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Why Achraf Hakimi chose Morocco over Spain

Achraf Hakimi. Photo by News in Germany
  • The 2022 Qatar World Cup was such an interesting affair
  • One of them is Hakimi Morocco player
  • The team promised to donate all of its World Cup winnings to charity

The 2022 Qatar World Cup was such an exciting affair, with many players taking the headlines. One of them is Hakimi Morocco player.

Interestingly, the Moroccan national team, the Atlas Lions, took the world by storm because of their defense’s apparent impermeability. Morocco didn’t allow a goal from an opponent until the semifinals when eventual champions France scored two goals past them.

In all this, the team promised to donate all of its World Cup winnings to charity. Though it was a team effort, Hakim has a special place in football fans’ hearts and Moroccans’ hearts. Morocco had a memorable World Cup run that saw them become the first African nation to go to the last four of the quadrennial competition.

WHY DOES HAKIMI PLAY FOR MOROCCO?

Achraf Hakimi with Kylian Mbappe

Achraf Hakimi with Kylian Mbappe. Photo by Goal.com

Achraf Hakimi plays for Atlas Lions, the Moroccan national team. This gives credence to Hakimi Morocco player. He was born in Madrid, Spain, but he is of Moroccan descent and chose to represent Morocco in World Cup.

He is a key player for the squad team, helping them qualify for the FIFA World Cup in 2018 and 2022.  Hakimi also played a huge role in Morocco’s recent success at the World Cup finals.

IS ACHRAF HAKIMI ARABIC?

Achraf Hakimi is Arabic despite having roots in Spain where he was born. He currently plays as a defender for Inter Milan in the Italian Serie A. Hakimi Morocco player started his professional career with Real Madrid, where he played for the reserve team before making his way up to the first team.

The Spanish-born Moroccan player also played for Borussia Dortmund in the German Bundesliga. Besides being a key player for the Moroccan national team, he rose to fame during Qatar’s 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Hakimi was raised among various cultures and languages after being born to Moroccan parents in Madrid. His parents’ early transfer from a Moroccan town near Casablanca to Getafe was a means to establish a better life for themselves.

The Moroccan star player recalls that they came from places with little employment and faced a fierce battle to succeed. For this reason, he chose to represent Morocco because it is his heritage.

Being brought up in a Muslim home with a Moroccan heritage birthed hakim morocco player. He felt more at ease representing the Moroccan national team as much as he had a family of his own in Dortmund.

WHY DIDN’T HAKIMI PLAY FOR SPAIN?

Hakimi chose to represent his parents’ birthplace rather than Spain, where he was born, because he wanted to connect with his motherland. In fact, he turned down an offer to the Spain youth squad because he didn’t feel like this was home. But Morocco was home enough for him.

He never forgets that he was just seven years old when he received a letter inviting him to a Real Madrid trial. Only the legendary Zinedine Zidane, who was in charge of Real Madrid then, gave Hakimi Morocco player his first senior start in a competitive match.

It was made much more memorable because he is good friends with Luca, one of Zidane’s sons. When Hakimi joined Real’s youth programme, the two played together and advanced through each age group.

Achraf Hakimi. Photo by The Indian Express

He continued to play with the first team, starting in six of his subsequent eight La Liga games in 2017–18. He also played for 90 minutes of two UEFA Champions League matches.

The full-back also participated in all three of the Atlas Lions’ matches at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where they were eliminated in the group stage. It was a full-fledged member of the Moroccan national team, making his debut in October 2016.

Even though those figures are remarkable for a young player entering a team that was the current European champions. He needed consistent playing time if he wanted to become a professional.

Dortmund is the best location for that, in my opinion. In July 2018, Hakimi Morocco player agreed to a two-year loan move to BVB, a team renowned throughout Europe for their bold attitude to playing talented players regardless of their age.

He joined talents like Christian Pulisic, Jadon Sancho, and Alexander Isak in a group bursting with youthful zing.

Teresa is a journalist with years of experience in creating web content. She is a wanderlust at heart, but an outgoing sports writer with focus on tennis, athletics, football, motorsports and NBA.

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