Brahim Díaz

Brahim started his club career at his hometown club Málaga before transferring to Manchester City in 2015 at the age of 16, for an initial fee of 200,000. His first-team debut for City came on 21 September 2016, as he came on as an 80th-minute substitute for Kelechi Iheanacho in an EFL Cup match against Swansea City. Just five days later, he signed his first professional contract with City, committing to a three-year deal.
His Champions League debut for City occurred on 21 November 2017, in a group stage match against Feyenoord, where he came on as a substitute in injury time for Raheem Sterling. Brahim made his first club start on 19 December 2017, playing for 88 minutes in a League Cup match against Leicester City. He then made his Premier League debut on 20 January 2018, contributing to a 3–1 victory over Newcastle United.


Brahim received a winners medal in May 2018 after making sporadic appearances in four additional league games that season.On 5 August 2018, Brahim played the final 15 minutes in a 2–0 victory over Chelsea in the 2018 FA Community Shield, coming on as a substitute for Phil Foden. Later that season, he scored his first career goal for City, netting both goals in a 2–0 win over Fulham on 1 November.


Amidst significant transfer speculation and with his contract at Manchester City set to expire in June 2019, Brahim made a move to Real Madrid on 6 January. The transfer was completed for a fee of 15.5 million . His contract with Real Madrid extends until 2025 and includes potential add-ons, which could elevate the total transfer value to 22 million. Additionally, the transfer agreement includes clauses specifying a 15 per cent sell-on fee payable to Manchester City. This fee would increase to 40 per cent if Brahim were to later transfer to another Manchester club.


Real Madrid announced that Brahim would be loaned out to AC Milan for the duration of the 2020–21 season. During his loan spell, he made a notable impact, scoring his first goal in a 2–0 away win over Crotone on 27 September. Brahim continued to showcase his talent, scoring another goal in a 3–0 away victory over Juventus on 9 May 2021. Following the conclusion of the 2020–21 season, he was loaned for an additional two years to AC Milan, with a buyout option included in the deal.


On 15 September 2021, Brahim scored his first Champions League goal against Liverpool in a 3–2 defeat during the 2021–22 Champions League group stage. His contributions continued, with him scoring his second goal against Juventus in a league game on 8 October 2022. In a remarkable display, he secured a 1–0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League round of 16 on 14 February 2023, scoring the only goal of the match. Despite his young age, Brahim's performances have earned him praise from the media, with some describing him as sensational. During the 2022–23 season, he has demonstrated consistency, tallying four goals and two assists in 23 games.
In the subsequent period, Brahim returned to Real Madrid, marking a significant development in his career.


Real Madrid announced Brahim return from a three-season loan at AC Milan, marking his comeback to the club. Upon his return, Brahim signed a contract extension with Real Madrid until June 2027, following the departure of Marco Asensio.
His return to Real Madrid was marked by impactful performances. On 27 September, he scored his first goal since his return, contributing to a 2–0 triumph over Las Palmas during a La Liga game at the Santiago Bernabéu. Brahim's performance earned him the Man of the Match title.


Continuing his impressive form, Brahim scored his first Champions League goal for Real Madrid on 8 November, netting the opener in a 3–0 victory over Braga, securing his club qualification to the knockout phase of the tournament.
In the Copa del Rey match against Arandina on 6 January 2024, Brahim scored his first goal in the competition, aiding Real Madrid to a 3–1 victory. His defining moment came in the Supercopa de Espana semi-final on 10 January at KSU Stadium in Riyadh. In a thrilling encounter against Atlético Madrid, Brahim secured a dramatic victory for Real Madrid with a last-minute goal, making the score 5–3 in a match that extended into extra time. His decisive goal, scored from just inside the halfway line with Atlético's goalkeeper Jan Oblak advancing, propelled Real Madrid into the final.


Continuing his impactful performances, Brahim scored the only goal for Real Madrid in the Champions League round of 16 first leg match against RB Leipzig on 13 February. His 49th-minute left footed curler past Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi secured a 1–0 victory and earned him the Man of the Match award for his exceptional display.
Brahim Díaz began his international career with Spain at a young age, making his first appearances for the U17 team in the 2016 UEFA European Under-17 Championship and the 2017 UEFA European Under-17 Championship. His performances in these tournaments earned him praise and recognition.


Due to some national team players being isolated following a positive COVID-19 test from Sergio Busquets, Spain under-21 squad received a call-up for the international friendly against Lithuania. In this match, Brahim made his senior debut for the Spanish national team and made an immediate impact by scoring the second goal in a convincing 4–0 victory against Lithuania.On 27 January 2023, it was announced that Brahim Díaz intended to switch his international allegiance to the Morocco national team. This decision was confirmed in October 2023, with reports indicating that administrative details related to the change in nationality had been resolved. However, Brahim was not included in the squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations due to a pre-established agreement.
On 10 March 2024, it was reported by Marca that Brahim had officially informed the Royal Moroccan Football Federation of his decision to represent their national team. Subsequently, on 13 March 2024, Brahim received his first call-up to the Morocco national team by coach Walid Regragui for the upcoming matches against Angola and Mauritania.

References

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