Brahim Díaz entered this year’s Africa Cup of Nations as the tournament’s outstanding player, finishing with five goals, only for his tournament to end in dramatic fashion in the final in Rabat. He won the decisive penalty after being hauled down by El Hadji Malick Diouf and, after referee Jean-Jacques Ndala consulted VAR amid pressure from the stands, stepped up deep into stoppage time. His weak Panenka was collected by Édouard Mendy, Rabat fell silent, he was substituted, and Senegal later scored the extra-time winner.
The miss brought intense criticism. Díaz, who was born and raised in Spain and represented Spain at youth level before making his Morocco debut in 2024, became an easy target for anger that at times turned ugly. Personal anecdotes of disgruntled supporters followed, including an Uber driver who said he never wanted to see the Real Madrid forward represent the Atlas Lions again.
According to ESPN, Díaz has since produced one of his finest tournaments at the World Cup. He has registered four assists in five matches to date, with only France’s Michael Olise creating more, and has emerged as a key creative influence as Morocco reached the last eight for the second consecutive World Cup.
Díaz’s impact has been more understated than some of his teammates: Achraf Hakimi’s wide thrusts, Yassine Bounou’s saves and Ismael Saibari’s goals have drawn headlines, while Díaz has operated as the team’s main creator. Having spent much of his club career as a fringe player at Manchester City and then a squad player at Real Madrid, he has appeared humble and relaxed under the spotlight.
On the eve of the quarterfinal against France, Díaz told journalists, “I want another assist [against France], but the most important is not about the individual, it’s not about me. It’s about the team.” He was not part of the Morocco side that reached the World Cup semifinals in Qatar and has become central to the next phase of the national team’s evolution.
ESPN Africa also noted Díaz received the Golden Boot at AFCON 2025 for finishing as the tournament’s top scorer, underlining the contrast between his earlier tournament form and the moment that defined the final.
