World Cup 2026: African Player with Most Appearances

The 27-year-old reached this historic milestone in Morocco's 4-2 victory over Haiti on June 25, surpassing Cameroon legend François Omam-Biyik and former Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan. Previously, both players jointly held the record with 11 World Cup appearances each.

Hakimi has played 3 matches at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, 7 matches at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and 3 matches so far at the 2026 World Cup. As a result, the Moroccan defender now stands alone at the top of the list of African players with the most appearances in the world's biggest football festival.

After Hakimi set the new record, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) posted a congratulatory message on social media platform X: "A new milestone for African football. Achraf Hakimi now holds the record for the most World Cup appearances by an African player." This message acknowledges Hakimi's consistency, endurance, and influence while representing Morocco on the global stage.

This record adds to Hakimi's growing list of achievements. Earlier, he was named African Player of the Year after playing a key role in Paris Saint-Germain's historic season. With PSG, Hakimi won all six available trophies that season, including the Ligue 1 title, the French Cup, and the UEFA Champions League.

With a total of 19 career trophies to date, Hakimi is now regarded as the most decorated African player in football history, surpassing the accomplishments of legends such as Samuel Eto'o and Yaya Touré. Notably, the player is still only 27 years old, at the peak of his career, and is expected to continue raising the historic benchmarks of Moroccan and African football in the years to come.