Achraf Hakimi has ascended to the pinnacle of African football after being named the 2025 African Player of the Year, outshining fellow finalists Mohamed Salah and Victor Osimhen in one of the most competitive races in recent years.
The Moroccan and Paris Saint-Germain right-back enjoyed a glittering campaign, registering 11 goals and 16 assists in 55 appearances. His dazzling contributions powered PSG to an extraordinary historic treble, the Ligue 1 title, Coupe de France trophy, and the club’s first-ever UEFA Champions League triumph, capped with a UEFA Super Cup victory.
At 27, Hakimi has evolved beyond his defensive brilliance, emerging as one of PSG’s foremost creative engines and an influential dressing-room leader.
With this honour, Hakimi becomes the first Moroccan to win the award since Mustapha Hadji in 1998, marking a monumental moment for Moroccan football.
The PSG star edged Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Galatasaray’s Victor Osimhen to claim the continent’s most prestigious individual accolade.
Currently sidelined with injury, the celebrated defender will be hoping for a swift recovery as he eyes a triumphant return in time for the Africa Cup of Nations, set to be hosted on home soil in Morocco.