Day 12 of the KickGuessr 100 Days Challenge. The answer was Achraf Hakimi.
Clue 1 was designed to confuse. Born in Madrid — many people immediately thought of a Spanish player. But the second clue made everything clear. Plays for Morocco.
Here is the full story.
Clue 1: Born in Madrid — Plays for Morocco
Achraf Hakimi was born on November 4, 1998, in Madrid, Spain. His parents are Moroccan immigrants who moved to Spain for work. Hakimi grew up in the Getafe neighbourhood of Madrid and joined Real Madrid’s academy at the age of eight.
Despite being born in Spain and developed by Real Madrid, Hakimi always identified as Moroccan. He made his debut for the Morocco national team in 2016 and has been their most important player ever since.
This is not unusual in world football. Many players born in Western Europe to immigrant families choose to represent their parents’ home countries. It is a personal decision that reflects cultural identity rather than football calculation.
Clue 2: World’s Best Right Back Right Now
Achraf Hakimi is widely considered the best right back in the world. His combination of pace, attacking ability, and defensive work rate makes him almost impossible to play against.
His top speed rivals that of many forwards — he has been recorded running at over 36 kilometres per hour during matches. This speed allows him to overlap into attacking positions, deliver crosses, and cut inside to shoot, while still being able to track back and defend.
At PSG, he is one of the team’s most influential players despite playing in what is traditionally considered a less glamorous position.
Clue 3: Wears Number 2 at PSG
Hakimi joined PSG from Inter Milan in the summer of 2021 for approximately 60 million euros. He wears the number 2 shirt — the traditional right back number.
Before PSG, Hakimi had loan spells at Borussia Dortmund and briefly at Inter Milan, where he won the Serie A title in the 2020-21 season. His performances in the Bundesliga and Serie A established him as the best right back in Europe.
Morocco’s Miracle at the 2022 World Cup
The most important chapter of Hakimi’s career so far came at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Morocco became the first African nation to reach the semi-finals of a World Cup. They beat Belgium, Spain, and Portugal along the way.
Hakimi’s penalty against Spain in the quarter-final is one of the most iconic moments in recent World Cup history. He waited until the goalkeeper committed, then chipped the ball down the middle with total confidence. The celebration — pointing to his heart — has become one of the defining images of that tournament.
The journey Morocco went on in Qatar — playing for a continent, for millions of fans across Africa and the Arab world — was something that transcended football. Hakimi was at the centre of it.
The Madrid Question
There is an interesting question that football fans debate about Hakimi — what would have happened if Real Madrid had integrated him into their first team instead of selling him? He came through the Real Madrid academy, won a Champions League medal with them in 2018, and was loaned out to develop.
Real Madrid sold him to Inter Milan in 2020. He has since become one of the best players in the world in his position. Whether Madrid regret that decision is something their fans argue about regularly.
Day 13 Preview
Day 13 features one of the most technically complete midfielders in world football — a player Pep Guardiola trusts more than almost anyone. The clues drop tonight.
Follow KickGuessr on TikTok at @kickguessr.