French prosecutors say Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi will face trial on a rape charge. A 24-year-old woman alleges the Paris St‑Germain defender assaulted her at his home in 2023. The Nanterre prosecutor opened a preliminary probe in March 2023. An investigating judge ordered the case to trial in February 2026, and French media report the 27-year-old recently lost an appeal to have it dismissed. Hakimi has consistently denied the allegations.
After captaining Morocco in their second World Cup match against Scotland on Friday, Hakimi posted that he believes his fame led to a case that otherwise wouldn’t exist, said he stayed silent to respect the process, and added he now looks forward to the trial so he can speak.
The complainant’s lawyer, Rachel‑Flore Pardo, said the decision brings her client relief and hope after what she considers defamation by the defense, and expressed that a trial could help other women and erode denial and impunity around sexual violence, including in men’s football.
No trial start date has been set.
All three of Morocco’s group matches are in the United States, where the team is currently based. If Morocco reach the knockouts, Hakimi could face entry issues for games in Canada or Mexico. Last week, Ghana’s Thomas Partey missed his country’s opener against Panama after being refused entry to World Cup co‑hosts Canada; he has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges and is due to stand trial next year. Canada’s government says it can refuse entry to people who have committed or been convicted of a crime.
The World Cup is staged across the three co‑hosts until the quarter‑finals, after which it is played exclusively in the US.
Hakimi has 97 caps and debuted for Morocco in 2016 at age 17. He was instrumental in the team’s historic run to the 2022 World Cup semi‑finals. He joined PSG from Inter Milan in 2021 and has won 13 trophies with the club, including consecutive Champions League titles over the past two seasons.