"Brahim Diaz was born in Malaga but has become a national icon for Morocco as they chase a second Africa Cup of Nations title on Sunday. The 26-year-old Real Madrid forward - who made one senior appearance for Spain - switched allegiances to Morocco in 2023 and is the top scorer at this year's Afcon. Diaz's mother, Patricia, hails from Malaga, a city like most of those by the sea, shaped by movement across cultures."
"From early on, Brahim grew up understanding that identity does not need to be singular. As a child, he travelled several times to Nador to visit his grandmother and cousins. There, he was dressed like any other Moroccan boy. In family photos he appears next to his grandmother, wearing a traditional Moroccan veil. Brahim has often summed it up simply: "I have always felt 100% Spanish and 100% Moroccan.""
Brahim Diaz was born in Malaga to a Spanish mother and a father from a Moroccan family in Melilla, giving him a dual Spanish-Moroccan identity. He travelled often to Nador and experienced Moroccan culture and traditions in childhood. He represented Spain once at senior level before switching allegiance to Morocco in 2023 and became Morocco's top scorer at the Africa Cup of Nations. He developed technical skills through early futsal, learning close control, tight dribbling, acceleration, and toe-strikes. He progressed through seven-a-side and modest Malaga clubs, attracted European attention before 16, earned MVP at a 2010 tournament, and moved to Manchester City in 2015 where education remained important.
Read at www.bbc.com
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