Hakimi will block Mbappé’s path to Morocco’s well-defended goal down the French left wing. Mbappé rates Hakimi highly.
At this World Cup, Kylian Mbappé will see Achraf Hakimi for the first time.
Not like his first visit to Qatar last week, when he went to the Morocco team hotel in downtown Doha to see his Paris Saint-Germain teammate.
In a World Cup semifinal on Wednesday, Mbappé will be targeted by Hakimi, who will block his path to Morocco’s well-defended goal down the French left wing.
As both teams get closer to a World Cup summit that would be historic for either team, this is a high-level battle.
Mbappe versus Hakimi
Mbappé vs. Hakimi: Mbappé is the tournament’s top scorer with five goals in five games, but Hakimi is the best player in the tournament’s best defense, which has only given up one goal, an own goal.
When the Moroccan player joined Mbappé at PSG in July 2021 from Inter Milan for a reported transfer fee of 60 million euros (63 million dollars), it marked the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
In 1998, just a few months after France won its first World Cup, two young men who were born within a few weeks of each other quickly developed friendships.
Hakimi has mentioned that Mbappé helps his friend from Madrid learn French and that they have similar tastes in music and video games.
Hakimi is a fervent Muslim, and this Eid Mubarak, they collaborated on a video that their club shared. Hakimi took Mbappé, who has ties to Algeria, Morocco’s north African neighbor, through the Arab food-tasting process.
They perform a series of practiced handshakes and goal celebrations when they play for the French champion. They have numerous opportunities when they play for PSG.
Hakimi has said of Mbappé, “It’s easy to play with a player like him.” to give him the ball knowing that he will be decisive.
Mbappé has been the difference at this World Cup, particularly when he scored twice in wins over Poland and Denmark in the round of 16 and the group stage.
Mbappé was held as tightly as possible in the quarterfinals on Saturday by England’s quick right-back Kyle Walker. He had one clear shot opportunity, but it went high and wide.
Still, he was a part of the move that resulted in France’s first goal in a 2-1 victory, and the decisive goal in the final minute came from a corner he helped create on the left flank.
Morocco’s opponents in Europe, Croatia, Belgium, Spain, and Portugal, have all failed to score in four full games plus extra time for the Spanish.
According to FIFA post-game statistics, Hakimi has helped keep Morocco’s opponents from attempting a total of just ten goals. Morocco defeated Canada 2-1, scoring an own goal through defender Nayef Aguero.
Mbappé, on the other hand, has made 10 solo shots for a France team that has scored 11 goals, which is the most among the four semifinalists.
Mbappé will keep working toward his goal of becoming the youngest player other than Pelé to win two World Cups on Wednesday at Al Khor Stadium. Since Pelé and Brazil in 1962, France has had a chance to retain the title for the first time.
Hakimi wants to play in the World Cup final for the first time as an African player. That would be against one or the other Croatia or Argentina, whose star Lionel Messi additionally plays for Qatar-claimed PSG.
My best friend prevail.