On July 9, Achraf Hakimi’s smile after Morocco lost 0-2 to France in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup left many fans outraged.
At Boston stadium (USA), Morocco concluded their highly impressive journey at the 2026 World Cup following a 0-2 defeat against the France team. Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele were the ones who scored to bring “Les Bleus” into the semi-finals.
However, what caused social media to explode after the match was not the result, but Hakimi’s expression. While many of his teammates clearly showed disappointment, the Morocco captain appeared with a smile on his lips while chatting with the French players.
The clip quickly went viral and brought along a series of critical opinions. Many fans raised the question: “Why is Achraf Hakimi happy?”.
Some people argued that the PSG defender lacked empathy for the disappointment of more than 40 million Moroccan people.
Even harsh comments appeared on social mediMoroccan player’s actions caused extreme outrage among the fansa with accusations that Hakimi “betrayed Morocco”, “betrayed the fans”, “betrayed his teammates”, and “abandoned the team”.
Although this was only the view of a section of fans, the wave of outrage still spread widely after the video was shared.
Previously, Mbappe and Hakimi drew attention with a close hug in the stadium tunnel. The two stars were once teammates at PSG and have maintained a close friendship for many years. Mbappe even traveled to Morocco to cheer for Hakimi at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
After the match, the French team striker also asserted that friendship does not affect professionalism on the pitch. “When playing, there is no room for feelings. We are just opponents. Only when returning to the dressing room are we friends”, Mbappe shared.
France will clash with Spain or Belgium in the semi-finals on July 14.
