Hakimi - when a full-back demands the Ballon d'Or

Hakimi is the best right back in the world .

“What if the best player in the world was… a full-back?” Onze Mondial asked. In an era of striker worship, where the spotlight is on solo runs, spectacular goals and artistic passes, Achraf Hakimi – a right-back – is breaking that unwritten rule.

And Hakimi did it not by convincing numbers alone, but by a season that forced people to use the word "explosive" to talk about him.

One defender, two roles

At PSG this season, Hakimi is no longer just a full-back. He is a tactical spark, an irreplaceable link in Luis Enrique's machine. With 11 goals and 14 assists to date, he has been directly involved in a goal every 176 minutes on average - a performance comparable to Europe's top strikers.

But Hakimi's superiority is not just in his stats. He defends like a centre-back, sprints like a striker, handles like a number 10 and plays with the tactical awareness of a silent leader.

Hakimi's rise to prominence came when PSG entered the most intense stages: the European and world stages. In the Champions League, he opened the scoring in the quarter-final against Aston Villa, then scored again in the semi-final against Arsenal – but the highlight was the goal in the final against Inter Miami, where he finished off his opponents with a cool finish like a true striker.

Hakimi is having an explosive season.

At the Club World Cup, Hakimi once again opened the scoring with a goal against Seattle in the round of 16, then scored to help PSG crush Inter Miami in the round of 16. In a squad full of attacking stars like Ousamne Dembele and Vitinha, it was Hakimi who stepped up when needed most.

It is no coincidence that Luis Enrique made a meaningful statement: "I only saw Hakimi standing in the right-back position when Donnarumma kicked the ball up."

Because in PSG's tactical system, Hakimi is no longer confined to the wing – he moves like a midfielder, cuts inside when needed, breaks into the box when the opportunity arises, and is ready to push forward as a false 9. He is a symbol of the “multi-purpose full-back” trend of modern football, but at the same time goes beyond the familiar stereotype.

PSG's internal teams understand that value. At the end of 2024, when the rumors began to spread, the team's leadership did not hesitate: they extended Hakimi's contract until 2029, with a salary enough to protect him from the eyes of all the other “giants”.

Ballon d'Or race

This year's race is packed with bright names: Lamine Yamal is shining at 17, Raphinha has had a resurgence, Dembele and Vitinha have exploded, and Mbappe – despite his fitness being reduced by injury and illness – has not been completely eliminated from the race. But among the stars, Achraf Hakimi stands out, despite playing in a position that few would dream of winning the Ballon d'Or.

Hakimi is a strong candidate for the Ballon d'Or.

Indeed, if there was ever a season for a full-back to make it into the top 3 of this prestigious title, it would be Hakimi's season. He is not simply “the best defender in the world right now” – he also plays the role of a player who shapes the playing style of an ambitious team like PSG.

Hakimi is having the best season of his career – and perhaps one of the most complete seasons of any defender in over a decade. At 26, he has not only broken through professionally, but also pushed the boundaries of what the defender's role in the modern game is.

And if by the end of the year, the name “Hakimi” appears on the Golden Ball award podium, it will not be strange, but a worthy reward for a player who is reaching beyond all familiar definitions.

Source: https://znews.vn/hakimi-khi-mot-hau-ve-canh-doi-hoi-qua-bong-vang-post1566183.html