To measure the dimension taken by Achraf Hakimi this season, you must first look at the raw figures of its incredible endurance. At the end of a haraishing exercise, the Moroccan side accumulated a colossal volume of game: 68 official games played, including its participations with Paris Saint-Germain, Morocco at the 2024 Olympic Games and during the Club World Cup. With 5,294 minutes on the clock, he is simply the most used player in the Parisian workforce in the 2024-2025 season. Far from being a simple background runner, his offensive contribution is also remarkable, with an assessment of 11 goals and 15 assists in all competitions, several of which are on set up, testifying to his technical quality.
Hakimi, the man of the big meetings
Beyond regularity, the brand of great players is measured in decisive moments, the famous Money Times. And on this point, Hakimi responded in a brilliant way. Who unlocked the Champions League final against Inter Milan? It was he, with a close strike, who put his team on the path of the European coronation. His impact in the finals does not stop there: he also delivered a decisive pass in the Coupe de France final and caused a penalty during the Champions Trophy. Capital actions that weigh heavily in the conquest of the historic quadruple of PSG.
Ignored by trendy rankings
However, this exceptional season is not translated into the favorites' rankings for the Ballon d'Or. In the “Power Rankings” which act as a barometer, its name appears far behind those of its teammates. The reference site Goal.com The class with a modest 10th place, preceded by Ousmane Dembélé and the young Barcelona Lamine Yamal. The observation is similar on the 90min side, which does not place it in its top 6. A surprising undervaluation for an actor also central to the success of the best European team of the season.
More used, goalscorer in the final… Hakimi sacrificed on the altar of Dembélé?
The glass ceiling for defenders and Africans?
How to explain this paradox? The history of the Ballon d'Or offers a first response track: an almost systematic premium for attackers. The last defender to have raised the trophy is Fabio Cannavaro in 2006, and he was a central defender. For a side, the task seems even more difficult. To this is added another statistical reality, perhaps more disturbing: that of an “African bias” potential. In almost 70 years of history, only one player on the continent, George Weah in 1995, was crowned. With a panel of voters that remain mainly European, the question of visibility and recognition of the performance of non-European players is legitimately.
The weight of a “little” nation
Even his coach, Luis Enrique, did not hesitate to qualify him as “the best right side in the world” during a media intervention. Recognition of its status by one of the greatest current technicians. But is that enough? The Moroccan nationality of Hakimi, although a source of immense pride, perhaps desserts it on the global media scene. Morocco, belonging to any European Confederation, has less coverage, which could limit the impact of its international performance in the eyes of certain voters.
The statistical face-to-face with Dembélé and the risk of shared vote
To grasp the extent of what is akin to an injustice, it is necessary to dare the direct comparison with the designated favorite, his teammate Ousmane Dembélé. At first glance, the statistical duel seems to bend in favor of the French striker, author of 50 decisive actions (goals and passes) against 26 for Hakimi. However, this raw reading of figures masks two realities which plead massively in favor of the Moroccan. The first is that of endurance and importance over time: with 5,294 minutes played, Hakimi is the PSG marathonist, the player most used by Luis Enrique, counting more than a thousand more minutes in the legs than Dembélé (4,210). The second, perhaps the most crucial, is that of the impact in the matches that really matter. On the two major finals of the season (Champions League and French Cup), the lateral was involved in three decisive actions, against only one for his teammate. To this duel is added another, purely strategic risk, which could penalize the two Parisians: that of the dispersion of voices. With at least five credible candidates within the same workforce (including Vitinha, Nuno Mendes and others), the vote of the jurors could scatter, a scenario which has already cost dearly in other ultra-dominant collectives.
In conclusion, despite a record season and a decisive impact in the biggest games, the status of Outsider of Achraf Hakimi persists. If collective trophies speak for him, individual voting could tell another story, that of missed recognition.
