Country: Morocco
Club: Paris Saint-Germain
Position: Right-back, full-back
Age: 23
Both the Moroccan national team and French Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain use Achraf Hakimi as a player. He often plays as a right-back, but he can also switch to an aggressive full-back on occasion.
In 2016, he joined Real Madrid Castilla, and in 2017, after spending a short time with the main squad, he was promoted. He was sent on a two-year loan to Borussia Dortmund of the Bundesliga, where he won the DFL-Supercup in 2019. After a fruitful loan with Dortmund, Hakimi joined with Serie A team Inter Milan for a rumored sum of €40 million. His efforts there helped the club break its eleven-year title drought by winning the league. His play attracted the attention of various European clubs, and in 2021, Paris Saint-Germain acquired him for an estimated sum of €60 million.
He was selected for the Moroccan teams competing in the 2019 and 2021 Africa Cup of Nations as well as the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
In the opening game of the 2016 International Champions Cup, a 3-1 loss against Paris Saint-Germain, Hakimi made his Real Madrid debut. He later joined the B squad again, making his senior debut on August 20, 2016, by starting in a 3-2 home victory over Real Sociedad B in the Segunda División B.
He played in two matches as Madrid won the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League, their third straight and 13th overall. He got a medal and is recognized as the first Moroccan player to win the Champions League despite not being included in the team for the competition’s championship match.
On July 6, 2021, Hakimi committed to Ligue 1 team Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on a five-year deal. According to The Guardian, PSG paid a base transfer fee of €60 million, with the possibility of €11 million in add-ons. On August 7, 2021, Hakimi made his Ligue 1 debut for PSG. He played the whole 90 minutes and scored the team’s first goal against Troyes.
He was selected for Morocco’s preliminary FIFA World Cup roster, then on June 4 he was selected for the final 23-man squad for the summer competition.
Hakimi was also selected for the Cameroon-hosted 2021 Africa Cup of Nations. He began each of his games during the group stage. In a scoreless draw with Gabon, he scored a free kick. He began the match against Malawi in the round of 16, scoring a free kick in the 70th minute to give his team the victory.
Style of play
Hakimi was described as a quick, vivacious, and strong right-sided attacking full-back or wing-back when he joined Borussia Dortmund. He is also tactically and technically astute and capable of playing long accurate passes from defense. He is a winger by trade, but because of his size, he can also play defense. He is regarded by many football analysts as one of the top right backs and defenders in the world.
