It is almost impossible to escape the presence of Brahim Diaz at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, both on and off the pitch.
Across Morocco’s host cities, the diminutive midfielder’s image dominates billboards, television adverts and promotional campaigns, mirroring his growing influence on the field. More importantly, Diaz has become a fan favourite and one of the standout performers of the tournament, playing a central role in Morocco’s march to the semi-finals.
The Spanish-born attacker has scored in all five of Morocco’s matches, a remarkable run that has powered the Atlas Lions into the last four and kept alive their long-awaited quest for a first AFCON title in 50 years.
Yet Diaz’s impact has gone far beyond goals. His constant dribbling, clever movement and ability to unsettle defences have marked him out as one of the competition’s most exciting players in what is his first Africa Cup of Nations.
That evolution was especially evident in Friday’s quarter-final victory over Cameroon, where Diaz combined his attacking flair with a tireless work ethic that drew special praise from head coach Walid Regragui.
“What I like is that he didn’t just score, he changed his mentality,” Regragui said.
“He ran, fought, and kept possession. He sent a message to his teammates. It’s very important for the team’s morale when you see your best player running like that. He can be the best player in the world if he wants to be.”
Diaz’s rise as Morocco’s poster boy is all the more striking given his background. Born in Malaga, the 26-year-old has a father from Melilla, the Spanish enclave on Morocco’s mainland, and a Spanish mother. Despite speaking better English than Arabic, he has embraced his Moroccan heritage and become a symbol of the national team’s identity.
His football journey began early. Manchester City signed him at the age of 14, prompting his family to relocate to England, where his father opted to adopt his mother’s surname for simplicity. Diaz made 15 senior appearances under Pep Guardiola before securing a move to Real Madrid at just 19.
Although he has struggled for regular minutes in LaLiga, Diaz’s international career has flourished. After earning a single cap for Spain in a 2021 friendly against Lithuania, he switched allegiance to Morocco—part of the country’s long-standing strategy of recruiting top talent from its European diaspora.
Since making his Morocco debut in a friendly against Angola in 2024, Diaz has not looked back. He now boasts 13 goals in 20 appearances, emerging as one of Africa’s leading footballers and a cult hero among Moroccan supporters.
