Achraf Hakimi Faces Trial for Rape Allegation Amid World Cup Campaign
Achraf Hakimi, captain of Morocco and star defender for Paris St-Germain, has been ordered to stand trial for rape in France, casting a stark shadow over his World Cup campaign.
French prosecutors in Nanterre confirmed that Hakimi will face trial over an allegation that he raped a 24-year-old woman at his home in the Paris region in 2023. The case has been under preliminary investigation since March of that year, and an investigating judge ruled in February 2026 that it should go to trial. French media report that a recent appeal by the 27-year-old to have the case thrown out has failed.
No trial date has been set, but the legal decision lands at a critical moment for one of Africa’s most high-profile footballers.
Hakimi breaks his silence
Hakimi, who is set to lead Morocco into their second World Cup fixture against Scotland on Friday (23:00 BST), has consistently denied the accusation. After months of relative public silence, he chose the eve of that match to speak out in a lengthy social media post.
"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 the tension between a player preparing for the sport’s biggest stage and a man heading towards one of the most serious trials a public figure can face.
Plaintiff’s camp welcomes decision
From the other side of the case, the reaction was very different.
Rachel-Flore Pardo, lawyer for the plaintiff, welcomed the judge’s decision in a statement, framing it as a moment of recognition for her client after what she described as a bruising legal battle.
"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."
With both sides now openly braced for court, the case moves from the shadows of preliminary hearings to the glare of a full trial.
World Cup on the line – and borders in play
On the pitch, Hakimi remains central to Morocco’s ambitions. He has 97 caps, debuted for his country at 17 in 2016, and was a driving force in the historic 2022 run that made Morocco the first African nation to reach a World Cup semi-final.
This tournament is different. Not just because of the legal cloud, but because of where the World Cup is being played.
Morocco’s entire group stage is in the United States, where the squad is currently based. That insulates Hakimi, for now. But if Morocco progress, the geography of the competition could complicate his route.
The World Cup is spread across the US, Canada and Mexico until the quarter-finals, before moving exclusively to American soil. Any knockout tie scheduled in Canada or Mexico could pose a serious problem for the defender.
Canada’s government states it can deny entry to anyone who has "committed or been convicted of a crime". That wording already has real consequences in this tournament.
Last week, Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey missed his country’s opener against Panama after being refused entry to Canada, one of the co-hosts. Partey, 32, has pleaded not guilty to seven charges of rape and one count of sexual assault involving four women between 2020 and 2022, and is due to stand trial next year.
Hakimi has not been convicted of any crime, but the existence of a pending rape trial raises questions over how border authorities in Canada or Mexico might respond if Morocco’s schedule pulls him beyond US territory.
A career at full tilt, a future in question
At club level, Hakimi’s rise has been relentless. Since joining Paris St-Germain from Inter Milan in 2021, he has become one of the most influential full-backs in the game and collected 13 trophies, including back-to-back Champions League titles in the past two seasons.
He now finds himself in the rare, uneasy space where a glittering football career runs parallel to a looming criminal trial.
For Morocco, he remains the talisman, the face of a generation that changed the continent’s World Cup story in Qatar. For the French courts, he is the central figure in a case that will test how the justice system handles alleged sexual violence involving one of the sport’s global names.
The stadium lights will follow him over the coming weeks. So will the shadow of a courtroom he says he has been "waiting for since day one".
