Achraf Hakimi

Real Madrid

Hakimi made his debut for Real Madrid in the first match of the 2016 International Champions Cup, a 3–1 loss against Paris Saint-Germain. He subsequently returned to the B team, making his senior debut on 20 August 2016 by starting in a 3–2 Segunda División B home win against Real Sociedad B. Hakimi scored his first senior goal on 25 September 2016, netting the equalizer in a 1–1 draw at Fuenlabrada. On 19 August 2017, Hakimi was promoted to the main squad as a backup to Dani Carvajal and Nacho, and was assigned the number 19 jersey. He made his first team – and La Liga – debut on 1 October, starting in a 2–0 home win over Espanyol. He scored his first La Liga goal on 9 December 2017 in a 5–0 win against Sevilla. On 12 May 2018, he scored his second goal against Celta Vigo in a 6–0 win. In 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. He thus became the first Moroccan to win the European Cup/UEFA Champions League and the third Moroccan player to reach the final, after Redouane Hajry and Mehdi Benatia.

Loan to Borussia Dortmund

On 11 July 2018, 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 27 September. He provided three assists in a single match for the first time in his career against Atlético Madrid, in his first Champions League…

After representing Morocco at under-17 and under-20 levels, Hakimi made his debut for the under-23s on 5 June 2016, in a 1–0 friendly win over Cameroon U23s. He made his full international debut on 11 October 2016, coming on as a substitute for Fouad Chafik in a 4–0 win against Canada. He scored his first international goal on 1 September 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 4 June he was named in the final 23-man squad for the 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 from a free kick in a 2–2 draw against Gabon. He started in the round of 16 against Malawi, scoring a free kick in the 70th minute to earn his team a 2–1 victory.

On 10 November 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 (his birth country) in the round of 16, securing a place for his country in the quarter-finals and ultimately paving the way for his team to reach the semi-finals of the competition as the first African nation to do so in history. Morocco was also the first Arab country to reach the semi-finals, and the second Muslim one after Turkey in 2002. On 28 December 2023, Hakimi was amongst the 27 players selected by coach Walid Regragui to represent Morocco in…

Hakimi was born on 4 November 1998, in Madrid, Spain, to Moroccan parents of Arab descent. His father Mohamed, from Oued Zem, was a street vendor, and his mother Saida, from Ksar el-Kebir, worked as a housewife. Hakimi grew up in Getafe belonging to the Community of Madrid, where his family faced economic challenges. At the age of 8, Hakimi joined CD Colonia Ofigevi, a local football club, where he began his football journey. His talent was quickly noticed, and in 2006, he joined Real Madrid's youth academy. He spent several years developing his skills in the academy, initially playing as a winger before transitioning to his more familiar role as a right-back. Hakimi has stated that although he was raised in Spain, he grew up in a household shaped by Arab and Muslim culture, which later influenced his decision to represent Morocco at international level.

Hakimi was married to Spanish actress of Tunisian descent Hiba Abouk from 2020 until 2023. The couple have two sons, born in 2020 and 2022. On 27 March 2023, Abouk released a statement on her Instagram account confirming that the couple had previously separated, and that they were awaiting divorce proceedings. It was reported that Abouk requested more than half of Hakimi's assets and fortune, although the assets are allegedly held in his mother's name. The claim was later disproven as fake news. Following Hakimi's performances at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, a football stadium in Ksar el-Kebir was named after him. He was named Arab Sportsman of the Year for 2022 at the Joy Awards in Riyadh. On 12 October 2023, Hakimi, Didier Drogba, Mikel John Obi and Sadio Mané were selected as draw assistants for the final draw of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

Legal issues

On 3 March 2023, Hakimi was indicted by an investigating judge in Paris over an allegation of rape of a 24-year-old woman, and placed under judicial supervision. He was banned from contacting his alleged victim but allowed to leave French territory. Hakimi's lawyer, Fanny Colin, has stated that his client strongly denies these allegations. On 19 June 2026, an appeals court in France announced that Hakimi would face charges for rape.