The U.S.’s most popular sports channel, ESPN, compiled the votes of its readers and the numbers are in: Achraf Hakimi is the world’s preeminent player at his position.
On the list of 100 players ranked at right back, Hakimi was tailed by Newcastle’s Kieran Trippier, ManCity’s Kyle Walker, and Chelsea’s Reece James. England was obviously well-represented in the top five, which was rounded out by FC Barca’s Jules Kounde.
The arguably-most-prolific Moroccan athlete has scored between 4-7 goals, with anywhere from 31-36 scoring opportunities created in each season since 2019-2020. He has also bolstered his defensive play, with 8-10 defensive interventions and 4-6 ball recoveries over that duration with his teams.
“That he had to do more on defense wasn’t necessarily good, but he continues to rise to the challenge,” wrote ESPN.
ESPN voters were encouraged to consider the current top male players, weighted for their 2022-2023 season. In similar fashion, performances in individual competitions–such as Champions League and the World Cup–were taken into account.