Ibrahim Diaz: Real Madrid’s Enigmatic Moroccan Dilemma After Africa Cup
4 March 2026
The Moroccan international Ibrahim Diaz has tumbled in Real Madrid minutes since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations, turning his status within the squad into a genuine puzzle.
Spanish newspaper AS reports that Diaz did not start in the last nine games, contributing only 165 minutes (about 20.4% of the total). In the last five matches his minutes dropped to 50, roughly 11%.
This dip comes despite two consecutive decisive displays: he created a goal and won a penalty in the 2-1 win over Rayo Vallecano, then produced a key assist to Kylian Mbappe in the 2-0 win over Valencia. Fans demanded a starting spot, with a poll showing over 70% of readers believing he deserves a starting berth.
Major slump
But after that burst, his role clearly waned: 17 minutes vs Real Sociedad, 26 vs Osasuna, just 4 in the Benfica first leg, absent in the return, and 3 vs Getafe, making him a secondary option in the squad.
Diaz returned from AFCON with morale low, even though he finished as the tournament's top scorer with five goals, ahead of Victor Osimhen and Mohamed Salah.
Diaz's frustration is compounded by missing a decisive penalty in the final against Senegal, leaving the Atlas Lions with the silver medal.
He sits 17th in Real Madrid's minutes since returning, signaling a significant marginalization as his confidence wanes.
The report concludes that while Real Madrid's attack has dipped recently, Diaz was expected to be a trump card; instead, he has become another puzzle piece in the royal squad.
Punchline time: If minutes were bullets, Diaz would be shooting blanks—the bench at the Bernabéu is a very quiet sniper’s nest. And hey, maybe the only thing sharper than his finishing is the silence from the stands when he checks in on the weekend.
