World Cup: Kylian Mbappe - Achraf Hakimi, a friendship beyond borders

Morocco won the hearts of the global football fanbase with their spirited performances at the ongoing World Cup in Qatar. The African nation became the first from the continent to make it to the semifinals by overcoming European heavyweights Spain and Portugal along the way.

Walid Regragui's well drilled unit eventually fell to reigning world champions France in a hard fought 2-0 loss. While Morocco were praised for their unlikely run, the close friendship between the African nation's star player Achraf Hakimi, and French sensation Kylian Mbappe was apparent for all to see.

While the French were celebrating their return to the final for a second consecutive time, Mbappe was making a beeline for Hakimi - his close friend and Paris Saint-Germain teammate. The duo shared a warm hug before exchanging shirts, which they each donned as they walked around the stadium - accepting praise and returning the gratitude from both sets of fans.

Mbappe's close relationship with Hakimi was no secret after the French striker was spotted hanging out with his Moroccan club teammate on a day off in Qatar.

Mbappe was quick to console his PSG teammate on the pitch, and even shared a message of comfort via his social media channels. The 2018 World Cup winner wrote: "Don't be sad bro, everybody is proud of what you did, you made history - @AchrafHakimi."

The pair were inseparable on the night, with Mbappe even choosing to spend time with Hakimi rather than celebrating France's entry into yet another World Cup final. He was seen sitting on the floor of the tunnel greeting other players from the Moroccan team.

Meanwhile, Morocco's head coach Regragui was full of praise for his team despite their dream coming to an end. He is certain the players have not only made their nation proud, but made the entire world take notice of their ability to stand at par with the best footballing nations.

"We knew we had achieved something great already and that everyone was proud of us. We are pleased with what we have done but felt we could have gone even further," Regragui said.

"I told the players I was proud of them, his majesty is proud, the Moroccan people are proud, the whole world is proud. We worked hard, we were honest, and we showed the values we wanted to show."