Hakimi, the teammate of Messi, Neymar and Mbappé, who took his penalty to eliminate Spain

Taking a penalty is being shameless. It’s having nerves of steel. But what Hakimi did was not just an act of foolishness at a time with a thousand revs. His was a gesture towards Sergio Ramos, his friend at PSG, who was not taken into account by Luis Enrique in this World Cup. He celebrated it as is, placing his hands at his sides, like a penguin. A sweet revenge.

He was born in Getafe, he is of Moroccan parents and today he defends the colors of PSG. Achraf Hakimi is the defender of the Moroccan national team who scored the penalty that gave the Africans a place in the quarterfinals for the first time in their history. In Qatar, those of Morocco are the surprise and surpass a Spain that has come to less.

Hakimi was formed in the lower ranks of Real Madrid Castilla and became a player of the Real Madrid first team in the 2017-2018 season. After that short step where he did not have the expected role, he arrived at Borussia Dortmund. A year later he signed for Inter Milan and in 2021 he joined Paris Saint-Germain, signing for five seasons. And consolidating himself in the starting eleven.

24 year old Achraf Hakimi He is one of the best defenders in football today and he has been showing it both in his club and in his national team. At PSG, the footballer shares a team with the great World Cup stars Messi, Neymar and Mbappé, with whom he surely hopes to meet in Qatar 2022.

This World Cup is his second experience of the international competition. Four years ago, in Russia 2018, he played all three group stage matches and said goodbye to the World Cup with two losses and a draw. Now in Qatar the story is different. He made his debut with the Morocco senior team in 2016 and soon became an indisputable player for the team.

Today he is a figure and a symbol of the Moroccan team and an entire country. After the 2-0 victory over Belgium, the footballer could be seen running to the stands where his family was and he melted into an affectionate hug with his mother, who he also kissed on the forehead and gave her his shirt. “My mother cleaned houses. My father was a street vendor. That I could play soccer was an effort and a sacrifice for them. My brothers have also had to sacrifice themselves. We were very poor. Now I fight for them.” He has commented on different occasions.

In the run-up to the match against Spain, Hakimi declared that they knew how they played, that it was always a team within the top 5 in the World Cup but that they came with a great game. “We have been first in the group and I think we already deserve a little respect. I think Spain knows this and they must be a bit afraid of us. They have to be afraid of us, really. And why not give the surprise again? sentenced.

They fought on penalties and Morocco emerged victorious with Bono as the great hero and three legendary saves. Achraf Hakimi was responsible for taking the last penalty to seal his team’s pass to the next stage of the tournament and he did it by taking the penalty and leaving the Spanish out. This will be one of the nights you will never forget. And the future of this footballer to be one of the greatest is clearer than ever.