Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique defended Brahim Díaz after his penalty miss in the AFCON final, calling him "neither an assassin nor a bad person." Díaz's panenka-style penalty was saved by Édouard Mendy after a lengthy wait, with Senegal winning 1-0 in Rabat. The Real Madrid winger, who won the Golden Boot with five goals, apologized to Morocco's fans.

Luis Enrique, who gave Díaz his Spain debut, acknowledged the bizarre nature of the chip attempt but urged perspective. He cited similar high-profile misses from Zinedine Zidane and Sergio Ramos, noting that successful panenkas are applauded while failures draw harsh criticism. The coach stressed the pressure on young players and the importance of support.

Sergio Ramos, a former teammate at Real Madrid, also offered public backing. Díaz posted on Instagram, taking full responsibility for the miss that denied Morocco a first AFCON title in 50 years. He vowed to repay the faith of his supporters, calling the wound hard to heal but promising to keep fighting for his country.