Achraf Hakimi to Stand Trial for Rape Amid World Cup Campaign

Achraf Hakimi, captain of Morocco and mainstay of Paris St-Germain, will stand trial for rape in France after prosecutors confirmed an investigating judge has ordered the case to court.

The decision lands just as Hakimi prepares to lead his country into their second World Cup group match against Scotland in the United States on Friday night, a stark collision of football’s grand stage and the harsh reality of an unresolved criminal case.

Trial Ordered After Three-Year Process

The case stems from an accusation made by a 24-year-old woman, who alleges Hakimi raped her at his home in the Paris region in 2023. The public prosecutor's office in Nanterre, a western suburb of the French capital, opened a preliminary investigation in March of that year.

That investigation has now moved into its most serious phase. An investigating judge ordered Hakimi, 27, to stand trial in February 2026. French media report that a recent appeal by the defender to have the case thrown out has failed, leaving the trial order in place. No date has yet been fixed for the start of proceedings.

Hakimi has consistently denied the allegations.

Hakimi: “I’ve Been Waiting for This Trial Since Day One”

On Friday, the defender broke his public silence with a pointed and emotional statement on social media, saying he had chosen not to speak at length until the legal process reached this stage.

"The justice system looked me in the eye and said, 'If you weren't famous, there would never have been a case,'" Hakimi 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 how sharply he intends to contest the accusations, even as the case shadows one of the most decorated players of his generation.

Plaintiff’s Camp Welcomes Decision

From the other side of the case, the reaction carried a very different tone.

Rachel-Flore Pardo, lawyer for the complainant, hailed the judge’s decision in a written statement, framing it as a crucial moment not only for her client but for wider debates around sexual violence in sport.

"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," Pardo 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 clash of narratives is now set to move from the court of public opinion into a French courtroom.

World Cup on One Continent, Legal Cloud on Another

For now, Hakimi remains fully involved with Morocco’s World Cup campaign. All three of their group-stage fixtures are being staged in the United States, where the squad is currently based, allowing the right-back to focus on football while the legal clock ticks down in France.

But the tournament’s geography could soon pose a fresh complication.

If Morocco progress to the knockout rounds, matches could be scheduled in Canada or Mexico, co-hosts of this World Cup alongside the US. Entry to those countries may not be straightforward for a player facing a rape trial in France.

Canada’s government states it can deny entry to any person who has "committed or been convicted of a crime". The wording also raises questions for those charged but not convicted, with decisions often taken on a case-by-case basis.

The potential impact is not theoretical. Last week, Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey missed his country’s opener against Panama after being denied entry to Canada. Partey, 32, has pleaded not guilty to seven charges of rape and one count of sexual assault relating to allegations by four women between 2020 and 2022, and is due to stand trial next year.

With the World Cup spread across three nations until the quarter-finals, when it moves exclusively to US soil, logistical and legal hurdles could yet shape which stars actually make it onto the pitch.

A Career at Full Tilt, Under Heavy Scrutiny

On the field, Hakimi’s rise has been relentless. Since making his international debut for Morocco in 2016 at just 17, he has amassed 97 caps and become the heartbeat of a golden generation.

He was a driving force in the Morocco side that stunned the world in 2022, becoming the first African team to reach a World Cup semi-final. His surging runs from right-back, his set-piece threat, his composure under pressure – all of it turned him into a symbol of a new, fearless Morocco on the global stage.

At club level, the defender joined Paris St-Germain from Inter Milan in 2021 and has collected 13 trophies with the French giants, including back-to-back Champions League titles over the past two seasons. Few full-backs in world football carry that kind of résumé at 27.

Yet the more glittering his football career has become, the more intense the glare around the case has grown. Every appearance, every captain’s armband, now comes with the knowledge that a trial awaits in 2026.

For Morocco, the calculation is stark. Hakimi is their leader, their outlet, their emotional reference point. For the player, the World Cup offers a temporary escape – 90-minute windows where the noise falls away and only the game exists.

But the questions will not. Not in France, not in North America, not across a sport wrestling with its own record on sexual violence and accountability.

The trial will not start for some time. Its outcome will shape Hakimi’s future far more than any result this month. The World Cup, for all its noise and colour, is just the backdrop to a far more consequential battle still to come.