How Long Will Brahim Diaz Be Absent From Real Madrid After AFCON Call-Up?
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Back in the spring of 2024, FIFA approved Real Madrid forward Brahim Diaz to change his international allegiance from his native Spain to Morocco.
Born in Malaga, Spain, to a Spanish mother and a Moroccan father, the 26-year-old was a youth international for Spain and made his senior debut in 2021, scoring in a friendly against Lithuania.
That game was a special case, with the U21 squad filling in for the senior team due to COVID. So it was more by chance that he had made his senior debut, but nevertheless, it felt like he was on the fringes of being involved with the first team.
However, another call-up did not materialise, and in 2023, at 24, he decided he wanted to switch allegiance, with all the necessary paperwork completed the following year. Since then, he has made 15 appearances for the Morocco national team, scoring an impressive eight goals.
Next summer, Diaz should get the chance to play at the World Cup, with his side set to face Brazil, Scotland, and Haiti in Group C. There is plenty of expectation after reaching the semi-finals of the previous edition in 2022.
That said, there is not as much pressure as there will be at the upcoming AFCON. Morocco are the host nation, and are the heavy favourite to win the competition. It is not as simple as it may seem - just 13 months after their World Cup heroics, The Atlas Lions were dumped out of the previous AFCON round of 16 by South Africa.
They will be hoping for better luck this time around on home soil. They will also have Diaz at their disposal this time, with Morocco this afternoon confirming that he will be part of their squad for the tournament. He is joined by former Real Madrid defender Achraf Hakimi, despite a recent injury.
اللائحة الرسمية لمنتخبنا الوطني المستدعاة للمشاركة في كأس أمم إفريقيا — المغرب 2025 🏆
— Équipe du Maroc (@EnMaroc) December 11, 2025
The official squad list called up for our National Team for the CAF Africa Cup of Nations — Morocco 2025#DimaMaghrib 🇲🇦 | #AFCON2025 pic.twitter.com/t86rcbpdDp
How Long Will Brahim Diaz Be Absent For Xabi Alonso?
For the game against Alaves this weekend, Diaz will be at Xabi Alonso's disposal, but all participating African players from across the world will be released to their national teams on Monday, the 15th of December.
This means that the forward will miss the games against CF Talavera and Sevilla before the winter break. From there, it will depend on Morocco's progress. If they reach the final, he would also be unavailable for Real Betis, the Spanish Super Cup, and Levante.
Although it is true that Diaz is not a crucial player for Real Madrid, and Alonso is another body down, during a period when first-team players are dropping like flies. The winter break feels like it is coming at a good time for everyone involved.
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Tom Vinall is a sports writer covering Real Madrid On SI. Previously, he had worked at FanSided as both a contributor and site expert, covering the likes of Spurs and Bayern Munich. He has also previously written for Transfer News Live. Tom was born and lives in Bristol, South West England, and loves to listen to music as well as learning Spanish.
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