Achraf Hakimi to Stand Trial for Rape in France
Achraf Hakimi, captain of Morocco and one of the most high-profile full-backs in world football, will stand trial for rape in France, prosecutors in Nanterre have confirmed.
The case dates back to 2023, when a 24-year-old woman accused the Paris St-Germain defender of raping her at his home in the French capital. A preliminary investigation was opened in March that year by the public prosecutor's office in Nanterre, on the western outskirts of Paris.
After almost three years of legal manoeuvring, an investigating judge ordered in February 2026 that Hakimi, now 27, must face trial. French media report that a recent appeal by his legal team to have the case thrown out has failed.
Hakimi speaks out before World Cup clash
The timing is stark. Hakimi is set to lead Morocco into their second World Cup group match against Scotland on Friday (23:00 BST), yet his off-field battle now looms as large as anything he will face on the pitch.
He has consistently denied the accusations. On Friday, he broke a long-held public silence with a pointed statement on social media.
"The justice system looked me in the eye and said, 'If you weren't famous, there would never have been a case,'" he wrote.
"I chose to remain silent for years. I believed that maintaining my dignity, being patient, and trusting in the justice system would allow the right decisions to be made.
"Today, a story that isn't mine is being told at the expense of my family, my life, and above all, the truth. I sometimes feel like I've become an easy target.
"I've been waiting for this trial since day one. And now I'm eagerly awaiting it. Finally, I'll be able to speak."
His words underline a player who feels hunted, not just judged. Yet on the other side of the courtroom divide, the decision to send the case to trial has been greeted with a very different emotion.
Plaintiff’s camp welcomes decision
Rachel-Flore Pardo, lawyer for the complainant, hailed the judge’s order as a crucial step for her client and, in her view, for victims of sexual violence more broadly.
"After more than three years of legal proceedings, and after my client was, in her view, defamed and dragged through the mud by Achraf Hakimi's defence, this decision brings her relief and hope," she said in a statement.
"Relief that she has been heard by the justice system and will have the right to a trial.
"Hope that this trial will help other women and further weaken the wall of denial and impunity surrounding sexual violence, including in the world of men's football."
A date for the start of the trial has not yet been set, but the legal shadow now hangs over one of the central figures of Morocco’s golden generation.
World Cup complications on and off the pitch
Morocco’s entire group stage is being played in the United States, where the squad is currently based. For now, that offers a degree of logistical clarity. The real complexity may come later.
If Morocco progress to the knockout rounds, fixtures could take them into Canada or Mexico. With Hakimi under order to stand trial for rape in France, his ability to cross certain borders is no longer guaranteed.
Canada’s government website states that authorities can deny entry to any person who has "committed or been convicted of a crime". Even without a conviction, the mere existence of serious charges can trigger scrutiny and, as recent events show, refusal.
Last week, Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey missed his country’s World Cup opener against Panama after being denied entry to co-hosts Canada. Partey, 32, has pleaded not guilty to seven charges of rape and one count of sexual assault involving allegations from four women between 2020 and 2022. He is due to stand trial next year.
The World Cup is spread across the United States, Canada and Mexico until the quarter-final stage, when the tournament moves exclusively to US soil. For Morocco, any journey outside America could turn into a legal and logistical minefield for their captain.
A stellar career under a harsh spotlight
Hakimi’s footballing story has, until now, been one of relentless ascent. He made his international debut for Morocco in 2016 at just 17 and has since earned 97 caps, becoming the heartbeat of a side that rewrote history in Qatar.
In 2022, he was a driving force in the Morocco team that became the first African nation ever to reach a World Cup semi-final, a run that electrified the tournament and reshaped global perceptions of African football.
At club level, his move from Inter Milan to Paris St-Germain in 2021 cemented his status as one of the elite attacking full-backs of his generation. With PSG, he has collected 13 trophies, including back-to-back Champions League titles over the past two seasons, a haul that places him among the most decorated players of his era.
Now, that glittering career runs in parallel with a court case that could define how he is remembered far beyond the game.
For Morocco, the equation is brutally simple: they need their captain at his best to navigate a demanding World Cup played across a continent. Whether the legal and political realities of North American borders — and an impending trial in France — allow that to happen is a question that will hang over every knockout-round scenario they dare to imagine.
