Achraf Hakimi arrives at the 2026 FIFA World Cup off another UEFA Champions League triumph with Paris Saint-Germain and as captain of what the report calls the most accomplished Morocco side ever assembled. The timing of the tournament could be decisive for the 27-year-old’s career, the report says.
The piece lists a broad club résumé for Hakimi: silverware in Spain, Germany, Italy and France; a key role in Internazionale’s 2020-21 Serie A title; and multiple Champions League wins. His latest UCL success equalled Samuel Eto’o’s record of three titles by an African player, and the report notes he only featured twice in the 2018 group stage when he won the competition with Real Madrid.
Individual honours cited include a sixth-place finish in the 2025 Ballon d’Or — a record for a Moroccan — and being named African Footballer of the Year last year. The report also notes Hakimi was part of an Africa Cup of Nations-winning side earlier this year, described there as achieved in controversial circumstances.
Hakimi returned from an injury sustained in the first leg of Paris Saint-Germain’s UCL semifinal against Bayern Munich on April 28 and was a significant presence in the final against Arsenal. According to the report, he showed energy going forward, tenacity in defense, produced a second-half free-kick that required a save from David Raya, largely neutralized Bukayo Saka before the England winger was withdrawn, and converted his penalty in the shootout.
The report frames Hakimi as a big-game player who impacts both ends of the pitch and says he has recalibrated expectations for the modern fullback. It compares his all-round contribution and consistency favorably against several contemporary fullbacks, and suggests Morocco’s 2026 World Cup campaign could further define his legacy on the international stage.
