Kylian Mbappé and Achraf Hakimi: A friendship you probably did not know of

Kylian Mbappé tweeted "ACHRAF HAKIMI.", as soon as his PSG teammate's penalty qualified Morocco for the quarterfinals of the World Cup. The tweet was accompanied by three emojis: A king's crown, a heart with fingers, and a penguin. Why a penguin? Because a few seconds earlier, Hakimi celebrated his winning penalty by imitating the bird, a tribute to a celebration they often make together at PSG.

When Hakimi joined Mbappé at PSG in July 2021, it marked the start of a beautiful friendship. Two young men who were born within a few weeks of one another in 1998, shortly after France won its first World Cup title, have become good friends. They celebrate their goals together and have a series of practiced handshakes and goal celebrations.

Despite the fact that Hakimi has only recently moved to Paris in 2021, the two have a great rapport both on and off the field. Mbappé is fluent in Spanish, and he has been crucial in helping Hakimi adjust to life in the PSG locker room, and frequently posts about their friendship on social media, like in an Instagram story depicting the two enjoying a PSG win, Mbappé used the term "My brother" to refer to Hakimi.

Hakimi has mentioned how Mbappé helps him study French and that they have similar preferences in video games and music. These two also had this sweet moment where they collaborated on a video shared on PSG's social media on the occasion of Eid. Mbappé, who has ancestry in Algeria, Morocco's neighbour to the north, was seen tasting Arabian cuisine with recommendations from Hakimi.

In the World Cup semi-final, Mbappé will be marked by Hakimi. As both teams go toward a World Cup summit that would be remarkable for either nation, it is a high-level contest. Mbappé vs Hakimi pits one of the top scorers in the tournament against the star player in the best defensive unit, which has only allowed one goal, that too an own goal!