National team coach claims 26-year-old Real Madrid star can be the ‘best in the world’ | OneFootball

Brahim Diaz is enjoying a moment of redemption on the international stage, and his performances at AFCON 2025 are rapidly changing the stories around his season. 

While his role at Real Madrid has been limited and frustrating, the Moroccan international has become the undisputed star of the tournament, drawing strong praise from his national team coach and reminding everyone of his true quality.

Morocco’s head coach, Walid Regragui, has not held back in his assessment of the Real Madrid midfielder. 

Speaking after Morocco’s 2-0 quarter-final victory over Cameroon, the coach delivered a statement that immediately caught attention across Europe. 

Regragui believes Brahim’s talent ceiling is as high as anyone in world football.

Praise for Brahim Diaz

After the quarter-final win, Regragui highlighted Brahim’s importance to the team and his mentality on the pitch. He said, “He can be the best player in the world,” he said as quoted by The Athletic. 

The Moroccan coach then expanded on why Brahim has become so decisive for his side, adding, “Of course, today he is the X factor of my team. 

“I want to say congratulations to him because now he understands what it means to have Moroccan blood: to run, to fight and to give what you have.”

Brahim has been a revelation at the AFCON 2025. (Photo by FADEL SENNA/AFP via Getty Images)

The AFCON has arrived at the perfect moment for the attacker, who has endured a difficult season under Xabi Alonso at Real Madrid. 

In the 2025/26 La Liga season, he has started only three matches, and on one of those occasions, he was substituted at half-time. 

For a player of his technical quality, those numbers underline how peripheral he has become in Madrid’s plans.

This contrast makes his international rise even more striking. With Morocco, Brahim is not a squad option or a rotation player. 

He is the leader, the difference-maker, and the focal point of the attack. His confidence is visible in every touch, something that has been missing during his minutes at club level.

What makes this surge even more remarkable is how recent his international journey is. 

Brahim only made his debut for Morocco a month after the previous AFCON ended in February 2024. 

In less than a year, he has gone from being a newcomer to becoming the face of the tournament.