It was the Round of 16 of the 2022 World Cup against Spain. Achraf Hakimi stepped up in the penalty shootout and calmly sent his spot-kick into the net, sealing Morocco’s place in the quarter-finals.
Kylian Mbappe seemed ready for that moment. On X (then Twitter), he posted a simple message: “Achraf Hakimi” – accompanied by three emojis: a crown, a heart and a penguin.
Why penguin? Moments earlier, Hakimi had celebrated his victory with his trademark penguin dance. It was a celebration that Mbappé knew well. During their time at Paris Saint-Germain, the two close friends often demonstrated this after scoring.
The story of friendship between Mbappé and Hakimi is well known. Many may also remember that before the 2022 World Cup began, the two recorded a video in Qatar, joking that they would eventually face each other in the tournament.
That prediction came true.
France faced Morocco in the semi-finals, with their friendship turning into a rivalry on the field. For 90 minutes both the friends became rivals of each other.
Mbappe emerged victorious, but he never stopped showing sympathy for his friend after the final whistle.
Expect those same feelings to return tonight in Boston.
This time the stage is of quarter finals. While the headlines will focus on France vs Morocco, there is another compelling story beneath the surface – the reunion of two close friends forced to become rivals once again.
For almost two hours, Mbappé and Hakimi will have to put one of football’s greatest friendships aside.