Kylian Mbappe and Achraf Hakimi are two of the closest friends in the Paris Saint-Germain team. Ever since Hakimi moved to PSG from Inter Milan back in 2021, his bond with Mbappe has grown only stronger. The two PSG stars are constantly seen together, whether during the training sessions or after the matches. Most recently, the PSG duo went on a holiday together earlier this month.
Both Kylian Mbappe and Achraf Hakimi rushed back to PSG as soon as the FIFA World Cup 2022 ended. While Mbappe lost the World Cup final against his other PSG teammate, Lionel Messi, Hakimi got eliminated in the semifinals of the tournament. Hakimi’s Morocco wrote history in Qatar as they became the first African side to ever play in the semifinals of a World Cup.
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However, Hakimi and Morocco’s dreams were shattered by none other than Mbappe. Mbappe’s France defeated Morocco 2-0 in the semifinal of the World Cup 2022. Both Hakimi and Mbappe featured in two of PSG’s matches right after the World Cup ended. Hence, PSG coach Christophe Galtier gave Hakimi and Mbappe a mini-holiday. The duo traveled to New York and attended a Brooklyn Nets-San Antonio Spurs game.
Kylian Mbappe talks about his friendship with Achraf Hakimi
Kylian Mbappe faced his close friend, Achraf Hakimi, during their semifinal clash at the World Cup 2022. Mbappe’s France came almost close to the finishing line when they lost the final to Argentina on penalties. Meanwhile, Hakimi’s Morocco took the world by surprise as the African nation eliminated two of the biggest nations in soccer, Spain, and Portugal.
Before the World Cup kicked off in Qatar, both Hakimi and Mbappe were featured in a video message where they were asked about the prospect of facing each other in the World Cup. As per Al Jazeera, Mbappe, rather jokingly, said “I have to destroy my friend. It will break my heart a little bit, but you know, that is football. I have to kill him.” Hakimi also responded similarly to Mbappe’s message, saying, “I’m going to smash him.“
The prospect soon turned into a reality, when France defeated Morocco 2-0 to qualify for their second consecutive World Cup final. However, after the final whistle, Kylian Mbappe was one of the first ones to console a dismayed Achraf Hakimi. Mbappe also later posted a message on Twitter for Hakimi. The French star wrote, “Don’t be sad bro, everybody is proud of what you did, you made history.“
Don’t be sad bro, everybody is proud of what you did, you made history. ❤️ @AchrafHakimi pic.twitter.com/hvjQvQ84c6
— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) December 14, 2022
The two stars even swapped their jerseys after the game and were later seen enjoying a light moment after the match inside the tunnel. Currently, both the stars will be focussing on their club, PSG. Hakimi and Mbappe’s PSG face an uphill task next month as they face Bayern Munich in the Champions League. PSG will be hoping to make a comeback from their first-leg defeat at the Parc des Princes.