Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi will stand trial for rape after his appeal against the order was rejected, French prosecutors have confirmed. The Paris St-Germain defender is accused of raping a 24-year-old woman at his home in Paris on 25 February 2023. An investigating judge ordered the trial in February 2026, and Hakimi, 27, failed in a recent attempt to have the case thrown out. A date for the trial has not yet been set.
Hakimi, who is set to lead Morocco out for their second World Cup fixture against Scotland on Friday at 23:00 BST, has consistently denied the allegations. In a social media post on Friday, he wrote: “The justice system looked me in the eye and said, ‘If you weren’t famous, there would never have been a case.’ 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.”
“Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi will stand trial for rape after his appeal was dismissed, French prosecutors have confirmed.”
The plaintiff’s lawyer, Rachel-Flore Pardo, said in a statement: “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. 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 public prosecutor’s office in Nanterre began a preliminary investigation in March 2023. Hakimi, who made his Morocco debut in 2016 at age 17 and has won 97 caps, is currently based in the United States with the national team for the World Cup. All three of Morocco’s group-stage fixtures are being held in the US, but should they progress to the knockout stages, Hakimi could face difficulties entering Canada or Mexico if matches are scheduled there. Last week, Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey missed his country’s opener against Panama after being denied entry to Canada; Partey has pleaded not guilty to seven charges of rape and one of sexual assault relating to allegations by four women between 2020 and 2022. Canada’s government website states it can deny entry to anyone who has “committed or been convicted of a crime”. The World Cup is held across all three co-host nations until the quarter-finals, when matches move exclusively to the US.