BALLON D'OR
Achraf Hakimi: Morocco’s Ballon d’Or Dream Inches Closer to Reality
BY AMINE BIROUK. Casablanca, Morocco
For weeks now, Achraf Hakimi has been the name on every football pundit’s lips — and not just in Morocco.
The Paris Saint-Germain right-back has dazzled on the pitch, led by example off it, and carved out a place in the global football conversation as a potential Ballon d’Or winner.
As the prestigious France Football award approaches its 69th edition, momentum is building behind a movement many see as long overdue: crowning a second African footballer with the world’s highest individual honour, nearly 30 years after George Weah’s historic win.
At first glance, Hakimi’s nomination might seem a stretch to those who consider defenders perennial outsiders in the Ballon d’Or race.
But this season, the Atlas Lions’ captain has ripped up the rulebook — combining elite defensive solidity with attacking brilliance.
His stat line reads like that of an elite winger: 11 goals and 15 assists across all competitions, with several coming at crucial moments in the UEFA Champions League, including the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final.
In doing so, he broke the long-standing record for offensive contributions by a defender, previously held by Brazilian icon Dani Alves since 2011.
These aren’t just numbers — they are decisive moments that turned matches, shaped PSG’s destiny, and elevated Hakimi into the realm of football’s most influential players.
A Leader at Club and Country
Hakimi’s influence has not been limited to PSG, where he helped guide the Parisian club to a near-clean sweep of trophies — Ligue 1, French Cup, League Cup, and finally, the much-coveted Champions League title.
In the final against Bayern Munich, it was Hakimi’s precise assist that created the crucial second goal, underlining his value on the biggest stage.
His performances in the Club World Cup, even in defeat, further cemented his reputation as a player for the big moments. For Morocco, his leadership has remained unwavering.
Whether it’s during World Cup qualifiers or international friendlies, Hakimi is not just a captain in name but in spirit — unifying the squad, supporting younger teammates, and carrying the hopes of a football-loving nation on his back.
More Than a Footballer
In a Ballon d’Or campaign, football alone is not always enough. Character matters — and here too, Hakimi scores high.
His commitment to fair play, humility in victory, and grace under pressure have earned the respect of referees, fans, and fellow professionals alike.
His conduct stands in sharp contrast to recent controversies that have hurt other nominees’ chances in previous years.
Off the pitch, Hakimi has embraced the role of a role model — supporting youth initiatives in Morocco, advocating for education and opportunity, and remaining deeply connected to his roots.
In a sport where commercial interests often overshadow community ties, Hakimi’s grounded approach offers a refreshing narrative of pride, leadership, and service.
A Call to Action
Still, even with such a compelling résumé, Hakimi’s path to the Ballon d’Or podium will not be easy.
The politics of the vote — conducted by journalists across the world — can often favour attackers and those from traditional footballing powerhouses.
That’s why African media, in particular, must rally behind his candidacy.
The call is clear: this is not just about an individual award. It is about correcting a historical imbalance that has seen African brilliance overlooked time and again.
Players like Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto’o, and Mohamed Salah came close. Hakimi, with his performance and profile this season, may have gone even further.
In Morocco, the campaign is already underway. In France and beyond, respected analysts are no longer dismissing the idea as a fantasy.
As September 22 approaches — the date of the Ballon d’Or announcement — Hakimi stands at the centre of a growing, hopeful movement.
Whether or not he lifts the golden ball, Achraf Hakimi has redefined the fullback role and reminded the world what African footballers can achieve when talent meets discipline, ambition, and character.
But maybe, just maybe, the stars will align — and the man from Casablanca will follow in George Weah’s footsteps, not as a political leader, but as the football king Africa has waited for.
Amine Birouk is the Editor-in-Chief of Radio Mars
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
England captain Harry Kane sees a real chance of winning the next Ballon d’Or award for the best player in the world but knows securing silverware with Bayern Munich would be key to fulfilling that dream.
The 31-year-old striker, England’s all-time leading goalscorer, has scored 32 goals and provided 11 assists in 37 appearances across all competitions this season for Bayern, helping the German giants top the Bundesliga table and book a place in the Champions League quarter-finals.
While no English player has won the Ballon d’Or since former Liverpool striker Michael Owen in 2001, Kane believes his chance of winning soccer’s top individual award has been boosted by his August 2023 move from Tottenham Hotspur to Bayern.
“Just being at a club like Bayern Munich has helped push me on even more, confidence-wise and responsibility-wise,” Kane told reporters ahead of Friday’s FIFA World Cup European qualifier against Albania.
“I feel like I’ve definitely got better, I’ve improved, and maybe the ‘aura’ of me as a player is a bit more respected than what it has been in the past, because you’re playing in big games, big nights.
“That’s probably what I mean in terms of being respected more worldwide, on the bigger stage. For something like that, you have to win enough team trophies to be considered in that and probably score 40-odd goals, but that is a possibility this season.”
Kane said his goal-scoring feats are not always appreciated but he remains motivated as ever.
“It’s like when (Cristiano) Ronaldo and (Lionel) Messi were throwing these crazy numbers out there and the next season they’d score 40 goals instead of 50. It was like they were having a bad season,” Kane said.
“People take it for granted and maybe a little bit with England as well. I’ve scored 69 goals and when you score against Albania or Latvia, or these teams, people just expect it so it’s not spoken about so much.
“If I was 25 now and doing what I’m doing, the excitement around me would maybe be a little bit different to what it is now. That’s part of where we are with football … Maybe people just get a little bit bored of what you do, but I’m certainly not bored. I’m excited for these games and the games ahead.”
-Reuters
Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
A member of the Ballon d’Or panel has admitted he forgot to vote for Vinicius Jr.
His error contributed to the loss by the more popular Vinicius who was edged by Manchester City’s Rodrigo Hernandez.
For his error, the journalist Juha Kanerva, who works for a publication in Finland, Ilta-Sanomat, has resigned.
Kanerva failed to include Vinicius in his top ten despite the winger enjoying a stellar year in which he helped Real Madrid win the UEFA Champions League.
According to UK publication, Daily Mail, a Real Madrid fan pointed out that Kanerva was one of only three journalists not to include Vinicius in his top ten.
He wrote: ‘This was my technical fault, for which I take responsibility. I am leaving my place as Ballon d’Or selector.’
According to France Football, the other two journalists that didn’t include Vinicius in their top ten were Bruno Porzio of El Salvador and Sheefeni Nikodemus from Namibia.
Journalists from 99 different countries submitted votes, with Syria abstaining from doing so.
As reported by Marca, Kanerva chose Rodri as his Ballon d’Or winner followed by Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham.
William Saliba, Ademola Lookman and Dani Carvajal were amongst the players that were included in his top ten.
Vinicius was absent from the ceremony in Paris after being informed that he wouldn’t win, with his Real Madrid team-mates also snubbing the event.
These were the votes given by the Finnish journalist for the 2024 Ballon d’Or:
- Rodrigo Hernandez: 15 points
- Erling Haaland: 12 points
- Jude Bellingham: 10 points
- Toni Kroos: 8 points
- Florian Wirtz: 7 points
- Declan Rice: 5 points
- Lamine Yamal: 4 points
- William Saliba: 3 points
- Ademola Lookman: 2 points
- Dani Carvajal: 1 point
List of Ballon d’Or winners since the award’s inception in 1956 after Rodri was named 2024 winner on Monday.
1956 – Stanley Matthews (England)
1957 – Alfredo Di Stefano (Spain)
1958 – Raymond Kopa (France)
1959 – Alfredo Di Stefano (Spain)
1960 – Luis Suarez (Spain)
1961 – Omar Sivori (Italy)
1962 – Josef Masopust (Czechoslovakia)
1963 – Lev Yashin (Soviet Union)
1964 – Denis Law (Scotland)
1965 – Eusebio (Portugal)
1966 – Bobby Charlton (England)
1967 – Florian Albert (Hungary)
1968 – George Best (Northern Ireland)
1969 – Gianni Rivera (Italy)
1970 – Gerd Mueller (West Germany)
1971 – Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
1972 – Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
1973 – Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
1974 – Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
1975 – Oleg Blokhin (Soviet Union)
1976 – Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany)
1977 – Allan Simonsen (Denmark)
1978 – Kevin Keegan (England)
1979 – Kevin Keegan (England)
1980 – Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (West Germany)
1981 – Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (West Germany)
1982 – Paolo Rossi (Italy)
1983 – Michel Platini (France)
1984 – Michel Platini (France)
1985 – Michel Platini (France)
1986 – Igor Belanov (Soviet Union)
1987 – Ruud Gullit (Netherlands)
1988 – Marco van Basten (Netherlands)
1989 – Marco van Basten (Netherlands)
1990 – Lothar Matthaus (Germany)
1991 – Jean-Pierre Papin (France)
1992 – Marco van Basten (Netherlands)
1993 – Roberto Baggio (Italy)
1994 – Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria)
1995 – George Weah (Liberia)
1996 – Matthias Sammer (Germany)
1997 – Ronaldo (Brazil)
1998 – Zinedine Zidane (France)
1999 – Rivaldo (Brazil)
2000 – Luis Figo (Portugal)
2001 – Michael Owen (England)
2002 – Ronaldo (Brazil)
2003 – Pavel Nedved (Czech Republic)
2004 – Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine)
2005 – Ronaldinho (Brazil)
2006 – Fabio Cannavaro (Italy)
2007 – Kaka (Brazil)
2008 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2009 – Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2010 – Lionel Messi (Argentina) *
2011 – Lionel Messi (Argentina) *
2012 – Lionel Messi (Argentina) *
2013 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) *
2014 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) *
2015 – Lionel Messi (Argentina) *
2016 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2017 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2018 – Luka Modric (Croatia)
2019 – Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2020 – Award Cancelled (COVID-19 pandemic)
2021 – Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2022 – Karim Benzema (France)
2023 – Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2024 – Rodri (Spain)
* From 2010-2015 the Ballon d’Or was merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year to create the FIFA Ballon d’Or award.
Zambia’s Zesco United Sign Nigerian Duo Alakwe and Ifoni to Boost Attack
Achraf Hakimi: Morocco’s Ballon d’Or Dream Inches Closer to Reality
Excitement Builds in Abeokuta as 35 Nations Arrive for African U18/U20 Athletics Championship
- WAFCON6 days ago
Tensions Flare as Algeria Politicizes 2025 Women’s AFCON in Morocco
- OBITUARY2 days ago
BREAKING: Former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari Dies at 81
- La Liga6 days ago
Former Real Madrid manager and Brazil Coach, Carlo Ancelotti sentenced to prison
- WAFCON1 week ago
Nigeria, Tunisia Set for High-Stakes WAFCON 2024 Clash in Casablanca
- Nigerian Football3 days ago
Ex-NFF President Maigari Pays Solidarity Visit to Recuperating Ibrahim Galadima in Kano
- OBITUARY1 week ago
Peter Rufai and I, Ike Shorunmu, pays tribute to late mentor
- MEDIA4 days ago
Mumini Alao to Launch Autobiography with High-Profile Guests Set to Attend
- WAFCON4 days ago
Ghana’s hopes hang in the Balance after a 1-1 draw with Mali