Achraf Hakimi

Achraf Hakimi Mouh is a Moroccan professional footballer. He primarily plays as a right-back or right winger for Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1 and represents the Morocco national team. Hakimi is widely recognized as one of the top defenders globally.Hakimi's career began with Real Madrid Castilla in 2016, and he was subsequently promoted to the first team in 2017. He then embarked on a two-year loan to Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund, where he won the DFL-Supercup in 2019. Following his time in Dortmund, Hakimi joined Serie A side Inter Milan in a deal reportedly worth €40 million. He played a key role in Inter's 2020–21 Serie A title victory, their first in 11 years. In 2021, Paris Saint-Germain signed him for a reported fee of €60 million.


Although born in Spain to Moroccan parents, Hakimi chose to represent Morocco internationally. He made his senior debut for the Morocco national team in 2016 at the age of 17. Hakimi has featured in two FIFA World Cup tournaments (2018 and 2022) and three Africa Cup of Nations tournaments .Hakimi was born in Madrid, Spain, to Moroccan parents. His mother, Saida Mouh, hails from Guelmim, while his father, Hassan Hakimi, is from Ksar el-Kébir. At the age of eight, Hakimi joined Real Madrid's youth setup in 2006, transitioning from Colonia Ofigevi.


Hakimi made his debut for Real Madrid in the first match of the 2016 International Champions Cup, which ended in a 3–2 loss against Paris Saint-Germain. Following that, he returned to the B team and made his senior debut on August 20, 2016, starting in a 3–2 Segunda División B home victory against Real Sociedad B.His first senior goal came on September 25, 2016, when he scored the equalizer in a 1–1 draw at Fuenlabrada.On August 19, 2017, Hakimi was promoted to the main squad as a backup to Dani Carvajal and Nacho, and he was given the number 19 jersey. He made his first-team and La Liga debut on October 1, starting in a 2–0 home win over Espanyol. Hakimi scored his first La Liga goal on December 9, 2017, in a 5–0 win against Sevilla. He scored his second goal on May 12, 2018, against Celta Vigo in a 6–0 win. During the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League, he made two appearances under the age of 18 as Madrid won the title, their third consecutive and 13th overall.


Hakimi signed for Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund on a two-year loan deal. He scored his first goal for the club in a 7–0 victory over 1. FC Nürnberg on September 27. In his first Champions League appearance for Dortmund against Atlético Madrid, he provided three assists in a single match for the first time in his career. Hakimi scored a brace against Slavia Prague in the group stage of the Champions League on October 2, 2019, marking his first goals in the competition.


Hakimi joined Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain on July 6, 2021, signing a five-year contract. The transfer fee paid by PSG was reported by The Guardian to be an initial €60 million, potentially rising by €11 million in add-ons. He made his Ligue 1 debut on August 7, playing the entire ninety minutes and scoring his first goal for the club against Troyes. However, he received his first red card in a 0–0 draw against Marseille on August 24.
On September 22, Hakimi scored twice in a 2–1 victory against Metz. In his first season at PSG, he won a Ligue 1 title, his second league title in a row.


On February 14, 2023, Hakimi was nominated for the 2022 FIFA FIFPRO World 11. On September 19, 2023, he scored a goal in a 2–0 victory against his former club Dortmund in the 2023–24 UEFA Champions League, earning a spot on UEFA's Team of the Week. On November 1, 2023, Hakimi was nominated for the 2023 African Footballer of the Year by CAF.


After representing Morocco at under-17 and under-20 levels, Hakimi made his debut for the under-23s on June 5, 2016, in a 1–0 friendly win over Cameroon U23s. He made his full international debut on October 11, 2016, coming on as a substitute for Fouad Chafik in a 4–0 win against Canada. He scored his first international goal on September 1, 2017, netting the fourth in a 6–0 home routing of Mali.In May 2018, he was named in Morocco's preliminary squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and on June 4, he was named in the final 23-man squad for the summer tournament.


Hakimi was also called up for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon. He started all of his matches in the group stages. He scored a free kick in a 2–2 tie against Gabon. He started in the round of 16 against Malawi, scoring a free kick in the 70th minute to grant his team the victory. On November 10, 2022, Hakimi was named in Morocco's 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He scored the winning penalty with a panenka style shot in a shoot-out against Spain in the round of 16, securing a place for his country in the quarter-finals.
On December 28, 2023, Hakimi was amongst the 27 players selected by coach Walid Regragui to represent Morocco in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. He scored a goal in a 1–1 group stage draw against DR Congo. In the round of 16, he missed a penalty in a 2–0 loss to South Africa.

References

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