Latest news with #Brahim
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Arsenal set sights on signing €45 million-rated Real Madrid winger
According to Fichajes, Arsenal have set their sights firmly on Real Madrid's Brahim Diaz as a top target to reinforce their attack ahead of the 2025/26 season. The outlet mentions that Mikel Arteta is pushing to bring in the Moroccan playmaker, believing he could be the answer to several lingering issues in Arsenal's front line, most notably on the left flank, where Gabriel Martinelli's inconsistency has become a concern. Advertisement In that regard, Brahim has emerged as a prime candidate not only to compete with Martinelli but also to provide depth across the attacking midfield and wing positions. Mikel Arteta is a fan It is believed that Arteta sees him as a valuable asset capable of rotating with Bukayo Saka on the right or stepping in as an advanced midfielder to support Martin Odegaard. Given the intense schedule of a club competing across domestic and European competitions, such versatility is crucial. Arsenal are interested in Brahim Diaz. (Photo by) The admiration for Brahim in north London isn't new. Arsenal's interest dates back to his early days, and now, with the 25-year-old facing limited opportunities at the Santiago Bernabeu, the Gunners are ready to act. Limited opportunities at Real Madrid Despite showing his class when called upon, Brahim has been unable to secure a regular starting role due to Real Madrid's abundance of attacking talent. Advertisement The emergence of Arda Guler and the potential return of Nico Paz will only added to the competition. With Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. already booking the frontline, Brahim's chances of playing meaningful minutes may shrink even further. As a result, Real Madrid are open to selling him if a suitable offer arrives. That scenario gives Arsenal a golden opportunity to pounce. Negotiations will likely hinge on Madrid's valuation and Arsenal's willingness to meet it. But all signs suggest the Premier League side are ready to move decisively. *Player valuation in title obtained from on the date of publication.
Morocco World
26-03-2025
- Sport
- Morocco World
Brahim Diaz: ‘I Can't Wait to Play AFCON in Morocco'
Brahim Diaz couldn't hide his delight after Morocco won 2-0 at home in Oujda over Tanzania in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Speaking after the match, Brahim said, 'It was a tough game because they [Tanzania] kept dropping back to defend. We had to push hard to score.' He added, 'We played well, showed strong team spirit, and that impressed me. I'm really happy with the win. That's all we want—win, win, win.' The Real Madrid playmaker also looked ahead to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which Morocco will host next December. 'Everything is shaping up well for the AFCON. We'll be playing on home soil with our families cheering us on. It'll be amazing,' he said. Brahim concluded, 'I'm thrilled to play the AFCON at home. The fans are behind us, and that drove us to win. We've got tons of quality in this team, and we'll keep improving to be at our best for the tournament.' Morocco is set to play two thrilling friendly matches in June, facing archrivals Tunisia and the team that knocked them out of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations — Benin. The Atlas Lions will take on Tunisia on June 7, 2025, before playing Benin just three days later on June 10. Both games will be held at Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat. Morocco versus Tunisia is a classic African showdown. These two football powerhouses have faced off 50 times since 1960, with Morocco having the upper hand in the head-to-head with 14 wins and Tunisia having eight. A staggering 24 games ended in a draw, which says a lot about how tight this rivalry is. The last time Morocco met Benin, it ended in heartbreak. In the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations held in Egypt, Morocco looked destined for victory on paper but threw it away in the most dramatic fashion. Youssef En-Nesyri scored first for the Atlas Lions, but disaster struck when the Moroccan defender Nayef Aguerd scored an own goal, leveling up the match. Then came the moment that still haunts Moroccan fans — Hakim Ziyech stepped up to shoot the match-deciding penalty in the last minutes of the game, but he missed. Extra time did not set the two teams apart, and the game progressed to penalties where Benin held their nerve, winning 4-1 in the shootout. To this day, many believe that if M'Barek Boussoufa had taken the penalty instead, the result could have been very different. History, however, still favours Morocco. Out of six meetings, the Atlas Lions have won five. Benin won only once. These friendlies are more than just warm-up games. They are a chance for Walid Regragui to fine-tune his tactics ahead of bigger continental and international competitions.
New York Times
13-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
The price of a booking
Real Madrid hold a slender advantage after a trio of great goals from Rodrygo, Julian Alvarez and Brahim Diaz Getty Images 59' Real Madrid 2-1 Atletico Madrid It's also worth noting that the game's first booking also came after the goal, for Brahim and his celebrations. 58' Real Madrid 2-1 Atletico Madrid Modric was being readied just as Brahim snaked his way through the Atletico Madrid penalty area, but that goal means we will not see the Croatian veteran just yet. His introduction into the game has been put on hold. Getty Images 56' Real Madrid 2-1 Atletico Madrid All with Luka Modric waiting to come on. I wonder when we'll find out who it would've been for. It's a smart move forward from Real Madrid, but so much of that goal is from Brahim's own quality. He has SO many defenders in front of him, yet he gets composed and finds a spot just inside the far post that Oblak cannot reach. It isn't as spectacular as the first two goals but it still deserves such huge respect as a finish. Getty Images 55' Real Madrid 2-1 Atletico Madrid Would you believe it?! All that promise, and suddenly Brahim Diaz finds a shot that sneaks inside the far post. Such a high class finish, that. Brilliant. 53' Real Madrid 1-1 Atletico Madrid The home whistles are getting louder now, at the same rate Atletico's chances are getting better. A cross from the left is misjudged by Rudiger. Fortunately for the hosts, Mendy does a great job of putting pressure on De Paul as he shoots. 52' Real Madrid 1-1 Atletico Madrid Such good work from Vinicius Junior to force the press and win a corner, but Atletico look pretty comfortable dealing with that and soon get another chance to break in numbers. It comes to little but as trialed by Dermot , you can definitely see changes from Ancelotti coming soon. Getty Images 51' Real Madrid 1-0 Atletico Madrid Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde looks like he has played right-back his entire career. He is so good with the ball and has linked nicely with Rodrygo on the right so far, but has made a couple of important defensive interventions too. The 26-year-old captain just reads the game so well. 49' Real Madrid 1-1 Atletico Madrid Another reason for Atletico edging possession is that Madrid have lacked a controlling influence in their midfield. Tchouameni and Camavinga have rarely played together this season, and neither is great at knitting the play together from the centre-circle. Dani Ceballos had often filled that role in recent months, but he got injured last week. Veteran Luka Modric likely to enter sooner rather than later. Getty Images 47' Real Madrid 1-1 Atletico Madrid It rather sums up Kylian Mbappe's influence so far that Atletico allow him to have the ball in a central area, 25 yards from goal and he takes the invitation to shoot on his left. He gets it all wrong and scuffs his effort to leave Oblak untroubled. 46' Real Madrid 1-1 Atletico Madrid Even half-time flew by there. Both sides are back out, no changes of personnel for either side. And Atletico get us back underway… Getty Images It will be interesting to see what Diego Simeone does (tactically, though he's normally an extremely animated presence on the sidelines too). He could move to a back five or introduce the robust Reinildo Mandava on the left to help shackle Rodrygo and Fede Valverde. Alex Sorloth, once of Crystal Palace, would offer a more physical profile up front than Antoine Griezmann, though he doesn't possess the same class and elegance. Nahuel Molina and Conor Gallagher are great players to bring on to see out the game (Diego would definitely take a draw tonight) and Angel Correa loves a late goal… Getty Images For now, things are going well. Fran Garcia might offer fresh legs from left-back late on, similarly Arda Guler and Endrick in attack. Frankly, the only change I expect in the main body of the match is Luka Modric's control and precision being introduced into midfield. Carlo Ancelotti is flexible and pragmatic enough to switch things up with his existing players if needed. The Bernabeu was very quiet as the half-time whistle went, except for Atletico fans singing and chanting up in one corner. Atletico have had more possession (51 per cent) than Madrid and completed more passes (325) than the home team. Simeone's side have also recovered more balls (22-18) and covered more distance (55.8kms to 51.7km) according to UEFA stats. But this is not the backs to the wall, sit deep and look to counter attack or score at set piece of Simeone's early years as coach. This Atletico side has plenty of good ball players, and they'll be very happy with how things are currently going. Getty Images A great metaphor for how the Brazilian from Osasco, Sao Paulo, has taken flight for Real Madrid. Not to say his contributions so far in his Real career have been disappointing! Getty Images It's been an exciting first 45 minutes in the late kick-offs around the grounds in the Champions League! Let's check out the scores on the doors: Borussia Dortmund 1-0 Lille (Adeyemi) (Adeyemi) PSV 0-3 Arsenal (Timber, Nwaneri, Merino) Plus, of course, Aston Villa scored twice late on to win 3-1 at Club Brugge (De Cuyper; Bailey, Mechele OG, Asensio) in the earlier game. Getty Images Jan Oblak: 6 — Ditto Courtois! — Ditto Courtois! Marcos Llorente: 6 — Has struggled against Vinicius Junior, which is fair as he's not a genuine right-back. — Has struggled against Vinicius Junior, which is fair as he's not a genuine right-back. Jose Maria Gimenez: 7 — Acquitted himself well considering the early onslaught. — Acquitted himself well considering the early onslaught. Clement Lenglet: 5 — Too slow and ponderous to get across for Rodrygo's goal. — Too slow and ponderous to get across for Rodrygo's goal. Javi Galan: 4 — Run ragged. How long will he stay on? — Run ragged. How long will he stay on? Giuliano Simeone: 7 — Working incredibly hard for his side and produced one nice cross. — Working incredibly hard for his side and produced one nice cross. Rodrigo De Paul: 6 — Not really able to show his playmaking skills yet. — Not really able to show his playmaking skills yet. Pablo Barrios: 6 — Don't think I've heard his name mentioned once! — Don't think I've heard his name mentioned once! Samuel Lino: 6 — Not protected team-mate Galan enough. — Not protected team-mate Galan enough. Antoine Griezmann: 6 — On the fringes of the game. For now. — On the fringes of the game. For now. Julian Alvarez: 8 — Produced a moment of individual brilliance to drag his side level. Getty Images Thibaut Courtois: 6 — Has barely had anything to do other than pick the ball out of his net. — Has barely had anything to do other than pick the ball out of his net. Federico Valverde: 8 — An excellent all-round game, rapping it forward to Rodrygo for the assist before clearing a cross brilliantly. — An excellent all-round game, rapping it forward to Rodrygo for the assist before clearing a cross brilliantly. Raul Asencio: 6 — Largely been untested. Real will hope that continues. — Largely been untested. Real will hope that continues. Antonio Rudiger: 6 — A slightly shaky showing summed up by a skewed header to Simeone. Committed as ever. — A slightly shaky showing summed up by a skewed header to Simeone. Committed as ever. Ferland Mendy: 6 — Fine, nothing more, nothing less. Solid if unspectacular. — Fine, nothing more, nothing less. Solid if unspectacular. Aurelien Tchouameni: 7 — Breaking up play nicely and looks more assured than his midfield partner. — Breaking up play nicely and looks more assured than his midfield partner. Eduardo Camavinga: 5 — A player with all the bells and whistles but, in that first half, not necessarily the grunt and accuracy needed. — A player with all the bells and whistles but, in that first half, not necessarily the grunt and accuracy needed. Rodrygo: 9 — Wonderful. Show-stopper. Almost unplayable. — Wonderful. Show-stopper. Almost unplayable. Brahim Diaz: 7 — Justified his start with some cute tricks and flicks. Looks lively. — Justified his start with some cute tricks and flicks. Looks lively. Vinicius Junior: 7 — Full of running and offering a good complement to his compatriot on the other side. — Full of running and offering a good complement to his compatriot on the other side. Kylian Mbappe: 6 — Not always as involved as he would like. Is the problem that he's not an out-and-out striker? The only thing with Real Madrid trying to play in a fast, direct style when they regain possession — as they have tonight — is that the ball can come back at you just as quickly. Their attacks lacked foundation in that first half, with Atletico able to nip in with bodies around the ball before starting their own attacking sequence again.
Morocco World
10-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Morocco World
Brahim Diaz to Trademark Iconic Shrug Move
Last week, Brahim Diaz scored the winning goal in the UEFA Champions League derby 2-1 victory against city-rival Atletico Madrid. But, his stellar winner was not the only thing to make headlines – it's the shoulder shrug after. With his low center of gravity, he controlled the ball, dropped his left shoulder, sat down José Giménez, and smashed a low ball past Jan Oblak. Brahim then sprinted to the stands and threw himself into the arms of the hysterical supporters of the Ultras Sur. The Moroccan star even had trouble slipping away from the ecstatic crowd. When he finally did, he pulled off his signature celebration for the second time in the Champions League – a shoulder shrug with a nonchalant facial expression. This celebration is not just iconic, it's trademarked. The Moroccan playmaker has officially registered his celebration move with the European Union's Intellectual Property Office, joining football royalty like Kylian Mbappé's 'Arms Crossed' and Jude Bellingham's 'Open Arms'. But Brahim's rise isn't just on the pitch. He's a media sensation. With over nine million followers on Instagram and magazine cover for Esquire and Forbes, he's become one of football's most marketable figures. He's even starred alongside Will Smith in the film 'Bad Boys 4' and is gearing up for a massive ad campaign in Morocco, where he's regarded as a national hero. Last Month, Brahim Diaz signed a lucrative, long-term deal with Adidas after leaving Nike. The Atlas Lion had been a Nike athlete for the last 14 years, and while no numbers of this sponsorship agreement have been disclosed, several reports from Spain indicate that he has been rewarded with a 'big contract.'
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ancelotti considering starting 25-year-old Real Madrid utility man vs Atletico Madrid
For weeks, Carlo Ancelotti has found it difficult to leave Brahim Díaz out of his Real Madrid starting XI. Statistically, the Spaniard has become Real Madrid's unofficial 'twelfth man,' consistently proving he deserves a more prominent role. The first to recognise this has been Ancelotti himself, who has repeatedly turned to Brahim to cover for absent starters. The versatile midfielder has seized every opportunity, to the point where he is now regarded as a full-fledged starter in the Italian's eyes, reports MARCA. Jude Bellingham's recent absence- missing two La Liga matches and the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 – further solidified Brahim's place in the pecking order. The former Manchester City starlet proved it against Girona, Betis, and Atletico Madrid in the first leg, and now he is on the verge of starting again in the return fixture on Wednesday. Ancelotti left him on the bench against Rayo Vallecano with the clear intention of keeping him fresh for the decisive showdown at the Metropolitano. Brahim is closer than ever to securing a regular starting role at Real Madrid. The only matches he has missed this season – just eight – were due to a muscular injury. His 37 appearances, six goals, and seven assists underline his growing importance. More importantly, he has proven he has the talent to hold down a starting place in Real Madrid's strongest XI. Logic suggested that with Bellingham's return, Eduardo Camavinga would slot into midfield alongside Aurelien Tchouameni. However, the Frenchman's recent struggles and Ancelotti's tactical decisions indicate that Brahim could take that role instead – providing structure in midfield while Bellingham offers additional support in build-up play. Camavinga's recent injury setbacks have affected his physical sharpness – once his biggest strength – and as a result, his confidence and effectiveness have suffered. Ancelotti appears to trust a midfield trio of Tchouameni, Bellingham, and Brahim, with Rodrygo, Kylian Mbappe, and Vinicius Junior leading the attack. While the line-up leans heavily toward offence, these are the players the manager currently relies on most.
