Former Chelsea and Ghana coach Avram Grant has tipped Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi as a deserving winner of this year’s Ballon d’Or award.

Grant, currently head coach of the Zambia national team, believes the Moroccan international deserves more recognition and is among the top contenders for the prestigious prize.

The veteran coach, who led Chelsea to the 2008 UEFA Champions League final and guided Ghana to the 2015 AFCON final, praised Hakimi for his outstanding performances last season.

“Achraf Hakimi is a fantastic player—an amazing player for me. He's a right-back, but not just a right-back; he plays everywhere. I see he has been nominated for the Ballon d'Or, and I think they need to give him more respect after what he did with Paris Saint-Germain and, of course, with the national team.

"He's one of the key factors for Paris Saint-Germain winning the Champions League. He was good in every big game. He needs to be in the candidates for the Ballon d'Or,” Grant said.

Hakimi had a remarkable campaign under Luis Enrique at PSG, helping the French club win a historic treble and finishing as runners-up at the FIFA Club World Cup.

The 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony is scheduled to take place on September 22 at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.

WDN