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. His father, Sufiel, was born in Melilla - a Spanish city on the north African coast - into a Moroccan family. 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."
Before 11-a-side football, Brahim was shaped by futsal. At four or five years old, he was already learning to survive in tight spaces. That influence remains visible today: close control, dribbling in crowded areas, explosive acceleration, and the ability to strike with the toe when there is no time to adjust.
