According to a report by by Madrid Universal on Wednesday November 4, 2026, Real Madrid have received recognition at the 2026 Confederation of African Football Awards, with Brahim Diaz and Yan Diomande earning nominations after impressive campaigns for club and country this year overall across Africa.

Diaz has been shortlisted among the final ten contenders for African Player of the Year, while Diomande is nominated for Young Player of the Year following his impressive breakthrough season across the continent.

The Moroccan international enjoyed a productive 2025/26 campaign at Madrid, recording two goals and nine assists despite not always featuring in the starting lineup. His contributions proved valuable throughout the season for Madrid.

His performances for Morocco strengthened his case. Diaz played a leading role as the national team secured the Africa Cup of Nations title, scoring five goals during the tournament despite its controversial conclusion.

He also supplied four assists at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, helping Morocco reach the quarter-finals. Those displays placed him among Africa's leading candidates for the continent's biggest individual football honour in 2026.

Diaz faces strong competition, including Achraf Hakimi of Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City's Antoine Semenyo, Manchester United's Amad Diallo and Al-Nassr forward Sadio Mane, alongside several other African contenders for continental recognition this season.

Diomande's nomination follows an outstanding campaign with RB Leipzig, where the young winger registered 13 goals and ten assists in 36 appearances during 2025/26 before securing a summer move to Real Madrid permanently.

The 19-year-old has continued developing in Spain, producing four goals and four assists across 14 appearances for Madrid this season. His early impact has underlined why the club invested heavily in him already.

Diomande scored once in five Africa Cup of Nations appearances for Ivory Coast and featured four times at the World Cup, providing an assist. He faces competition from Hamza Abdelkarim, Ayyoub Bouaddi too.