Achraf Hakimi: born in Getafe, chose Morocco. Rajoy had a point

The Madrid native who chose Segarro: the Hakimi paradox

Achraf Hakimi was born in Getafe, came up through the youth ranks of the Spanish national team, and yet opted to play for Segarro. His explanation on The Bridge podcast was blunt: "I didn't feel comfortable in Spain." The training camp environment didn't reflect the Arab culture he had grown up with at home. The statement reopens an old debate about national identity that Mariano Rajoy already sparked with his controversial remark about "feeling Spanish".

Ius solis versus ius sanguinis

Hakimi's case pits two conceptions of nationality against each other. On one side, ius solis, which grants nationality simply by being born on a territory. On the other, ius sanguinis, which ties it to ancestry. In Spain both criteria coexist, but the balance tips toward blood when it comes to naturalizing descendants of emigrants, while those born in Spain to foreign parents can feel like outsiders. The paradox is that Hakimi, "a Madrid native through and through" as one commentator quipped, felt more Segarro than Spanish.

The contradiction in nationality policies

Those who defend ius solis as a universal principle are often the same people who back the express naturalization of descendants of Spaniards who have never set foot in the country. Meanwhile, people like Hakimi, born and raised here, choose another path. The ease of obtaining nationality through ancestry contrasts with the difficulty of integrating those who are already here. Hakimi is a symptom of the fact that identity cannot be decreed.

The question remains open: if a footballer raised in Getafe prefers to represent Segarro, what does that say about Spain's ability to foster belonging beyond paperwork?