Habib Diallo was born on 18 June 1995 in Thiès, Senegal. Like many modern Senegal internationals, he was developed through Génération Foot before joining Metz, the French club whose partnership with the academy has been central to Senegal's player export model.
At Metz he became a reliable scorer, helping the club move between Ligue 2 and Ligue 1 while building a reputation for penalty-box timing. Strasbourg signed him in 2020, and he produced his best French top-flight seasons there, reaching double figures and becoming one of Ligue 1's most dependable mid-table finishers.
He later moved to Saudi Arabia with Al-Shabab and then returned to the French scene with Metz in the 2026 cycle. His recent career has therefore combined a major contract abroad with the familiar surroundings of the club that helped form him as a senior professional.
For Senegal he has been a useful striker across AFCON and World Cup qualifying cycles. He was part of the wider group around the 2021 AFCON triumph and the 2022 World Cup, competing with Boulaye Dia, Nicolas Jackson and others for minutes at centre-forward.
Standing around 1.86 m, Diallo is a right-footed striker who relies on movement, calm finishing and near-post instincts rather than spectacular dribbling. His game resembles a more economical Papiss Cissé, with enough hold-up play to connect attacks and enough poacher's timing to stay relevant in crowded penalty areas.