With the 2026 FIFA World Cup one more week closer, another player coming to the Meadowlands for the tournament will be put in the spotlight. The next player being focused on is Achraf Hakimi, a right-back for Morocco.
On Jun. 13, Hakimi and Morocco will be heading to MetLife Stadium to take on Brazil in a group stage match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Hakimi is one of Morocco’s best players and will be an integral part of the team as the team looks to make another run in the tournament.
Hakimi’s talents were apparent from a young age, as the star joined Real Madrid’s youth academy in 2006. After a decade of training, Hakimi made his Real Madrid debut in 2016, in the first match of that year’s International Champions Cup. After briefly returning to the B team, Hakimi joined the main squad on Aug. 19, 2017.
On July 11, 2018, Hakimi signed with Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund on a two-year loan deal. Hakimi’s time with the club saw him gain more playing time and grow into the star player that he is today. He followed his time at Borussia Dortmund with a brief stint playing for Inter Milan, despite signing with the team on a five-year contract. Hakimi signed with Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) soon after on a five-year contract, with the team paying a transfer fee of roughly €60 million.
Hakimi has remained with PSG since signing with the team in 2021 and recently renewed his deal to remain with the club through 2029. In his time with PSG, Hakimi has accumulated 19 goals and 20 assists, emerging as one of the team’s most efficient players. His impressive showing over the past year, put him in sixth place for the 2025 Ballon d’Or voting, which looks to crown the world’s best soccer player.
Hakimi made his debut for the Morocco under-23’s on June 5, 2016. Hakimi joined the main squad for both the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup, where he etched his name as one of the country’s top players. Notably, he scored the game-winning penalty against Spain in the round of 16 to send Morocco to the quarter-finals in the 2022 World Cup, setting the team up to make history later on in the tournament as the first African team to reach the semi-finals.
Hakimi’s historic performance in the latest rendition of the FIFA World Cup cemented his legacy as one of Morocco’s best. Now, with several more years of experience under his belt, he will hope to build off of the momentum that the team gained in its iconic run in 2022 and continue to make history.