Brahim Diaz, the Real Madrid and Morocco forward, will be forever remembered for his costly penalty miss during the Africa Cup of Nations final. Yet just one year ago, he was being tipped as a potential replacement for Mohamed Salah at Liverpool.
The 26-year-old came through Manchester City's academy, joining from Malaga at 16, before moving to Real Madrid in 2019. He spent three seasons on loan at AC Milan from 2020 to 2023. Diaz switched allegiance from Spain to Morocco two years ago and shone at AFCON, finishing as the tournament's top scorer.
However, his name will always be associated with a tumultuous final. After a disallowed Senegal goal and a late controversial penalty decision for Morocco, Diaz was given the spot kick. He elected to panenka it straight into the arms of goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. Substituted in extra time, he was seen crying on the bench as his country lost 1-0.
Only a year ago, Diaz was surrounded by a much more positive narrative. With Liverpool's Salah approaching the final months of his contract and talks at an impasse, the Reds identified Diaz as a possible successor. Liverpool were said to be competing with Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund for his services.
Ultimately, Salah extended his Liverpool contract by two years. Diaz stayed at Real Madrid, largely appearing as a substitute this campaign. Following the AFCON final, he issued a heartfelt apology: 'I failed and I take full responsibility and apologise with all my heart. It will be hard for me to recover because this wound does not heal easily, but I will try.'
