"I felt like a small player because of Messi", Hakimi opens up on PSG struggles
Reading Time: 2min | Fri. 03.04.26. | 15:40
Morocco star admits tactical shift that caused his stress following the Argentine's blockbuster arrival
Achraf Hakimi has revealed how Lionel Messi's arrival at Paris Saint-Germain reshaped his role - and made his first season in Paris far more difficult than expected.
Hakimi joined PSG in a €68 million move from Inter Milan in 2021, arriving as one of Europe's most dynamic, attack-minded full-backs. But what looked like a perfect fit quickly changed.
"Coming from Inter and Dortmund, I was used to playing in a system where I attacked, scored, and felt important," Hakimi explained on The Bridge Show. "Then I arrived in Paris…"
At the time, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe were already leading the line, but everything shifted when Messi joined a bit later.
"When I signed, I didn't know Messi was coming," Hakimi admitted. "Once he arrived, the style of play changed. I could no longer attack the same way, I had to stay back."
The adjustment proved difficult. Despite managing ten goal contributions in his debut campaign, the Moroccan felt restricted and under scrutiny.
"I felt like a small player," he said. "At the same time, I was important for Morocco, so it was hard not to be that same player at PSG. People kept asking why I wasn't performing the same way."
Criticism followed, but so did evolution. Last season, Hakimi rediscovered his attacking edge, registering 27 goal contributions as PSG went on to win the UEFA Champions League. This campaign, he remains a key outlet, already hitting double figures for contributions midway through the season.
From feeling limited to leading from the flank, Hakimi's Paris story has come full circle - even if it started in the shadow of greatness.
LIGUE 1 - MATCHDAY 28
Friday
21.45: (1.27) PSG (6.25) Toulouse (9.50)
Saturday
18.00: (1.85) Strasbourg (3.50) Nice (4.40)
20.00: (3.20) Brest (3.50) Rennes (2.35)
22.05: (2.65) Lille (3.25) Lens (2.75)
Sunday
16.00: (4.80) Angers (3.60) Olympique Lyon (1.85)
18.15: (2.55) Le Havre (3.10) Auxerre (2.95)
18.15: (2.25) Lorient (3.30) Paris (3.30)
18.15: (3.05) Metz (3.30) Nantes (2.55)
21.45: (2.20) Monaco (3.75) Olympique Marseille (3.05)
***odds are subject to change***