Brahim Diaz has made a pivotal decision regarding his international career by opting to represent Morocco, the homeland of his paternal grandmother.
This choice comes after considerable persuasion from the Moroccan National Team and direct communications with their head coach, Walid Regragui. Brahim, who has been deliberating over this decision for several months, finalized his decision to switch allegiances just five days before the expected call-up from Spain, as reported by Marca.
Despite progressing through the ranks of Spanish football and marking his debut for the Spanish senior team with a goal in a match against Lithuania on June 8, 2021—a game played by the under-21 squad due to a COVID-19 quarantine situation—the opportunity for Brahim to cement his position in the Spanish team never fully materialized.
Brahim Diaz chooses to represent Morocco national team
Following his temporary move to AC Milan, he was summoned by then-coach Luis Enrique for Spain’s final two qualifying matches for the 2022 World Cup against Greece and Sweden on November 5, 2021, but did not play. Since then, opportunities for the midfielder originally from Malaga to represent Spain have ceased.
Brahim Diaz, focused on earning more playing time at Real Madrid, has previously stated that his decision on which national team to represent would not be made hastily. “I won’t rush my decision based on who calls me first. Currently, my concentration is on gaining more playing time at Madrid,” Brahim conveyed last November after a Real Madrid match.
Madrid’s coach, Carlo Ancelotti, admitted to having no prior knowledge of Brahim’s decision when questioned following a significant victory over Celta. “I am not privy to that information. Given Spain’s abundance of talent, securing a spot in the national team is challenging. Brahim’s decision remains unknown to me,” Ancelotti commented. Similarly, Real Madrid was taken by surprise to learn of Brahim’s inclusion in the preliminary list for the upcoming national team squad, expected to be announced by Luis de la Fuente on Friday.
