Mbappé shares hilarious first encounter with Achraf Hakimi at PSG

French superstar Kylian Mbappé has revealed a humorous story about his first meeting with former Paris Saint-Germain teammate Achraf Hakimi, shedding light on an awkward but memorable language barrier between the two.

Speaking during a podcast appearance on Thursday, the Real Madrid forward recalled how surprised he was to discover that Hakimi, despite his Moroccan roots, was born and raised in Spain.

“I had never met a Moroccan who was born in Spain (laughs). Before knowing him, I couldn’t imagine it,” Mbappé said.

He went on to explain that then-manager Mauricio Pochettino had encouraged him to help Hakimi settle into the squad, given their similar age profiles.

“The important thing is, our coach Pochettino told me: ‘Listen, Hakimi is your age, you two will get along well, try to integrate him into the team.’ I told him: ‘Yes, I will.’ And I have already communicated with him a little,” he added.

Mbappé then recounted their first proper interaction, which did not quite go as planned.

“I told Hakimi: ‘Welcome to Paris Saint-Germain… How are you? If you need anything, I’m here.’ He looked at me like this…”

The forward even mimicked Hakimi’s blank and puzzled expression during the conversation, drawing laughter from the audience. When asked if he understood anything at the time, Hakimi confirmed the moment with a smile, saying, “No, nothing at all.”