Former Morocco international Mustapha El Haddaoui believes Achraf Hakimi, the Paris Saint-Germain full-back, is the best in the world in his position, but he places Lamine Yamal at the top of his personal Top 5 for the 2026 Ballon d’Or.
Two days before the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony, due to be held on Monday 26 October in London, Mustapha El Haddaoui gave his analysis to AfricaFoot. The former Morocco international, who won 90 caps between 1983 and 1994, backs Achraf Hakimi, the Paris Saint-Germain and Atlas Lions right-back, named among the 30 candidates after a full season with his club and his national team. On the same day, PSG face Olympique Lyonnais in Ligue 1.
But the former player makes no secret of his preference for another prodigy. In his view, Lamine Yamal, the FC Barcelona and Spain sensation, is the number one favourite to win the trophy. A stance that takes nothing away from the respect he holds for Hakimi, whose excellence in his position he praises.
Hakimi, the best full-back in the world
Mustapha El Haddaoui is full of praise for Achraf Hakimi. “First of all, the fact that Achraf Hakimi is once again on the Ballon d’Or shortlist this year shows his worth, his excellence and his ability to maintain a high level of performance. Even though he is a defender, he is considered the best in the world in his position,” he told AfricaFoot.
The Paris defender won the Champions League with PSG as well as AFCON 2025 with Morocco, subject to administrative procedures.
Yamal the favourite, Hakimi outside the Top 5
In his personal prediction, El Haddaoui puts Lamine Yamal at the very top. “In my view, the top 5 is, in order, Lamine Yamal, Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé, Rodri and Ousmane Dembélé. For me, Yamal is the number one favourite, given his performances with Barça and Spain,” he told AfricaFoot.
That ranking remains personal, and Hakimi does not feature in it. The former international nonetheless predicts a place in the world Top 6 for him in this edition.
The jury and the forwards
Mustapha El Haddaoui points to a historical tendency among the Ballon d’Or jury: a systematic preference for forwards and goalscorers over out-and-out defenders. A tendency that weighs on defenders, even though Hakimi is, in his view, the best in his position.
The 2026 race is nonetheless particularly open, the former Atlas Lion stresses, unlike the decades utterly dominated by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Enough to give defenders a chance? The answer comes on 26 October in London, at the ceremony.