Achraf Hakimi to Stand Trial for Rape Amid World Cup Pressure
Achraf Hakimi, the captain of Morocco and a cornerstone of Paris St-Germain, will stand trial for rape in France after prosecutors confirmed an investigating judge has ordered the case to go before a criminal court.
The decision lands just as Hakimi prepares to lead his country into their second World Cup group match against Scotland on Friday (23:00 BST), a moment that should have been purely about football but is now framed by a looming legal battle.
Trial Ordered After Three-Year Process
The case centres on allegations made by a woman who says Hakimi raped her at his home in the Paris region in 2023, when she was 24. The public prosecutor's office in Nanterre, in the western suburbs of the capital, opened a preliminary investigation in March of that year.
From there, the case moved through the French legal system, with an investigating judge ultimately ordering in February 2026 that Hakimi, now 27, should stand trial. French media report that a recent appeal from the defender’s legal team to have the case thrown out has failed.
No trial date has yet been set, but the direction of travel is now clear: this will be heard in court.
Hakimi has consistently denied the accusations.
Hakimi Breaks His Silence
On Friday, the full-back, capped 97 times by Morocco, chose to speak publicly in a lengthy social media post, describing his frustration with the process and his determination to defend himself.
"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."
For a player used to deciding games with a burst of pace or a well-timed tackle, the language was striking: a man presenting himself as ready for the most consequential contest of his life.
Plaintiff’s Camp Welcomes Decision
On the other side of the case, the woman’s lawyer, Rachel-Flore Pardo, issued a statement welcoming the judge’s decision as a long-awaited step.
"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.
"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."
The words cut straight into a sport still wrestling with how it handles allegations of sexual violence against high-profile male players.
World Cup Stakes On and Off the Pitch
All of Morocco’s group-stage fixtures at this World Cup are being played in the United States, where the squad is currently based. That schedule has insulated Hakimi, for now, from one potential complication.
If Morocco reach the knockout rounds, the picture could change. With the tournament shared between the US, Canada and Mexico until the quarter-finals, the Atlas Lions could be sent north or south of the border. In that scenario, Hakimi may face difficulties entering Canada or Mexico because of the charges he is facing in France.
Canada’s government states it can deny entry to any person who has "committed or been convicted of a crime". Even without a conviction, the existence of serious charges has already had an impact on another World Cup player.
Last week, Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey missed his country’s 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 relating to allegations from four women between 2020 and 2022. He is due to stand trial next year.
The precedent is clear enough. For Hakimi, every Morocco win could bring not only sporting opportunity but also logistical and legal uncertainty.
Star Under Shadow
On the pitch, Hakimi’s status is undisputed. He made his international debut at 17 in 2016 and has since become the face of a golden era for Moroccan football. At the 2022 World Cup, he was a driving force behind the side that stunned the world by becoming the first African team to reach the semi-finals.
At club level, his rise has been just as sharp. After spells at Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan, he joined Paris St-Germain in 2021. Since then he has collected 13 trophies, including back-to-back Champions League titles over the last two seasons, and established himself as one of the most complete attacking full-backs in the modern game.
Now that glittering career runs alongside a legal case that will define how he is remembered far beyond any medal count.
As he walks out to face Scotland, the roar will be for Morocco’s captain, the symbol of a nation’s footballing ambition. Somewhere beyond the noise, though, the calendar is already inching towards a courtroom in Nanterre, where the stakes will be far higher than a place in the knockout rounds.
