Lamine Camara says facing elite European sides like Barcelona, Arsenal and Inter Milan fuels his desire to compete at the highest level, as the AS Monaco midfielder looks ahead to the Champions League following a breakthrough campaign in Ligue 1.
The Senegal international has been instrumental in helping Monaco secure direct qualification for Europe’s premier club competition.
Since joining from FC Metz earlier this season, the 21-year-old has swiftly established himself as a cornerstone of the Principality club’s midfield.
Camara’s contributions were pivotal in Monaco’s 2-0 victory over Lyon on Saturday, a result that sealed their place in next season’s Champions League.
The young midfielder’s performance was capped with a precise free-kick assist that found Denis Zakaria’s head for the second goal, taking his tally to seven assists this season.
“That’s an area I worked on a lot in training this year,” Camara said in an interview with Monaco’s official website, referring to his set-piece delivery — a role he has taken on with increasing authority throughout the campaign.
The win over Lyon also earned Camara a spot in the Ligue 1 Team of the Week for matchday 33, further underlining his growing influence.
April saw him named Monaco’s “MVP of the Month” for the second time this season, and his consistent displays have earned widespread praise from both fans and pundits.
Camara, a product of Senegal’s famed Génération Foot academy and a two-time winner of the CAF Best Young African Player award, now stands poised for a bigger stage.
His emergence this season has added fresh energy to Monaco’s midfield, combining creativity with tactical intelligence and composure far beyond his years.
With Champions League football on the horizon, the Diouloulou native is already setting his sights high.
“Of course! Facing big teams like Barcelona, Arsenal, or Inter Milan makes you want to play these big matches again,” Camara said. “We’re now qualified, and we’ll try to do even better than this season.”
Having adapted seamlessly to life in Ligue 1, Camara’s next challenge lies in translating his domestic form onto the European stage.
And if his trajectory this season is anything to go by, Monaco’s rising star appears ready for the spotlight.
