Rabat – Spanish news outlet Marca has commended Brahim Diaz’s recent performance after the AFCON final, describing it as a “rebirth” of the player’s season as the forward is increasingly moving from a limited role at Real Madrid to becoming a regular starter under Alvaro Arbeloa.
In a piece titled “The rebirth of Brahim: from the Panenka and being a substitute to becoming a starter,” Marca pointed to how the Afcon champion has gone on to play a key role in the team, starting in all Real Madrid’s last five matches.
The run includes wins over Celta Vigo, Manchester City (twice), Elche, and Atletico Madrid. And rather than simply featuring in these games, the 25-year-old contributed directly in key match moments.
During the derby at the Bernabeu, Diaz won the penalty that led to Madrid’s equalizer and was among the most active players in attack.
Diaz recorded the highest number of touches inside the opposition box and was joint-top in duels won during the match.
Such has been his decisiveness in key moments that, according to Marca, people within the club have started speaking of his recent performances as an example of resilience. Arbeloa is reportedly even using his case inside the Real Madrid dressing room to underline to other players the importance of consistency and mentality in challenging moments.
El renacer de Brahim: del ‘Panenka’ y ser suplente a ser titular, clave y ejemplo
✍️ Por @juan_castro_10 https://t.co/290Gt2EpWx
— MARCA (@marca) March 24, 2026
Diaz’s difficult period
The situation looked different at the end of January. Back then, Diaz’s confidence looked shattered as his world turned upside down after missing a Panenka-style penalty on January 18 in the much-storied Morocco-Senegal AFCON final.
The incident came in a tense context: playing in front of an electrified home crowd, Morocco was chasing a second continental crown after fifty years of disappointing early exits and near-misses.
Diaz, who had been Morocco’s most lethal attacking player and creative forward, advanced to the penalty spot with the weight of history and the eyes of millions of Moroccans set on a moment that they hoped would redefine Morocco’s traumatic relationship with AFCON.
Yet his tame Panenka was collected by Edouard Mendy, the Senegalese keeper. And Senegal went on to win 1-0, leading many to forget about Diaz’s earlier AFCON contributions to instead charge his “unserious” and “lame” penalty as the reason for Morocco’s loss.
While a recent CAF ruling has overturned the result of that final and stripped Senegal of the continental trophy, the crucial, career-shaping miss did have a huge impact on the player’s form and mentality.
Indeed, following that final, Diaz saw his minutes considerably reduced at Real Madrid. In some matches, including a home game against Benfica, younger players were selected ahead of him.
While his position was in doubt at Real, his name and scenes of his “horrible” miss took tainted his relationship with fans of the Moroccan national team.
Return to form
According to Marca, Arbeloa maintained communication with the player during that difficult period, offering support and outlining a path back into the team.
That man-management seems to have worked, and the post-AFCON nightmares seem to be distant history now. Diaz has rediscovered his club form, and Morocco’s AFCON win has erased the stain of his missed penalty on the Atlas Lions’ AFCON record.
Arbeloa’s crucial support coincided with a change in Diaz’s role. He has taken advantage of the absence of key players such as Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham, stepping into a more prominent attacking position.
His partnership with Vinicius Jr has been effective in recent matches, contributing assists and winning penalties.
In 2026, Diaz has already registered multiple goal involvements and has been directly involved in several decisive moments.
According to those close to the team, his attitude during this period has been as important as his performances on the pitch, particularly in how he responded after setbacks.
Diaz is currently with the Morocco national team in Rabat ahead of upcoming international friendlies against Ecuador and Paraguay. And despite the AFCON penalty incident, he remains a popular figure among supporters.
With La Liga and the Champions League set to resume soon, the Moroccan forward’s recent performances have strengthened his position within the Real Madrid squad. And now, maintaining that level over a longer period will be the next step.
Read also: In Defense of Brahim Diaz: Legends Fall and Return Stronger