Achraf Hakimi and Ghizlane Chebbak have both been named among the finalists for the 2026 FIFPRO World 11, but the Moroccan pair arrive on the list with very different cases.
Hakimi’s inclusion is widely expected. The Paris Saint-Germain and Morocco right-back is one of 26 finalists for the men’s team, while Chebbak has reached the equivalent stage in the women’s vote despite a selection that has prompted questions.
Neither player has secured a place in the final teams yet. The two World 11s will be announced on 9 November, after the shortlists were determined by votes from professional players.
There is little debate over Hakimi’s nomination. His energy, attacking influence and consistency have established him among the leading players in his position, both for Paris Saint-Germain and the Lions of the Atlas.
He is one of eight defenders selected and the only right-back on the list. The 19 806 players who took part in the men’s vote gave him enough support to challenge for a place in the final XI.
The nomination underlines the level at which Hakimi is now regarded. His reputation extends beyond being one of the leading African players in Europe; he is being assessed alongside the best footballers in the world. His 13th-place finish in the 2026 Ballon d’Or ranking provides further evidence of that standing.
Chebbak’s inclusion less straightforward
Chebbak’s selection is more difficult to justify solely on the basis of the qualifying period, which ran from August 2025 to August 2026.
The midfielder, who played for Al-Hilal before returning to AS FAR in September, remains a major figure in Moroccan women’s football. Her long career and status as captain have made her a historic presence, and she was selected in the FIFPRO World 11 in 2025 for the first time.
However, her performances during the period considered for the 2026 vote were not as prominent. At the most recent Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, played in Morocco, she was a substitute for the opening two matches. She played four games and approximately 250 minutes across the tournament, without scoring or providing an assist.
Morocco finished fourth after losing two successive matches on penalties.
That record contrasts with Chebbak’s contribution at the previous Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in 2025, when she was the tournament’s leading scorer with five goals and was named in the competition’s team of the tournament.
She nevertheless appears among the seven midfielders selected by the 6 511 voters in the women’s ballot.
The decision is harder to understand when compared with the omission of Temwa and Tabitha Chawinga. Temwa led Malawi to the Africa Cup of Nations final and finished 10th in the 2026 Women’s Ballon d’Or, the highest position ever achieved by an African woman.
Position remains a factor: Chebbak was considered as a midfielder, while the Chawingas were competing as forwards in a highly competitive category. They were therefore not directly contesting the same places.
The World 11 is chosen by players, but peer voting can reward an established reputation as much as a specific season. Hakimi’s nomination appears entirely natural; Chebbak’s suggests that her name and standing carried significant weight.