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 a high-profile journalist has now suggested it may not have been an accident.
As previously reported, Diaz saw his delayed penalty saved by Edouard Mendy in the 114th minute after Senegal’s players temporarily walked off the field in protest at the VAR decision that gave Morocco the chance to win their first AFCON title since 1976.
Senegal would win the final 1-0 after extra time thanks to a great goal from Pape Gueye. However, the winning goal was not the main talking point after the match.
In addition to Senegal leaving the field and Diaz conceding one of the worst Panenka penalties ever, the final moments of normal time coincided with some worrying scenes of fan disorder at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
Tancredi Palmeri claims Brahim Diaz missed the 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 on social media during the match that he believed Diaz had deliberately missed the penalty to avoid a further escalation of the crowd problems in the stadium.
Palmeri wrote in capital letters:
BRAHIM DIAZ HERO OF 2026!
PENALTY MISSED ON purpose, because SENEGAL wanted to withdraw and not win this way!
THE HISTORY OF FOOTBALL IS MADE!
BRAHIM DIAZ HERO OF 2026!
PENALTY MISSED ON purpose, because SENEGAL wanted to withdraw and not win like this!
THE HISTORY OF FOOTBALL IS MADE!
— Tancredi Palmeri (@tancredipalmeri) January 18, 2026
Palmeri later doubled down on the claim and questioned why Senegal’s players did not celebrate more when Mendy made the save.
He shared a clip of the punishment incident and added:
How on earth is it possible that Senegal players don’t celebrate at all when Mendy saves the penalty on Brahim Diaz?!
I say again: in my opinion it was missed on purpose
How on earth is it possible that Senegal players don’t celebrate at all when Mendy saves the penalty on Brahim Diaz?!
I say again: in my opinion it was missed on purpose#AFCON2025 pic.twitter.com/xlx35baPgg
— Tancredi Palmeri (@tancredipalmeri) January 18, 2026
The suggestion quickly went viral, with fans debating whether the subdued response from some Senegalese players could be interpreted as evidence of a previous 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 final stages of the match.
He posted:
Attempted pitch invasion and clashes between Senegal fans and authorities literally continue as Diaz takes a penalty.
I’m not a conspiracy guy, but I believe Morocco and Senegal agreed that the sentence would be missed for reasons of public security
While the videos did indeed clearly show worrying clashes, there is no official confirmation that the match delay was due to crowd issues, rather than protests from the Senegalese players and coaching staff.
Attempted pitch invasion and clashes between Senegal fans and authorities literally continue as Diaz takes a penalty.
I’m not a conspiracy guy, but I believe Morocco and Senegal agreed that the sentence would be missed for reasons of public security#AFCON2025 pic.twitter.com/IUxhuybZ03
— Tancredi Palmeri (@tancredipalmeri) January 18, 2026
No evidence to support the intentional miss theory
While the claims have generated huge buzz online, there is currently no hard evidence to suggest that Diaz deliberately missed the penalty or that there was an agreement between the two teams.
Diaz even looked visibly devastated after the miss, having kissed the ball before taking the kick. He was also in tears after the match despite being presented with the AFCON 2025 Golden Boot by FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
However, it wasn’t just Palmeri who suggested Diaz may have missed the penalty on purpose.
The E4 The commentary team also speculated during the broadcast whether the miss could have been intentional, although they seemed to dismiss the idea.
As bad as Diaz’s penalty was (a poorly executed Panenka straight down the middle), it seemed far more likely to have been the result of overconfidence or extreme pressure than a coordinated plan not to score.
Despite winning AFCON 2025, Senegal remains below Morocco on the all-time AFCON list – while Nigeria has replaced Egypt in the top spot.
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