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Did Brahim Diaz Miss AFCON 2025 Final Penalty on Purpose? Journalist Shares Conspiracy Theory Alongside Fan Violence Video

Brahim Diaz's AFCON 2025 final penalty miss

Brahim Diaz’s missed penalty in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final was already one of the most extraordinary moments in AFCON history, but one high-profile journalist has now suggested it may not have been an accident.

As previously reported, Diaz saw his delayed spot-kick saved by Edouard Mendy in the 114th minute after Senegal’s players had temporarily walked off the pitch in protest at the VAR decision that awarded Morocco the chance to win their first AFCON title since 1976.

Senegal would go on to win the final 1-0 after extra time thanks to a fine goal by Pape Gueye. However, the winning goal was not the main topic of conversation post-match.

In addition to Senegal walking off the field and Diaz taking one of the worst Panenka penalties ever witnessed, the final moments of normal time coincided with some worrying scenes of fan disorder inside Rabat’s Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.

Tancredi Palmeri claims Brahim Diaz missed penalty on purpose

Italian journalist Tancredi Palmeri — who has more than 220,000 followers on X and now works for CNN, SportItalia and Al Jazeera — said during the match on social media that he believed Diaz had deliberately missed the penalty to avoid a further escalation of crowd trouble inside the stadium.

Posting in capital letters, Palmeri wrote:

BRAHIM DIAZ HERO OF 2026!

MISSED PENALTY ON PURPOSE AS SENEGAL WANTED TO WITHDRAW AND DIDN’T WANT TO WIN IN THIS WAY!

HISTORY OF FOOTBALL HAS BEEN MADE!

Palmeri later doubled down on the claim, questioning why Senegal’s players did not celebrate more emphatically when Mendy made the save.

Sharing a clip of the penalty incident, he added:

How on earth is it possible that Senegal players don’t celebrate at all when Mendy save the penalty on Brahim Diaz?!

I say again: in my opinion it was missed on purpose

The suggestion quickly went viral, with fans debating whether the subdued reaction from some Senegal players could be interpreted as evidence of a prior agreement between the two teams.

AFCON final fan violence adds fuel to online speculation

Palmeri’s most controversial claim came after sharing footage of clashes between supporters and police near the pitch during the latter stages of the match.

He posted:

Attempt of pitch invasion and clashes between Senegal fans and authorities ongoing literally when Diaz takes penalty.

I’m not a conspiracy guy but I believe Morocco and Senegal agreed for penalty to be missed for reasons of public safety

While the videos did indeed clearly show worrying clashes, there has been no official confirmation that the game being delayed was due to crowd trouble, rather than protests by the Senegal players and coaching staff.

No evidence to support deliberate miss theory

While the claims have generated huge engagement online, there is currently no firm evidence to suggest Diaz intentionally missed the penalty or that any agreement existed between the two teams.

In fact, Diaz appeared visibly devastated after the miss, having kissed the ball before taking the kick. He was also in tears after the game, despite being awarded the AFCON 2025 Golden Boot by FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

However, it was not only Palmeri who suggested that Diaz may have missed the penalty on purpose.

The E4 commentary team also speculated during the broadcast whether the miss could have been deliberate, although they seemed to dismiss the idea.

As bad as Diaz’s penalty was — a poorly executed Panenka straight down the middle — it looked far more likely to be the result of overconfidence or extreme pressure than a coordinated plan not to score.

Despite winning AFCON 2025, Senegal remain below Morocco in the all-time AFCON table — while Nigeria have replaced Egypt in first place.

Related TopicsAfrica Cup of Nations La Liga Morocco Real Madrid Senegal

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