Mbappe, Warm Hug with 'Best Friend' Hakimi After Victory in Their Match

Close Friends Sharing a Table at PSG, United by Immigrant Backgrounds
Uniform Swap After Match... Mbappe's Decisive Win with Assist for Additional Goal

Kylian Mbapp? and Achraf Hakimi embracing each other. Photo by AP=Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] After a fierce battle, friendship soon shone through. In the 2022 FIFA Qatar World Cup match between France and Morocco, which drew attention as the 'Colonial Derby,' close friends Kylian Mbapp? (Paris Saint-Germain) and Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain), who faced off on opposing teams, shared a heartfelt embrace after the game.

On the 15th (Korean time) at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar, Morocco lost 0-2 to France in the 2022 Qatar World Cup semifinal.

Defending champion France and the African sensation Morocco clashed to write new history, with France winning and moving forward to challenge for a consecutive title.

When the France vs. Morocco match was set, attention also focused on the duel between Mbapp? and Hakimi. The two players have been close friends since Hakimi transferred from Italy’s Serie A Inter Milan to Paris Saint-Germain last year. The two are known to sit together on flights and spend holidays playing video games together. They even traveled to Madrid, Spain, together last May, showcasing their close friendship.

Their friendship seems to be partly rooted in shared immigrant cultural backgrounds. Mbapp? was born in Paris, France, but his parents are of Algerian and Tunisian descent. Hakimi was born in Spain but has a Libyan father and a Moroccan mother.

The two outstanding players had anticipated facing each other in the World Cup early on. When Paris Saint-Germain players visited Qatar in January, Mbapp? joked, "If France meets Morocco, I have to beat my friend," to which Hakimi responded, "I will kick Mbapp?." Ultimately, their jokes became reality, and France’s left winger Mbapp? and Morocco’s right fullback Hakimi fiercely competed in the semifinal.

Knowing Mbapp?’s playing style well, Hakimi focused on strict defense. Despite Hakimi’s efforts to block Mbapp?’s speed-driven dribbling attempts, Mbapp? broke through the defense and set the stage for the 2-0 clinching goal.

In the 34th minute of the second half, Mbapp? received a pass from Marcus Thuram (M?nchengladbach), dribbled past three Moroccan defenders, and took a shot. The ball deflected off a defender and was followed up by Kolo Muani (Frankfurt), who scored, shaking the opponent’s net.

Earlier, Morocco conceded the opening goal in the 5th minute of the first half to Theo Hernandez and had to end their challenge after conceding an additional goal, losing 0-2.

Kylian Mbapp? and Achraf Hakimi swapping their uniforms. Photo by AP=Yonhap News

Morocco was the biggest surprise team in the Qatar World Cup. They were in the same group as last tournament’s semifinalists Croatia and Belgium and advanced to the knockout stage as group winners. From the round of 16, they defeated a series of strong European teams, showcasing unstoppable performance.

After a penalty shootout victory over Spain in the round of 16, Morocco made history by defeating Portugal 1-0 in the quarterfinals. They also set a record as the first African nation to reach the World Cup semifinals.

After the match, Mbapp? approached Hakimi, who was lying on the ground, helped him up, and shared a deep embrace. They soon exchanged jerseys, with Mbapp? wearing Morocco’s red jersey and Hakimi donning France’s dark navy jersey as they left the stadium.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.