Casablanca – Moroccan international Achraf Hakimi has spoken about his ambitions of winning the 2026 Ballon d’Or, while making clear that he would also welcome another Paris Saint-Germain player receiving the prestigious individual award.
Speaking to CBS Sports following PSG’s 4-2 Champions League victory over Manchester City on Wednesday, the 27-year-old acknowledged the significance of his second consecutive nomination.
“I hope one of Paris Saint-Germain’s players can bring this award to Paris, and that we celebrate it with the fans and the team,” Hakimi said, according to Foot Mercato, which reported his comments on Thursday.
The Moroccan right-back also admitted that winning the award remains a personal ambition, although he would not consider missing out a disappointment.
“It is a special award, and everyone hopes to win it, but even if I don’t win it, I am very happy to be nominated. For me, the most important thing is the team’s titles,” he explained.
Hakimi’s comments arrive ahead of a particularly competitive Ballon d’Or ceremony for PSG, which has an unprecedented ten players among the 30 nominees.
The French champions surpassed their own record of nine nominations from 2025, when Ousmane Dembélé claimed the award after helping PSG win their first Champions League title.
Hakimi finished sixth in that edition, one of the highest individual distinctions of his career and recognition of his importance to the Parisian side.
His nomination this year follows another successful European campaign for PSG, who retained their Champions League crown with victory over Arsenal in the 2026 final.
The Moroccan defender was once again an important part of Luis Enrique’s team. He featured in 13 Champions League matches during the 2025-2026 season and registered six assists, the joint third-highest total in the competition.
Wednesday’s victory over Manchester City was another encouraging result for the reigning European champions. PSG established a three-goal lead before halftime and eventually secured a 4-2 win despite two second-half goals from Erling Haaland.
Hakimi and his teammates will discover the outcome of this year’s Ballon d’Or race on October 26, when the ceremony takes place in London.
The Moroccan remains among the contenders for the award, although PSG’s record number of nominees means he faces competition from several players within his own dressing room.
