Kylian Mbappé and Achraf Hakimi will captain France and Morocco when the two countries meet in Boston — another chapter in one of football’s best-known friendships.
A bus ride to Rennes
Their friendship began by chance. On 3 October 2021, bad weather forced Paris Saint-Germain to abandon a flight to Rennes and travel by coach instead. Hakimi had only recently joined the club; Mbappé was already the subject of constant speculation about Real Madrid.
During a stop on the journey, the two players went into a supermarket together for a drink and a snack. A photograph of them sitting together in the shop went viral, and both have since pointed to that trip as the moment their friendship began.
A guide in the dressing room
Mbappé took the newcomer under his wing during his first months in Paris. At the time, the PSG dressing room had a strong South American group around Lionel Messi, and Mbappé made a point of looking after Hakimi. The two became inseparable, and Hakimi was among the first to know about some of Mbappé’s biggest career decisions.
Qatar 2022
In 2022 they faced each other in the World Cup semi-final in Qatar. Before the match, the two exchanged jokes about what they would do to each other on the pitch. France won 2–0 with goals from Theo Hernández and Randal Kolo Muani, but the images of the two embracing and swapping shirts afterwards became one of the lasting memories of the tournament.
Still close
Mbappé, now at Real Madrid, has repeatedly described Hakimi as one of the best players in the world — and as his friend. Hakimi, whose son lives in Madrid, is a regular visitor.
Team news
For France, Didier Deschamps must choose on the left wing, with Bradley Barcola appearing to have the edge over Désiré Doué. In midfield, Manu Koné looks set to partner Adrien Rabiot, with Warren Zaïre-Emery an option.
Morocco are without the injured Ismael Saibari and will look to alternatives in attack, relying on the creativity of Azzedine Ounahi and Brahim Díaz — Mbappé’s team-mate at Real Madrid.
Whatever the result, the image at the final whistle is likely to be familiar: two friends, on opposite sides, swapping shirts.
