Hakim Ziyech
Who was Hakim Ziyech?
Moroccan winger who plays for AC Milan and the Morocco national team, known for his creative playmaking and helping Morocco reach the 2022 World Cup semifinals.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Hakim Ziyech (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Hakim Ziyech (born 19 March 1993 in Dronten, Netherlands) is a professional footballer who plays as a right winger or attacking midfielder for Wydad AC and the Morocco national team. Known by supporters as 'The Wizard,' a nickname given to him by fans of his former club Ajax, Ziyech has established himself as one of the most technically gifted players of his generation. He is recognized for his finishing, dribbling, long passing range, free-kick ability, and creative playmaking in the final third of the pitch.
Ziyech began his professional career with Dutch club Heerenveen in 2012 before signing for fellow Eredivisie side Twente in 2014. His performances attracted significant attention, and in 2016 he joined AFC Ajax on a five-year contract for a reported fee of €11 million. At Ajax, Ziyech flourished, with the 2018–19 season representing the peak of his domestic form. That campaign he scored 16 goals and provided 13 assists in the Eredivisie alone, and across all competitions finished with 21 goals and 24 assists. He was voted AFC Ajax Player of the Year in 2018 and was selected as one of the three best midfielders in the UEFA Champions League for the 2018–19 season, a year in which Ajax reached the competition's semi-finals.
In 2020, Ziyech made the move to English Premier League club Chelsea, where he contributed to the club's UEFA Champions League triumph in the 2020–21 season. After his time in England, he continued his career in various clubs before eventually joining Wydad AC in Morocco's Botola Pro league. Throughout his club career he has been noted for his intelligence on the ball and his capacity to unlock defenses with precise delivery and unpredictable movement.
At international level, Ziyech was eligible to represent both the Netherlands and Morocco but chose to play for Morocco. He made his debut for the Moroccan national team in 2015 and has since represented the country at the FIFA World Cup in 2018 and 2022, as well as the Africa Cup of Nations in 2019 and 2023. His most celebrated international contribution came at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where he helped lead Morocco to the semi-finals, making the nation the first African side in history to reach that stage of the tournament. For his contributions to Moroccan football and national pride, he was awarded the Officer of the Order of the Throne in 2022. Since joining the national team in 2015, Ziyech has donated all earnings and bonuses from international play to charitable causes or to the team's support staff.
Before Fame
Hakim Ziyech was born on 19 March 1993 in Dronten, a small municipality in the Flevoland province of the Netherlands. He grew up in the Netherlands and developed his footballing skills through the Dutch youth football system, a structure renowned for emphasizing technical ability, positional awareness, and creative play. His Moroccan heritage meant he was immersed in two distinct cultural identities, a duality that would later shape his international career choices.
Ziyech came through local football before breaking into professional football with Heerenveen in 2012 at the age of nineteen. His natural talent for dribbling and creating chances quickly set him apart in the Eredivisie, one of Europe's historically productive leagues for developing attacking talent. His move to Twente in 2014 further accelerated his development, and his consistent performances across those early professional years built the foundation for his high-profile transfer to Ajax in 2016.
Key Achievements
- AFC Ajax Player of the Year (2018)
- Officer of the Order of the Throne, awarded by Morocco (2022)
- Led Morocco to the 2022 FIFA World Cup semi-finals, the first African nation to achieve this milestone
- Named one of the three best midfielders in the UEFA Champions League for the 2018–19 season
- Won the UEFA Champions League with Chelsea in the 2020–21 season
Did You Know?
- 01.Ziyech has donated all of his earnings and bonuses from playing for the Morocco national team to charity or to the team's staff since making his international debut in 2015.
- 02.He was nicknamed 'The Wizard' by Ajax supporters in recognition of his ability to conjure goals and assists that appeared beyond the reach of conventional players.
- 03.At the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League, Ziyech was named one of the three best midfielders in the entire competition, a season in which Ajax famously eliminated Real Madrid and Juventus.
- 04.In the 2018–19 Eredivisie season, Ziyech recorded 16 goals and 13 assists, making him one of the most productive attacking players in Europe that year.
- 05.Ziyech was ranked 29th in The Guardian's list of the 100 best footballers in the world at the end of 2019.
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| AFC Ajax–player of the year | 2018 | — |
| Officer of the Order of the Throne | 2022 | — |