Mbappé to Face Good Friend Hakimi in World Cup Semifinal 

Achraf Hakimi and Kylian Mbappé. (AFP)
Achraf Hakimi and Kylian Mbappé. (AFP)
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Mbappé to Face Good Friend Hakimi in World Cup Semifinal 

Achraf Hakimi and Kylian Mbappé. (AFP)
Achraf Hakimi and Kylian Mbappé. (AFP)

Kylian Mbappé is going to meet his good friend Achraf Hakimi again at this World Cup. 

Not like the first time in Qatar last week, when the France star went to visit his Paris Saint-Germain teammate at the Morocco team hotel in downtown Doha. 

On Wednesday, Mbappé will be marked by Hakimi in a World Cup semifinal — his path to Morocco’s well-defended goal down the French left wing blocked by a player he rates highly. 

“ACHRAF HAKIMI. BEST RB IN THE WORLD,” Mbappé wrote in English on his Twitter account in January, referring to the right back position Hakimi occupies for club and country. 

It is a high-level duel as both approach a World Cup summit that would be historic for either team. 

Mbappé versus Hakimi — the tournament’s top scorer with five goals in five games against the standout talent in the tournament-best defense that has conceded just once, and it was an own-goal. 

It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship when the Moroccan player joined Mbappé at PSG in July 2021 from Inter Milan for a transfer fee reported to be 60 million euros ($63 million). 

Two young men born within several weeks of each other in 1998 — just a few months after France won its first World Cup title — soon got along. 

Hakimi has talked of how they share the same tastes in music and video games, and that Mbappé helps his Madrid-born friend learn French. 

Hakimi is a devout Muslim and for the Eid Mubarak holiday this year they teamed up for a video shared by their club. Hakimi guided Mbappé, who has family ties to Morocco’s north African neighbor Algeria, through tasting food from the Arab region. 

On the field for the French champion, they have a series of rehearsed handshakes and goal celebrations. Playing for PSG gives them many opportunities. 

“It’s easy to play with a player like him,” Hakimi has said of Mbappé. “To give him the ball, knowing that he will make the difference.” 

Mbappé has been the difference at this World Cup, especially when he scored twice in wins over Denmark in the group stage and Poland in the round of 16. 

In the quarterfinals on Saturday, Mbappé was kept in check about as much as is possible by England’s speedy right back Kyle Walker. He got just one clear shooting chance that went high and wide. 

Still, he was involved in the move that led to France’s first goal in a 2-1 win and the decisive late winner followed a corner on the left flank that he helped create. 

Morocco’s defense has stood like an immovable force and all its European opponents so far — Croatia, Belgium, Spain and Portugal — failed to score in four full games plus extra time for the Spanish. 

Hakimi has helped limit Morocco’s opponents to just 10 goal attempts on target combined, according to FIFA post-game statistics. Canada got an own-goal from defender Nayef Aguerd in a 2-1 win for Morocco. 

Mbappé, meanwhile, has had 10 shots on target just by himself for a France team whose 11-goal total is the best of the four semifinalists. 

At Al Khor Stadium on Wednesday, Mbappé continues pursuing his goal of being the youngest player besides Pelé to have two World Cup titles. France can become the first to retain its title since Pelé and Brazil in 1962. 

Hakimi wants to be among the first African players to reach a World Cup final. That would be against either Croatia or Argentina, whose star Lionel Messi also plays for Qatar-owned PSG. 

May the best friend win. 



Lionel Messi's 6th Brace in 7 Games Seals Inter Miami's Win over Red Bulls

CINCINNATI, OHIO - JULY 16: Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF shoots during the MLS match between FC Cincinnati and Inter Miami CF at TQL Stadium on July 16, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio.   Jeff Dean/Getty Images/AFP
CINCINNATI, OHIO - JULY 16: Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF shoots during the MLS match between FC Cincinnati and Inter Miami CF at TQL Stadium on July 16, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Jeff Dean/Getty Images/AFP
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Lionel Messi's 6th Brace in 7 Games Seals Inter Miami's Win over Red Bulls

CINCINNATI, OHIO - JULY 16: Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF shoots during the MLS match between FC Cincinnati and Inter Miami CF at TQL Stadium on July 16, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio.   Jeff Dean/Getty Images/AFP
CINCINNATI, OHIO - JULY 16: Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF shoots during the MLS match between FC Cincinnati and Inter Miami CF at TQL Stadium on July 16, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Jeff Dean/Getty Images/AFP

Lionel Messi had two goals and two assists to lead Inter Miami to a bounce- back 5-1 victory over the host New York Red Bulls on Saturday night in Harrison, N.J.

Messi and Inter Miami (12-4-5, 41 points) erased a 1-0 first-half deficit with a flurry of goals late in the first half -- two of them coming off the foot of Telasco Segovia -- that staked the Herons to a 3-1 halftime lead, Reuters said.

Miami won its sixth MLS match in its past seven after having a five-game winning streak snapped at FC Cincinnati on Wednesday. Messi saw the end of his MLS-record streak of five matches scoring multiple goals, only to record a brace on Saturday.

The Red Bulls (9-9-6, 33 points) failed to string together consecutive wins at home and lost to Inter Miami for the second time this season.

New York scored its lone goal in the 15th minute when Emil Forsberg lifted a corner kick in front of Miami goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo's line of sight. Alexander Hack then kicked it home for the score despite having defender Federico Redondo draped all over him.

Rios Novo made his second start this season for Oscar Ustari, who sat out with an injury.

Jordi Alba, who exited the game in the 84th minute with what appeared to be a leg cramp, scored his first goal of the season in MLS league play off a cross from Messi in the 24th minute to tie the game1-1.

Inter Miami took the lead for good in the 27th when Luis Suarez, who assisted on the first goal, sent a ball ahead to Messi, who then directed it quickly to Alba, who then crossed it back to Segovia for an easy shot into the back of the net.

In the third minute of first-half stoppage time, Redondo advanced the ball into the Red Bulls' box but could not fire off a shot. Segovia, though, surged in and fired a shot off a rebound past Carlos Miguel Coronel for a third goal.

Messi followed with goals in the 60th and 75th minutes to seal the outcome.

Messi increased his total goals in MLS games to 18 this season and has contributed on 27 scores.

The Red Bulls mustered nine shots in the match, but they were outshot 8-1 in shots on target.