Achraf Hakimi’s blistering form for Paris Saint-Germain has sparked a wave of continental support for his Ballon d’Or candidacy, with African voices calling for unity behind the Moroccan star.
The 26-year-old right-back delivered another decisive performance on Wednesday night, this time against his former club, Real Madrid, in the semi-finals of the Club World Cup.
Hakimi provided the assist for PSG’s third goal in the 24th minute, helping the French champions secure a commanding 4-0 victory.
🇲🇦 Achraf Hakimi a décisif lors de chacun de ses 6 derniers matchs en phase à élimination directe en compétition officielle avec le @PSG_inside :
– ⚽️ contre Arsenal (demi-finale de C1)
– ⚽️ contre Reims (finale de Coupe de France)
– ⚽️ contre Inter Milan (finale de C1)
– ⚽️…— Stats Foot (@Statsdufoot) July 9, 2025
His influence in knockout-stage matches continues to grow.
Hakimi has now either scored or assisted in each of his last six knockout fixtures with PSG.
Those performances include impactful contributions against Arsenal in the Champions League semi-final, Stade de Reims in the Coupe de France, Inter Milan in the Champions League final, and crucial Club World Cup matches against Inter Miami and Bayern Munich.
In total, Hakimi has recorded 27 goal contributions this season—11 goals and 16 assists from 54 appearances across all competitions—a personal best, with the Club World Cup final against Chelsea still to come.
Despite remaining tight-lipped about his Ballon d’Or prospects, Hakimi’s growing consistency and high-impact displays have drawn increasing praise.
Within Morocco and beyond, there’s now a mounting push for the defender to receive global recognition.
Un journaliste sportif nigérian appelle tous les africains à soutenir Achraf Hakimi dans la course au Ballon D’Or. 🥰🇲🇦
pic.twitter.com/tjaShV0HK1— Sport News Africa (@snewsafrica) July 9, 2025
Nigerian voices have joined the chorus. Following the semi-final, a Nigerian journalist remarked, “If PSG wins the tournament, Achraf Hakimi should be named player of the tournament (…) because of his incredible performances from the beginning to the end of the tournament. And if that’s the case, he’ll be competing with Nuno Mendes, Ousmane Dembélé, and Vitinha for the Ballon d’Or. He’s seen as the natural winner.”
Should Hakimi claim the award, he would become only the second African to do so after Liberia’s George Weah in 1995.
“It would be incredible for Africa. I hope he wins it,” the same journalist added, urging the continent to rally behind the Moroccan full-back.
Tunisian football icon Tarak Dhiab echoed those sentiments with a direct call to action.
Dhiab, a former African Ballon d’Or winner himself, encouraged the 18 African journalists with voting rights to consolidate support.
Dembélé Ballon d’Or plutôt qu’Hakimi, la sortie de Nasser al-Khelaïfi scandalise le #Maroc #football https://t.co/t7qI5Tp06A pic.twitter.com/KnYjIijrOR
— Afrik-Foot (@afrikfoot) July 6, 2025
“If we want Achraf Hakimi to win the Ballon d’Or, we have to be united. Eighteen African journalists represent 18% of the vote. He deserves it; his season is monstrous. He even surpasses Dembélé,” he said.
As the Club World Cup final looms and the Ballon d’Or race tightens, Hakimi’s form, impact, and symbolic value for the continent place him firmly in the spotlight.
Yet with Spain’s Lamine Yamal also emerging as a strong contender, Africa’s united backing may prove crucial in Hakimi’s quest to etch his name in football history.
