Mahdi Camara

Not to be confused with Mady Camara.

Mahdi Camara

Camara with Brest in 2025
Personal information
Full name	Mahdi Cherno Philippe Camara [1]
Date of birth	(1998-06-30) 30 June 1998 (age 27)
Place of birth	Martigues, France
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Rennes
Number	45
Youth career
2004–2013	Martigues
2013–2018	Saint-Étienne
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2016–2019	Saint-Étienne B	57	(9)
2018–2023	Saint-Étienne	89	(6)
2019	→ Laval (loan)	14	(3)
2022–2023	→ Brest (loan)	31	(2)
2023–2025	Brest	66	(12)
2025–	Rennes	0	(0)
International career
2014	France U16	3	(0)
2016	France U19	1	(0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 25 May 2025

Mahdi Cherno Philippe Camara (born 30 June 1998) is a French professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Ligue 1 club Rennes. ^[2]

Club career

A product from the club's youth academy, Camara signed his first professional contract with Saint-Étienne on 15 March 2018. ^[3] He made his professional debut with ASSE in a 2–1 Ligue 1 win over Guingamp on 11 August 2018. ^[4] In January 2019, he was loaned to Laval until the end of the season. ^{[5] [6]}

Under manager Claude Puel, Camara was Saint-Étienne's captain. However, with the arrival of Pascal Dupraz in December 2021, he was stripped of the captain's armband. ^[7] On 26 August 2022, Camara joined Ligue 1 side Brest on a season-long loan with an option-to-buy for a reported fee of €3.5 million. ^{[8] [9]}

On 24 February 2024, Camara scored his first hat-trick for Brest against Strasbourg in a 3–0 away win. ^[10] On the final matchday of the 2023–24 season, he scored the opener and provided an assist in a 3–0 away win over Toulouse, helping his club to secure a third-place finish in the league and first ever qualification to the UEFA Champions League. ^[11]

On 13 August 2025, Camara joined fellow Ligue 1 side Rennes for a reported fee of €8m, signing a four-year contract. ^{[12] [13]}

International career

Having played for France at youth levels. He was called up to the Gambian provisional squad ahead of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, but he was not on the final list of 28 players called up by coach Tom Saintfiet. ^[14]

Personal life

Born in France, Camara is of Gambian descent. ^[15]

In early April 2022, Camara was suspended from Saint-Étienne's squad for five days after being involved in a physical fight with reserve goalkeeper Yanis Bourbia. Camara broke Bourbia's nose and split his lip, which caused him to be hospitalized. The cause of the fight was tensions between the Camara and Bourbia families in the stands of the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard during a match against Marseille several days earlier. ^[16]

Career statistics

As of match played 17 May 2025 ^[17]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			Coupe de France		Europe		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Brest (loan)	2022–23	Ligue 1	31	2	2	0	–		33	2
Brest	2023–24	Ligue 1	32	7	3	0	–		35	7
	2024–25	Ligue 1	34	5	3	0	10 [a]	1	47	6
	Brest total		97	14	8	0	10	1	115	15
Career total			97	14	8	0	10	1	115	15

1. Appearances in UEFA Champions League

Honours

Saint-Étienne

• Coupe de France runner-up: 2019–20 ^[18]

References

1. "UEFA Champions League 2024/2025: Booking List before League Phase Matchday 4" (PDF). UEFA. 10 September 2024. p. 6. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 November 2024. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
2. Mahdi Camara at Soccerway
3. Rédaction. "Saint-Etienne : premier contrat pour Mahdi Camara".
4. "LFP.fr - Ligue de Football Professionnel - Ligue 1 Conforama - Saison 2018/2019 - 1ère journée - AS Saint-Etienne / EA Guingamp". www.lfp.fr.
5. "#MERCATO - MAHDI CAMARA PRÊTÉ AU STADE LAVALLOIS MFC". Stade Lavallois. 29 January 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
6. "AS Saint-Étienne - Petit à petit, Mahdi Camara fait son nid au milieu de terrain". France Bleu (in French). 10 December 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
7. "Saint-Etienne : Camara dévoile son sentiment après la perte du brassard". Foot National (in French). 13 January 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
8. "Mahdi Camara prêté au Stade Brestois 29" (in French). AS Saint-Étienne. 26 August 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
9. "Official | Brest sign Mahdi Camara on loan from St Étienne". Get French Football News. 26 August 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
10. Pugmire, Jerome (24 February 2024). "Camara hat trick helps Brest win 3-0 at Strasbourg to remain on course for Champions League". Associated Press.
11. "Brest secures final automatic Champions League spot in French league, PSG wins without Mbappé". The Washington Post. 19 May 2024.
12. "Official | Rennes sign Brest midfielder Mahdi Camara - Get French Football News". 13 August 2025. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
13. "Mahdi Camara, bienvenue à Rennes ! | Stade Rennais F.C." www.staderennais.com (in French). 11 August 2025. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
14. "ASSE, Gambie : Mahdi Camara ne disputera pas la CAN 2021". Foot Mercato (in Spanish). 21 December 2021.
15. "En tête à tête avec Mahdi Camara". asse.tv. Archived from the original on 15 March 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
16. "Saint-Étienne's Mahdi Camara suspended after fight with reserve goalkeeper". Get French Football News. 5 April 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
17. Mahdi Camara at Soccerway . Retrieved 23 October 2024.
18. "Mbappé suffers ankle injury as PSG beat 10-man Saint-Étienne to lift French Cup". The Guardian . 24 July 2020. Retrieved 21 June 2022.

External links

• Mahdi Camara at the French Football Federation (in French)