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Achraf Hakimi may be the best player for Morocco, which opens its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign in a marquee matchup Saturday against Brazil.
Hakimi may also be the most fascinating player for the Moroccan side, because he doesn't play in a conventional fashion.
When you watch Morocco play, or even Hakimi's club team PSG, you realize that he seems to pop up in spots of the field that aren't standard for the position you think Hakimi's playing.
So let's dig into that a little more.
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What position does Achraf Hakimi play?
Hakimi is a right back, as in the right-sided player on the defensive line.
Generally, he's part of teams that play with a back-four -- so there are two center backs, with a left back on one side and a right back on the other.
Despite that, Hakimi often seems to play much more like a forward-minded right winger, or an attacking midfielder.
Sometimes, he shows up at the penalty spot as a cross comes in from the other side.
Clearly, he isn't your garden variety right back.
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Hakimi is given pretty much free license to roam because he's so gifted in the attacking third.
So then you ask: So why doesn't he just play a further forward position?
Well, he's a good right back, too. Quick and instinctive, Hakimi can make plays at that end of the pitch, and he has great stamina to make it possible to cover so much ground.
It's also sometimes harder for defenses to account for a talented player who spends so much time out of his conventional position. Hakimi can arrive late to a play since he's coming from further back, and that can make him extra dangerous.
So don't expect his role to change. Just recognize that there aren't many players capable of the things Hakimi can do.
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