Achraf Hakimi says Lionel Messi's arrival at Paris Saint Germain changed the club so sharply that he stopped feeling like the same player there. Speaking to A Bola, the Morocco full-back said he did not know Messi was coming and that the project shifted as soon as he arrived. Hakimi arrived in Paris only a month before Messi, and the Argentine stayed for two seasons before moving to Inter Miami in 2023.
Hakimi’s view of the PSG shift
"We did not know that he was coming at that time. The moment he arrived, the project changed. We stopped playing pleasant football and I felt like a smaller player on the pitch," Hakimi said, in comments translated from Portuguese. It is a striking view from a player who remained productive in Paris, with 8 appearances, 3 goals and 2 assists for PSG in 2026.
The 2026 numbers sit alongside a career split that he described in personal terms. Hakimi said, "Mentally, it was difficult. In the national team, I am an important player. At PSG, it was hard to manage to play the way I wanted." He added that in Paris he was criticised for the gap between his Morocco and PSG performances.
Morocco and the other side of the story
That contrast matters because Hakimi's role with Morocco still looks central. He has made 6 appearances for Morocco in 2026 and carries a 6.93 rating for the national team, while his PSG rating is 7.08 in Ligue 1.
PSG's recent success also sits in the background. The club were crowned European champions for the second time in 2025 and 2026, so Hakimi's remarks are not a swipe from the outside. They come from a player who stayed involved at a club that still won on the biggest stage, even if he says Messi's arrival changed the way he felt about himself there.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
