Brahim Díaz, the new "darling" of the Moroccan public

By scoring goals in five different matches in the same edition, Brahim Díaz has delivered an exceptional performance. In the history of the competition, only three other players had achieved this record: Ndaye Mulamba (1974), Gedo (2010) and Vincent Aboubakar (2022), recalls The Athletic. Even Samuel Eto’o, the all-time top scorer in the tournament, never managed to achieve such consistency in a single edition.

This tournament comes at the right time for the 26-year-old player, whose playing time is limited at Real Madrid under the orders of Xabi Alonso. Starting only three times in La Liga this season, the winger finds with Morocco the space necessary to express his talent.

His coach, Walid Regragui, is full of praise for him after the qualification against Cameroon: "He can be the best player in the world. Today, he is the X-factor of my team. I want to congratulate him because he now understands what it means to have Moroccan blood: to run, to fight and to give everything you have."

Although Achraf Hakimi remains a central figure in national and African football, the rise of Brahim Díaz marks a turning point. The former Spanish youth international, who chose to wear the Moroccan colors by "decision of the heart", has won over the supporters. He now occupies a special place, succeeding Hakim Ziyech on the right wing in the affection of the public.

Thanks to this brilliance, Brahim Díaz and his teammates are now preparing to face Nigeria for a place in the final.