Mali were suspended by FIFA on 17 March 2017 due to 'government interference' with the national football association, namely dissolving its executive committee.

The team coached by Cheick Kone managed to reach the quarter-finals of the Olympic tournament before losing to Italy.

On 27 March 2005, riots broke out in Bamako after Mali lost a World Cup qualifier to Togo, 2–1 on a last minute goal.

[8] In the 2010 African Nations Cup, Mali made football headlines for coming back from losing 4–0 with eleven minutes left to level 4–4 with Angola.

[9] The rivalry between Mali and Tunisia has been evident in recent years in terms of the number of frequent matches, especially in the Africa Cup of Nations.

[10] The match between the two teams in the 1994 African Cup of Nations, which was held in Tunisia, remains one of the biggest setbacks witnessed by the Tunisian national team, as Mali won the match 2–0,[11] which led to Tunisia's early exclusion from the tournament that was held on its soil.

However, Tunisia qualified for the World Cup after winning the first leg in Bamako 1–0 with an own goal from defender Moussa Sissako,[15] and a goalless draw prevailed in the return match in Radès.

Win Draw Loss Fixture The following players were called up for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification matches against Mozambique and Eswatini on 15 and 19 November 2024 respectively.