We report here the crystal structure of the minimal ligand‐binding segment of the Staphylococcus aureus MSCRAMM, clumping factor A. This fibrinogen‐binding segment contains two similarly folded domains. The fold observed is a new variant of the immunoglobulin motif that we have called DE‐variant or the DEv‐IgG fold. This subgroup includes the ligand‐binding domain of the collagen‐binding S. aureus MSCRAMM CNA, and many other structures previously classified as jelly rolls. Structure predictions suggest that the four fibrinogen‐binding S. aureus MSCRAMMs identified so far would also contain the same DEv‐IgG fold. A systematic docking search using the C‐terminal region of the fibrinogen γ‐chain as a probe suggested that a hydrophobic pocket formed between the two DEv‐IgG domains of the clumping factor as the ligand‐binding site. Mutagenic substitution of residues Tyr256, Pro336, Tyr338 and Lys389 in the clumping factor, which are proposed to contact the terminal residues 408 AGDV 411 of the γ‐chain, resulted in proteins with no or markedly reduced affinity for fibrinogen.