Hakimi Pulls Further Clear Among Africa’s Champions League Greats As PSG Retain European Crown
Achraf Hakimi further strengthened his place among Africa’s greatest-ever players in the UEFA Champions League after helping Paris Saint-Germain retain their European crown with a dramatic 4-3 penalty shootout victory over Arsenal on Saturday night.
The Moroccan star once again rose to the occasion on Europe’s biggest club stage, captaining PSG during the second half of extra time after Marquinhos was forced off with a hamstring injury.
With the pressure mounting in the shootout, Hakimi showed remarkable composure to convert PSG’s fourth penalty, sending Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya the wrong way and putting the French champions on the brink of another historic triumph.
His successful spot-kick proved decisive as PSG secured back-to-back Champions League titles following a tense 1-1 draw after 120 minutes.
Arsenal had struck first through Kai Havertz and looked poised to frustrate the defending champions, but Ousmane Dembélé levelled from the penalty spot in the second half to drag PSG back into the contest.
The game eventually went to penalties, where PSG held their nerve as Eberechi Eze and Gabriel Magalhães both missed for Arsenal, with Gabriel blasting his effort high over the bar to hand the Parisian giants their second successive European title. For Hakimi, however, the victory carried even greater historical significance.
The 27-year-old has now joined Samuel Eto’o as the only African players to have won three or more UEFA Champions League medals.
Samuel Eto’o: 2006, 2009, 2010
Achraf Hakimi: 2017/18, 2024/25, 2025/26
Eto’o is also lifted for the trophy with Real Madrid in 1999/2000, making the Cameroonian legend Africa’s most decorated player in the competition with four titles.
Hakimi’s latest triumph underlines his remarkable consistency at the highest level. From emerging as a young talent at Real Madrid to becoming one of world football’s elite full-backs, the Moroccan has continued to build a legacy few African players can match.
Attention will now turn to the international stage, where Hakimi is expected to lead Morocco at this summer’s FIFA World Cup.
The Atlas Lions have been drawn in Group C alongside Brazil, Scotland and Haiti, and Hakimi will hope to inspire another historic run after helping Morocco reach the semi-finals in Qatar four years ago — the deepest-ever World Cup run by an African nation.
With another Champions League medal now around his neck, Hakimi continues to pull further clear in the galaxy of African stars to grace Europe’s biggest club competition.
