WILL ACHRAF HAKIMI LEAD MOROCCO: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HIS AFCON FITNESS
Will Achraf Hakimi be fit for Morocco’s AFCON opener? Discover the latest injury news as the Atlas Lions prepare for the Comoros.
Achraf Hakimi's picture on social media in Rabat made every Moroccan football fan happy as the country gets ready to host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) starting Sunday.
The 27-year-old Paris Saint-Germain star was seen wearing sunglasses, a red, white, and black sweater, baggy blue jeans, and dark suede sneakers.
But what he wasn't wearing was more telling. The surgical boot he had on his left foot while receiving the African Player of the Year award in Morocco last month was gone.
Hakimi, also picked for the 2025 FIFA Best XI this week, was hurt by a bad tackle from Luis Diaz during a UEFA Champions League game against Bayern Munich in Paris in November.
Diaz got a red card, but Hakimi had to leave the field with a badly sprained left ankle, leaving people wondering if he could play in the AFCON.
It was clear how bad the injury was when he walked with difficulty to get his award during the Confederation of African Football (CAF) event in Rabat.
Considered one of the best right-backs around, he's a key player for Morocco if they want to win the AFCON trophy for the second time after waiting for five decades.
But it's not clear when he'll be able to wear the red and green of the Atlas Lions, who have been ranked No. 1 in Africa since surprisingly making it to the 2022 World Cup semi-finals in Qatar.
Reports say that Hakimi came to Morocco with a doctor and physiotherapist from PSG and is still working on getting better. People are hoping he can begin practising later this week.
Everyone's wondering when the star, who played for Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, and Inter Milan before joining Paris in 2021, might come back.
Morocco's coach, Walid Regragui, said he doesn't want to risk his captain, which could mean he misses the three group stage games.
The team will play the Comoros in the first game on Sunday, then Mali on December 26, and Zambia three days later. All games will be at the 68,000-seat Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
Mali could be their biggest challenge, but it's hard to see Morocco not finishing in the top two and moving on to the next stage.
The round of 16 starts on January 3, and that might be when Morocco hopes Hakimi, who was born in Madrid, will be ready to play.
"He's our leader, our captain," said Regragui, who was the first coach of an African team to reach the World Cup semi-finals.
Morocco is a strong team in Africa, but their AFCON record since winning the eight-team tournament in Ethiopia in 1976 isn't great.
Since that win in Addis Ababa, they've only made it to one final, losing 2-1 to Tunisia in 2004, when Regragui was the right-back.
They were favourites to win the title in Ivory Coast last year after their performance in Qatar, but they lost to South Africa in the round of 16.
But right now, Morocco is playing really well, going into the AFCON with a world record of 18 straight wins in competitive and friendly games.
They passed Spain, who had the previous record, in October by beating Congo Brazzaville in a 2026 World Cup qualifier, and then they beat Mozambique and Uganda in AFCON warm-up games.
Plus, Moroccan fans are some of the most passionate on the continent, so it's easy to see why the Atlas Lions are favourites to win again.
But being the host doesn't guarantee success in the top African football tournament, which started in 1957 with just three teams and is now a big event with 24 countries and a worldwide TV audience.
Since 2000, there have been 13 AFCON tournaments, and only three hosts—Tunisia, Egypt in 2006, and Ivory Coast last year—have won the title.
Morocco's chances of being the fourth host to win this century will be much better if Hakimi is healthy and can lead the Atlas Lions.
THE HIDDEN MATH BEHIND FIFA’S $33,000 WORLD CUP FINAL TICKET PRICE SURGE
Gianni Infantino defends $32,970 ticket prices at the Milken Institute, citing the US market as the world's most developed.
FIFA just tripled the price of its top tickets for the World Cup final, now charging $32,970 for the best seats at the July 19 match at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. On Thursday, those front-row “category 1” seats popped up for sale, right as members of Congress started pushing FIFA for answers about high prices and demanding more transparency on how tickets are being priced.
Before, the highest category 1 ticket for the final topped out at $10,990. Now, the only way to snag that price is if you need a wheelchair or special-access seat; otherwise, you’re looking at the new, much steeper cost.
Prices don’t stop there. For the July 14 semifinal at AT&T Stadium in Texas, seats are $11,130, $4,330, $3,710, and $2,705. The next day’s semifinal in Atlanta? $10,635, $3,545, and $2,725. U.S. group stage matches aren’t cheap either; opening night in California runs $2,735, $1,940, or $1,120 a seat. The June 19 clash against Australia in Seattle sits at $2,715. And for the finale against Türkiye back in LA, tickets range from $2,970 down to $840.
Representatives Nellie Pou and Frank Pallone Jr, both Democrats from New Jersey, fired off a letter to FIFA’s president Gianni Infantino, calling FIFA’s use of “dynamic pricing” too secretive and criticising practices that make it tough for regular fans to get seats. Their letter didn’t mince words: “We’re deeply concerned about FIFA’s opaque pricing and shifting rules. Fans are getting frustrated and feel misled. We want to know how FIFA ensures everyone can actually afford to attend and what’s being done to address these concerns.”
Gianni Infantino hasn’t backed down. On Tuesday at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, he defended his price tags. “We have to look at the market,” Infantino said. “This is the most developed entertainment market anywhere, so we charge market rates. Tickets here can legally be resold, so if you price them low, people just flip them for more. In fact, even with what some call high prices, tickets end up reselling for twice as much or more.”
He also pointed out, “You can’t go to a college game in the U.S., never mind a pro one, without spending at least $300 for a decent ticket.”
Sure, tickets for huge events like the Super Bowl or the College Football Championship can hit these levels, but scores of seats at U.S. college and pro sporting events, even the NBA playoffs, still go for under $300.
When it comes to resale, FIFA doesn’t set those prices. On its official ticket exchange, final match seats were listed Thursday from $8,970 all the way up to a wild $11,499,998.85, the latter for a spot four rows from the top in the upper deck. FIFA takes 15% of each sale from both buyer and seller. Last month, somebody listed a final ticket for $2,299,998.85.
Infantino joked about those prices: “If people list final tickets for $2 million, number one, that’s not the actual price. Number two, who’s paying that? If someone does, I’ll personally deliver them a hot dog and a Coke.”
Ticket prices aren’t the only pain point for fans. Getting to the game, especially at MetLife Stadium, has its own sticker shock. NJ Transit originally set a $150 round-trip fare from anywhere to the stadium, way up from the normal $13-ish round trip from Manhattan’s Penn Station. After plenty of backlash, they cut it down to $105, but that’s still steep.
Governor Mikie Sherrill, via her spokesperson Steve Sigmund, said she’s pushing for more corporate contributions to lower fares for fans. “The governor is grateful for the companies helping reduce costs and will keep working to make the World Cup a win for both fans and New Jersey.”
FIFA, for its part, warned that these high transit prices could dampen turnout in New Jersey, while other host cities, LA, Dallas, and Houston, aren’t hiking fares for the games.
MetLife Stadium, usually home to the Giants and Jets, will host eight World Cup matches, including the final. Group stage games for powerhouse teams like Brazil, France, Germany, and England all kick off starting June 13.
FIFA EXTENDS PRESTIANNI BAN WORLDWIDE; WINGER SET TO MISS WORLD CUP OPENERS
Gianluca Prestianni will miss games against Algeria and Austria if selected by Scaloni. Get the full disciplinary breakdown.
FIFA has extended Gianluca Prestianni’s suspension for homophobic conduct to apply globally, which could sideline him for Argentina’s first two matches at the 2026 World Cup. The winger from Benfica, initially punished after a well-publicised incident with Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior, will now have his ban affect not just club matches but international competitive games as well.
The disciplinary move by FIFA follows a request from UEFA, and the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has confirmed the six-match ban will take effect worldwide. According to a FIFA spokesperson, the committee agreed to broaden the suspension’s scope, impacting all levels of competitive play.
This decision carries serious implications for both Benfica and Argentina. What was once a suspension limited to UEFA competitions now bars the 20-year-old from participating in any FIFA competitive events, including the upcoming World Cup in North America.
If Prestianni makes Lionel Scaloni’s final Argentina roster for 2026, he will be forced to sit out the opening group stage games against Algeria and Austria. Despite this setback, he remains eligible for friendlies; he was actually called up earlier this year for matches against Mauritania and Zambia following his November 2025 senior debut.
While the ban totals six matches, half of those come with a two-year probationary clause. After missing a Champions League match against Real Madrid under a provisional suspension, Prestianni still has two active games left to serve. Notably, domestic games with Benfica this season are unaffected, since the worldwide ban targets only competitive international fixtures.
The incident that triggered this whole saga happened on February 17 during a Champions League knockout match at Estadio da Luz. Vinicius Junior accused Prestianni of racial abuse, prompting referee Francois Letexier to pause the game for eight minutes and activate FIFA’s anti-discrimination protocol.
Prestianni has denied these accusations and issued a statement saying he never directed racist insults at Vinicius Junior, suggesting the player misunderstood what was said. He also condemned the threats he received from Real Madrid players in the aftermath.
Despite his denials, UEFA’s investigation concluded that Prestianni engaged in discriminatory, specifically homophobic, conduct, leading to his suspension.
Questions remain about the length of the ban, as UEFA’s rules generally mandate a minimum 10-match suspension for offences against human dignity based on factors like race or sexual orientation. UEFA has not explained why the disciplinary body settled on a shorter six-match penalty.
Looking ahead, Prestianni faces a challenging path to regain standing under scrutiny. Should he violate conduct rules again within the probationary period, the remaining three matches of his ban could be enforced immediately, potentially harming his prospects with both Benfica and the Argentina national team.
