at the Ivory Coast team base fence and gave them money and fruit. - According to one child, he received 10,000 CFA francs (about 15 euros) and a basket of fruit; the video went viral on social media. - Such gestures have become a tradition: in July 2026, Diomande was seen handing out money at Abidjan airport. 19-year-old Real Madrid and Ivory Coast national team winger Yan Diomande has won over social media once again — this time, not with his football skills, but with a humanitarian gesture in his home country. On the eve of an important Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, while in the national team camp, the footballer decided not to settle for the usual photos with fans and personally approached a group of children who had gathered by the training base fence to support their idols and watch the training session. ### A gesture by the fence According to Sport RBC.UA, the event took place ahead of the Ivory Coast match against The Gambia in the AFCON qualifiers. Noticing the young fans by the fence, Diomande went out to them, but instead of signing autographs, he began sharing cash and food with the children. A video of the happy children's emotional reactions quickly went viral on social media and drew widespread praise from fans. ### 10,000 francs and a basket of fruit One of the children said he received 10,000 CFA francs (approximately 15 euros) from the star compatriot, as well as a basket of fruit. It was this detail — the combination of small yet meaningful gifts for the local audience — that made the story go viral: viewers noted the sincerity of the gesture and the young player's attentiveness to those who come to support the national team. ### A kind tradition at home For the 19-year-old Ivorian, such charity in his homeland is becoming a good tradition. In July of this year, fans spotted Yan Diomande at Abidjan airport, where the young Real Madrid player was also distributing money to locals and fans who had come to greet him. The consistency of these gestures suggests a habitual practice rather than a one-off, improvised episode. ### Context: AFCON qualifying and player status The gesture occurred against the backdrop of the Ivory Coast national team's preparation for the match against The Gambia as part of the qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations, a tournament that determines the continental championship participants. For Diomande himself, one of Real Madrid’s young wingers, such interactions with fans in his home country have become part of his public image: the player balances his club career in Spain with his role as a prominent figure in the national team and the local football community. Ultimately, the story with the children by the base fence reminded us once again that behind the statistics and transfer news are real people, whose actions off the pitch can resonate just as much as goals and assists. The video of the children's reactions was the ultimate proof that a human approach to fans remains one of the most valued qualities of a modern footballer. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Пришли за автографами, а получили гораздо больше: звезда "Реала" растрогал фанатов в сборной](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/football/priyshli-avtografami-otrimali-znachno-bilshe-1794513584.html) - Primary source: reports Diomande's gesture at the Ivory Coast base before the Gambia match, the 10,000 CFA franc sum, and the fruit basket based on one child's account, as well as the July Abidjan airport incident. Supported by viral social media video; no independent verification of the exact figures. ## FAQ ### Who is Yan Diomande? A 19-year-old winger for Real Madrid and the Ivory Coast national team. ### What exactly did he give the children? According to one of the boys, Diomande gave him 10,000 CFA francs (about 15 euros) and a basket of fruit; other children also received money and food. ### When and where did this event take place? On the eve of an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between Ivory Coast and The Gambia, at the national team camp by the training base fence. ### Is this the first time he has done such a gesture? No. In July 2026, fans spotted Diomande at Abidjan airport, where he was also handing out money to locals and fans.