Thomas Meunier challenges Achraf Hakimi’s record after PSG hat-trick

Achraf Hakimi’s claim to a historic record has been challenged by former Paris Saint-Germain right-back Thomas Meunier after the Morocco international produced five attacking contributions in a Ligue 1 match.

Hakimi scored a hat-trick, including a free-kick, and provided two assists as PSG came from behind to beat Le Havre 1-5 in the ninth round of the French championship last Friday.

According to Actu Foot Maroc, the 27-year-old Morocco defender, who has 103 caps and 12 international goals, became the first defender in history to record five attacking contributions in a single match.

Meunier, who played for PSG from 2016 to 2020 and is now with Sunderland, disputed that claim in the comments section of a post about Hakimi’s achievement.

“Pas mentir les gars” (“Don’t lie, guys”), Meunier wrote, pointing to what he said was a similar accomplishment during his own career.

The person responding to him maintained that Meunier’s feat should not be compared with Hakimi’s because the Belgian had achieved it while playing as a wing-back and with Belgium Under-17s.

That distinction does require some caution. The wing-back role is widely regarded as a hybrid defensive position, demanding involvement in defensive phases while also requiring a significant contribution to attacking play.

The scope of the record is also important. According to the reliable statistics specialist Stats Foot, Hakimi’s achievement applies to the five major European leagues and covers the past 10 seasons.

Meunier’s intervention therefore raises a question about how the record is defined, rather than definitively overturning Hakimi’s performance. The Moroccan’s display against Le Havre remains a five-goal-involvement game, but comparisons depend on whether wing-backs and youth international matches are included.

The debate follows an outstanding week for Hakimi, whose three goals and two assists helped PSG secure a convincing victory over Le Havre. It also highlights the difficulty of comparing attacking records involving traditional full-backs, hybrid wing-backs and players competing at different levels of the game.