Before Real Madrid signed him in 2006, Fabio Capello told president Ramón Calderón the squad needed three players: Diarra, Diarra and Diarra. He arrived with four consecutive Ligue 1 titles from his four seasons at Lyon and added La Liga in 2006-07 and 2007-08, having made the Ligue 1 team of the year in 2005-06, and he won 72 caps for Mali, whom he captained, across Africa Cup of Nations campaigns in 2002, 2004, 2008 and 2010. Career record: club career at SBV Vitesse, Olympique Lyonnais, Real Madrid Club de Fútbol.
| 1998–1999 | OFI Crete |
| 1999–2002 | SBV Vitesse |
| 2002–2006 | Olympique Lyonnais |
| 2006–2011 | Real Madrid Club de Fútbol |
| 2011–2011 | AS Monaco |
| 2011–2014 | Fulham |
| 2011–2012 | AS Monaco |
Mali legends whose careers overlapped Diarra's
One rank above: Frédéric Kanouté at #3.
One rank below: Mohamed Sissoko at #5.
Mali's editorial top five: Salif Keita · Seydou Keita · Frédéric Kanouté · Mahamadou Diarra · Mohamed Sissoko.