The 2026 FIFA World Cup is less than two months away and another star player that is set to visit the Meadowlands this summer to compete in the tournament is being put in the spotlight. This week, the attention is going towards Brahim Dìaz, an attacking midfielder and winger for Morocco. This will mark Dìaz’s first time playing in the FIFA World Cup with Morocco during his career.
Díaz began his career at Spanish club Málaga, before joining Premier League club Manchester City at the age of 16. On Sept. 21, 2016, Díaz made his first-team debut with the club, entering the game as an 80th minute substitute. After receiving minimal playing time at Manchester City, Díaz joined La Liga club Real Madrid on Jan. 6, 2019.
Díaz made his Real Madrid debut just days after joining the team, on Jan. 9, entering the game as a substitute during a 3-0 victory in the Copa del Rey. On May 12, 2019, Díaz recorded his first goal with the club, in a 3-1 loss against Real Sociedad. Real Madrid went on to win La Liga in Díaz’s debut season, in which he made six appearances.
On Sept. 4, 2020, Real Madrid loaned Dìaz to Italian club AC Milan for the 2020-21 season. On Sept. 27, Díaz scored his first goal with the club in a 2-0 victory over Crotone. At the conclusion of the 2020-21 season, AC Milan’s loan for Díaz was extended another two years. Throughout his time with AC Milan, Díaz recorded 13 league goals, as well as assists.
On June 10, 2023, Díaz returned to Real Madrid, signing an extension with the team that lasted through 2027. On Sept. 27, he scored his first goal since coming back in a 2-0 win over Las Palmas, in which he was named the man of the match. On Jan. 6, 2024, Díaz scored his first Copa del Rey goal in a 3-1 victory over Arandina.
A month later, on Feb. 13, Díaz scored the club’s only goal in the round of 16 for the UEFA Champions League, securing a 1-0 victory for Real Madrid. His impressive performance led to him being named man of the match, while also displaying his clutch abilities. Díaz and Real Madrid would go on to win the 2024 UEFA Champions League, marking Díaz as the third Moroccan to achieve the feat.
Díaz began his international career playing for Spain, where he was born. Díaz spent time playing on youth teams for the most part, however, in January 2023, Díaz announced that he planned to switch to play for the Moroccan national team.
On March 22, 2024, Díaz made his debut for Morocco in a 1-0 win over Angola. On Sept. 6, he scored his first goal in a 4-1 win over Gabon in a qualification match for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. During the final match of qualifications, Díaz scored his first hat-trick in a 7-0 win over Lesotho.
Díaz was named to Morocco’s squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which was hosted at Morocco. Díaz scored the tournament’s opening goal and went on to score four more, finishing as the tournament’s leading goalscorer with five. His goal against Tanzania in the round of 16 made history, as he became the first Moroccan player to score four goals in four consecutive AFCON matches.
On June 13, Díaz and Morocco will be coming to MetLife Stadium for their opening group stage match for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where the team will be taking on Brazil. This tournament will mark Díaz’s first time competing in it, where he will hope to continue Morocco’s momentum from their historic 2022 FIFA World Cup this summer.
