Achraf Hakimi: a voice for Morocco, a leader for Africa

Over the past decade, few players have become as synonymous with their national teams as Achraf Hakimi is with Morocco.

The PSG full-back, who has been the team’s first-choice captain for two years, is also the second-most capped player for Morocco, with 102 appearances – behind only former centre-back Noureddine Naybet, who tops the list with 115 appearances over a 16-year career.

Statistics – Achraf Hakimi for the Moroccan national team (up to September 2026):

• Senior international debut: October 2016

• Appearances: 102

• Goals: 12

• Assists: 21

• Matches as captain: 23

At just 27 years of age, Hakimi has already led the Atlas Lions through some of the greatest moments in the country’s history, helping to put Morocco – and African and Arab football – increasingly in the spotlight on the world stage.

But how did it all begin?

The roots of a leader

One detail immediately catches the eye: Hakimi, now one of the greatest icons of Moroccan football, was not born in Morocco.

He was born in 1998 in Madrid, Spain, to Moroccan parents.

His parents had left Morocco in search of better opportunities. His father, Mohamed, is from Oued Zem, whilst his mother, Saida, was born in Ksar el-Kebir.

The family’s story is not unusual: Moroccans make up the largest group of immigrants in Spain.

Hakimi grew up in Getafe, in the Madrid area, and witnessed first-hand his parents’ efforts to provide a better life for him and his two brothers. His father worked as a street vendor, whilst his mother was a domestic worker.

Whilst his parents were at work, Hakimi divided his time between his studies and his great passion: football. In his own words: “My heart has always been in football. From the moment I picked up a ball, I knew that was my dream.” (Vogue Arabia)

Although, at first, it might have seemed merely a hobby or a distant dream, Hakimi’s talent was something else. Fast, strong and intelligent, he displayed these qualities from a very early age.

It wasn’t long before his potential caught people’s attention.

After playing for his local club, Colonia Ofigevi, Hakimi was spotted and joined Real Madrid’s youth academy in 2006, where he would remain for the next ten years.

His start at Real Madrid

His professional debut for the Spanish club came in 2016, at the age of 17, during the pre-season tour of the team managed by Zinedine Zidane.

It seemed to be the start of a major breakthrough in his career – the vote of confidence he needed to secure his place in the first team. But shortly afterwards, everything seemed to go off the rails.

Shortly after his debut, FIFA imposed a suspension on Hakimi as part of an investigation into whether Real Madrid had illegally signed underage players from abroad.

Two of Zidane’s sons, Enzo and Luca, faced the same penalty. Fortunately, both they and Hakimi had their suspensions lifted a few weeks later.

Even so, the episode left a bitter taste for Hakimi.

For Rabie Takassa, a scout for the Moroccan Football Federation in Spain, the case reflected the unfair difficulties faced by players from immigrant backgrounds in the country: “I think FIFA was more concerned with checking for unusual immigrant surnames than actually verifying where the boy was born, and that’s what happened to him. They saw a Moroccan surname and he was punished undeservedly. Real Madrid and his family provided all the necessary documentation, showing that he was born in a hospital in Madrid, that he went to school there, and that he’d lived there his whole life. It was a difficult time for him, because he didn’t know when FIFA would give the green light for him to play again.” (The Guardian)

Back on the pitch after his suspension, Hakimi did what he did best: play football. And he continued to shine for Real Madrid Castilla, the club’s reserve team.

The choice of Morocco

It was around this time that the Spanish Football Federation tried to persuade the full-back to accept a call-up to the country’s Under-19 team, with Real Madrid themselves encouraging him to accept, seeing in him a potential future as a key figure for ‘La Roja’.

Although they tried, Hakimi felt that it wasn’t the right thing to do: “I didn’t feel comfortable… I said I’d prefer to continue my career – and, for my father’s sake – with Morocco, and things worked out well there… I chose Morocco even before joining Real Madrid’s first team; that’s a decision you have to make based on how you feel. It’s something more personal than someone coming along and telling you about a project.” (The Bridge podcast, reproduced by Al-Batal)

“Even though I’m far away, my connection with Morocco remains unbreakable.” – Achraf Hakimi

The suspension may have further reinforced his distance from the Spanish national team.

At the same time, his bond with Morocco only grew stronger.

Although he was born and raised in Spain, Hakimi has always maintained a very strong connection with his parents’ homeland. He grew up in a home steeped in Arab and Muslim culture, visited Morocco regularly and made a point of keeping his connection to the country’s traditions alive.

Before naming his mother, the Imam and other Arabs who came before him as his greatest inspirations, Hakimi explained: “Morocco has always been a part of me, no matter where I’ve lived. It’s my home, my roots, my parents’ country. Even from afar, my connection to Morocco remains unbreakable.” (Vogue Arabia)

This connection with the Moroccan national team also began early on. Takassa had spotted Hakimi as far back as 2010, and the young man began talking regularly with the scout and the federation’s technical director about the national team’s plans.

Then, in 2016 – the same year he was temporarily suspended – Hakimi made his official debut for Morocco.

In Takassa’s view, the choice always seemed clear: “I don’t think Achraf ever had any doubts.” (The Guardian)

And if anyone still had any doubts as to whether that decision would pay off, Hakimi made sure to answer them on the pitch.

The rise of the Atlas Lions

Hakimi remained steadfast with the Atlas Lions and, as his club career took off, his international career also gained increasing momentum.

Just under a year after his international debut, in September 2017, Hakimi scored his first international goal in a 6–0 rout of Mali. Years later, he revealed that, if he could relive just one moment from his career, he would choose that very match: “The manager put me in a different position, but I fought hard and gave it my all. My first goal for Morocco came in that very game. It was a special moment.” (ABtalks)

Since then, Hakimi has become a key player for the Atlas Lions in some of world football’s biggest tournaments.

The first of these was the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Morocco were eventually knocked out in the group stage, but managed an impressive 2–2 draw with Spain – the very country where Hakimi was born and raised.

At the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, held in Cameroon, Morocco reached the quarter-finals but were eventually knocked out by Egypt. Even so, Hakimi made his mark on the tournament: he scored two stunning free-kicks in consecutive matches, against Gabon and Malawi, and was selected for the Tournament Team.

Then came the moment that changed the history of Moroccan football forever.

The moment that changed everything

At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the Atlas Lions became the first African team to reach a World Cup semi-final. They were also the first Arab side to reach this stage and the second Muslim-majority nation to do so, after Turkey in 2002.

At the heart of that historic campaign, which saw Morocco finish fourth, was Hakimi. In the round of 16, it was his penalty that knocked Spain out and sent the country through to the quarter-finals.

For those familiar with his story, the scene held special significance: the boy born in Madrid had just knocked out the Spanish national team and kept Morocco’s dream alive.

The historic performance in Qatar earned the entire squad a tribute. All the national team players who took part in the World Cup were awarded the Order of the Throne, one of the highest honours bestowed by the Moroccan government.

Shortly afterwards, a municipal stadium in Ksar el-Kebir, the hometown of Hakimi’s mother, was renamed the Achraf Hakimi Stadium.

And the string of historic moments did not stop there.

From one achievement to the next

Months after the campaign in Qatar, Hakimi’s Atlas Lions defeated five-time world champions Brazil for the first time in history, in a friendly played at home in Tangier.

That year, Morocco were knocked out in the round of 16 at the Africa Cup of Nations, held in Côte d’Ivoire. But in 2024, the country made history once again: for the first time, they won an Olympic medal in football.

As team captain, Hakimi led the Atlas Lions to the bronze medal, contributing a goal and an assist against Iraq and the United States. In the third-place play-off, he also scored in the 6–0 rout of Egypt.

In October 2025, Hakimi once again put his country at the top – once more at the expense of the national team of his country of birth. Morocco broke the world record for consecutive wins in international football, surpassing Spain’s previous record of 15 consecutive victories.

The run reached an incredible 19 consecutive victories, between June 2024 and December 2025.

It came to an end with a 1–1 draw against Mali in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, held in Morocco itself. Hakimi once again stood out in the competition and was selected for the Tournament Team, despite playing whilst injured.

Although Senegal won the dramatic final 1–0, in controversial circumstances, CAF overturned the decision in March and retroactively awarded the title to Morocco. The governing body ruled that Senegal had abandoned the match when their players left the pitch and initially refused to return.

As a result, Morocco now has two AFCON titles – the first having been won 50 years earlier, in 1976.

Even so, in interviews since then, Hakimi has continued to speak of his dream of winning a trophy with the national team. The retroactive AFCON victory did not bring the sense of euphoria and triumph he so desired: “I’d like to win something for Morocco. When you win something for your country, it’s a special feeling.” (ABtalks)

That dream did not come to fruition at the 2026 World Cup in North America, but Morocco impressed once again and reached the quarter-finals for the second time in a row – a first for an African team in the history of the tournament.

A leader for the whole of Africa

Hakimi also racked up a series of individual milestones during the competition.

In Morocco’s opening draw against Brazil, he overtook Hakim Ziyech to become the Moroccan player with the most World Cup appearances.

Then, in the 4–2 victory over Haiti in the group stage, he scored his first World Cup goal.

In what would be his 100th cap for the national team, Hakimi also helped Morocco knock the mighty Netherlands out of the tournament.

And perhaps the most impressive milestone of all: in 2026, Hakimi became the African player with the most World Cup appearances, reaching a total of 16 matches.

“I’m very proud to be African and to show that to the world.” – Achraf Hakimi

Hakimi takes pride in this achievement – not only because he is Moroccan, but also because he represents African football as a whole: “People try to belittle African national teams – they think we’re not capable of achieving anything great. But we’ve seen the progress of African football. I’m very proud to be African and to show that to the world.” (ABtalks)

That is why he celebrates not only Morocco’s achievements, but also those of other teams on the continent: “So many African teams have progressed to the play-offs for the 2026 World Cup. And for some countries, nobody imagined this would be possible – such as Cape Verde. It’s their first World Cup. It’s incredible.” (ABtalks)

In line with this aim of promoting Africa and helping to develop football on the continent, Hakimi set up the Achraf Hakimi Foundation in 2023. The organisation aims to support children and young people from disadvantaged communities and has already carried out projects not only in Morocco but also in other parts of Africa.

Among the initiatives are the creation of a football centre for children in Ouaoula, Morocco, and support for a school in Arusha, Tanzania.

Far beyond football

The motivation behind this work stems largely from Hakimi’s own life story.

Speaking about a charity tournament he organised during the pandemic to raise money for families in financial difficulty, he explained: “When I was a child, I had nothing. My father worked hard for us. Now I can help these people, so I do.” (BBC Sport)

And when talking about the secret behind the Moroccan national team’s incredible run in recent years, Hakimi also highlights the importance of family: “I think the secret is simple. We have a great atmosphere amongst ourselves. We have fun, dance, laugh, play cards and spend as much time together as possible. That’s the most important thing – because we feel like a family.” (ABtalks)

This sense that the national team is a family also reflects what is perhaps most important in Hakimi’s life: his own family.

The family behind the captain

Hakimi has never forgotten everything his parents did for him – the sacrifices, the hard work and all the effort they put in to give him the best possible start in life.

“My greatest achievement was being able to tell my parents that they no longer needed to work.” – Achraf Hakimi

When Morocco beat Belgium at the 2022 World Cup, Hakimi ran straight to the stands to celebrate with the person who made his dream possible: his mother.

As he himself has said: “My greatest achievement, apart from titles and personal accomplishments, was being able to tell my parents that they no longer needed to work. That moment meant everything to me – showing them that their sacrifices had been worth it, and that I could support them whilst pursuing my passion. That is, without a doubt, my most significant achievement.” (Vogue Arabia)

It is this very love for his family that makes Hakimi’s bond with the Moroccan national team so strong and special.

Perhaps that is also why, in interviews, he spends so much time praising his team-mates – the family that football has given him.

As captain, Hakimi makes sure that every Moroccan player feels part of that family.

This is clear from the way he speaks of the squad’s oldest player, 37-year-old goalkeeper Munir Mohamedi: “I believe he’s a leader, even when he’s not on the pitch, and that’s what matters most. He’s the oldest player in the national team, and that’s important. When someone with that sort of experience speaks to you for the good of the team, we need to listen to him.” (ABtalks)

The same is true when Hakimi talks about the emotion he felt on seeing 30-year-old striker Soufiane Rahimi score his first World Cup goal in 2026 against Haiti: “When he scored the goal and started crying, we were all moved. We almost cried with him, because he’s one of us. We’ve been on this journey with him and we know everything he’s been through to get to this moment.” (ABtalks)

This way of viewing leadership is something Hakimi learnt from Zidane during his time at Real Madrid: “I learnt a great deal from him, especially the way he spoke to the players – just as a father speaks to his children. He always wanted the best for me. He spoke to us as if we were his own children, as if he were giving advice to his son, Luca, and he wanted the best for me. I learnt a lot from Zidane.” (Clique, on Canal+)

The dream of lifting the Cup

Perhaps this idea that the national team is a family explains why Hakimi places his career with Morocco above all else in football, just as he places his own family above all else in life.

He may have been nominated for the Ballon d’Or, been the fastest player ever recorded in Bundesliga history, and won two consecutive Champions Leagues with PSG. But, above all, his focus remains on the Lions of the Atlas: “Perhaps we’ll win the World Cup one day. Why not? It would be the first time an African nation had won it. The first time Morocco had won it. The whole country would celebrate like never before. I hope to live to see that day. Lifting the trophy as Morocco’s captain would be something truly special.” (ABtalks)

Notable achievements – Achraf Hakimi for the Moroccan national team (until September 2026):

• Fourth place at the World Cup: December 2022

• 19 consecutive wins: June 2024 to December 2025

• Olympic bronze medal: August 2024

• 34-match unbeaten run (26 wins and 8 draws): August 2025 to July 2026

• Retroactive 2025 AFCON champions: March 2026

• Second consecutive qualification for the World Cup quarter-finals: July 2026

Of the 102 matches Hakimi has played for Morocco, he has won the vast majority (70), drawn a much smaller number (18) and lost an even smaller number (14).

With Hakimi on the pitch, the Atlas Lions have also achieved historic results, including the country’s first-ever victories over major sides such as Belgium, Spain, Portugal and Brazil.

He now needs just 14 more matches to break Noureddine Naybet’s record and become the player with the most appearances for the Moroccan national team. In 2026 alone, Hakimi has already taken to the pitch 13 times for the Atlas Lions, so all signs suggest this is yet another milestone he is set to reach soon.

After all, what else can the Ballon d’Or nominee achieve for his country?

The world is eager to find out.