Brazil vs Morocco: Achraf Hakimi "should have been sent off," says Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Swedish legend makes it clear: this moment could have changed the course of the match

Africa Today at 08:50

Nafongo TRAORE

News Editor

Brazil vs Morocco: Achraf Hakimi "should have been sent off," says Zlatan Ibrahimovic

13.06.26 FT World Cup

Brazil

Morocco

Morocco and Brazil delivered a fierce clash that ended in a 1-1 draw at the World Cup on June 13. But the post-match debate raged over an incident involving the Atlas Lions' captain and Vinicius Junior. Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s stance was crystal clear.

We saw it during AFCON, racism in football, when ARAB nations got away with murder and were given penalties in every match.

Looks like we will subjected into the same nonsense even in this world cup, how is that not a red card on Hakimi? Not even a yellow card was issued, sies. pic.twitter.com/ee1Zt7eGlN
— Mazwi Blose - MP (@mazwiblose2) June 14, 2026

When I saw the challenge, my first reaction was simple: the referee should have intervened and sent him off.
It’s not about reputation or the timing of the match, it’s about player safety. The attacker had beaten the defender, the danger was obvious, and the contact came far too late.

Achraf Hakimi committed a reckless studs-up challenge on Vinicius at a moment when Brazil was piling on the pressure. Incredibly, the referee didn’t punish this dangerous play at all.