Hakimi Eager to Face Former Real Madrid Teammate at World Cup 2022

Hakimi Eager to Face Former Real Madrid Teammate at World Cup 2022

Byron Pillay
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:19 PM
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  • Achraf Hakimi went through Real Madrid's youth structures before playing for the first team
  • Hakimi played alongside Marco Asensio at Madrid and will play against him at the World Cup
  • Morocco and Spain have met three times in the past, with Spain winning two of those games

Achraf Hakimi can't wait to take on Spain in the FIFA World Cup.

The Paris Saint-Germain right-back will be part of the Moroccan side that will take on the former champions in a Round of 16 tie on Tuesday, December 6.

Achraf Hakimi, Sport, World, Soccer, Paris Saint-Germain, FIFA World Cup, Qatar 2022, Eager, Former, Real Madrid, Teammate, Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund
Achraf Hakimi is looking forward to an exciting battle against a former Real Madrid teammate when Morocco takes on Spain in the FIFA World Cup. Image: Fadel Senna.
Source: Getty Images

While talking about the clash, Hakimi said there was one player in particular that he wanted to face - Real Madrid's Marco Asensio.

Hakimi and Asensio were teammates

As reported by Madrid Universal, Hakimi played alongside the Spanish forward at the La Liga champions.

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The Moroccan right-back rose through the ranks at Los Blancos, playing for the under-18 side and making his way up to the senior team. He eventually was loaned out to Borussia Dortmund before being sold to Inter Milan, Transfermarkt reported.

Hakimi was eventually signed by PSG, where he plays his football now.

Hakimi knows Asensio's game well

The Moroccan defender said he was looking forward to facing his former teammate because they knew each other so well.

“He knows what kind of player I am, I know what he’s like. It will be a nice duel,” Hakimi said.

He also touched on Asensio's struggles to earn a place back in the Madrid side, while impressing for the Spanish national team.

“At the national team, he has shown that he is at a spectacular level. You have to be very careful with him. When he is given the confidence and support of the coach, he responds,” Hakimi added.

A rematch from Russia 2018

Spain and Morocco met in the last tournament in Russia in a Group B clash, which ended in a 2-2 draw. Sadly for the Atlas Lions, that was the only point they notched in the tournament, and they were eliminated from the group.

The two sides have also met twice before that, with Spain winning both those games, Eurosport confirmed.

Hakimi celebrates victory with mother

Achraf Hakimi shared an emotional hug with his mother, after he helped Morocco in their surprise World Cup group stage win over Belgium.

The North African country continued the theme of shocks in the Mundial, cruising to a 2-0 against the Europeans, Sports Brief reported.

Two second-half goals from Abdelhamid Sabiri and Zakaria Aboukhlal saw the Atlas Lions secure their first win in 24 years at the tournament.

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Byron Pillay
Byron Pillay is a sports writer and Head of the Department at Sports Brief (joined in 2022) with over 10 years of experience in community journalism and a degree in journalism from Caxton's Cadet School.
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