Achraf Hakimi makes Ballon dOr history with second top-15 finish

Achraf Hakimi has become the first African defender to finish among the top 15 players in the world in two editions of the Ballon d’Or.

The Paris Saint-Germain and Morocco defender was named 13th in the 2026 Ballon d’Or rankings, according to the award’s official account.

Hakimi previously achieved an even higher position, finishing sixth in last year’s voting. His latest result makes him the first African defender to appear in the top 15 on two occasions, according to statistics account Stats Foot.

The 2026 ranking comes after a successful period for Hakimi at club and international level. He won Ligue 1, the Champions League and the UEFA Super Cup with Paris Saint-Germain.

He also helped Morocco reach the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup.

Hakimi’s schedule includes Paris Saint-Germain’s Ligue 1 fixture against Le Havre on 30 October 2026. He is also due to feature for Morocco in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Niger on 13 November 2026.