Pape Meissa Ba leaves Widzew Lodz as Senegal striker becomes a free agent

Senegal centre-forward Pape Meissa Ba has left Polish club Widzew Lodz and is now without a club after completing his departure on 31 August 2026.

The 29-year-old Dakar-born striker had been registered with Widzew in Poland’s Ekstraklasa, but did not make an appearance for the club during the opening six possible matches of the 2026-27 season. He also recorded no goals or assists during that period.

Ba joined Widzew in September 2025 on a free transfer from German side Schalke 04. His time in Poland included a loan spell at French club Red Star FC, which began in January 2026. He returned to Widzew at the end of June after the loan concluded.

The striker’s move to Schalke followed a spell with Grenoble, whom he joined from Red Star in January 2025 for €300,000. Before that, Ba spent two seasons at Red Star after leaving Troyes in February 2021.

Ba’s strongest scoring season came during the 2021-22 campaign, when he finished as the leading scorer in France’s Championnat National with 21 goals for Red Star. He had previously helped Troyes win the French second tier in the 2020-21 season.

A right-footed forward standing 1.86m tall, Ba has played primarily as a centre-forward throughout his senior career. His current market value is €700,000, while his highest recorded valuation was €1.5m.

His departure brings an end to his time with Widzew after less than a year on the club’s books. The Senegalese striker is now available as an unattached player following the completion of his exit from the Ekstraklasa side.