Moroccan captain Achraf Hakimi will be prosecuted for rape, French prosecutors have confirmed.
A woman has accused the Paris Saint-Germain defender of raping her at his home in the French capital in 2023, when she was 24.
The public prosecutor’s office in Nanterre, a western suburb of Paris, opened a preliminary investigation in March 2023.
An investigating judge ordered a trial in February 2026 and French media report that Hakimi, 27, failed in a recent appeal to have the trial dismissed.
Hakimi, who led his team in its second World Cup match against Scotland on Friday, has consistently denied the allegations.
Hakimi wrote on social media Friday that the justice system told him, ‘
If you weren’t famous, there would never have been a case.’
“I chose to remain silent for years. I believed that by maintaining my dignity, being patient and trusting the justice system, the right decisions would follow.
“Today, a story that is not mine is being told at the cost of my family, my life and, above all, the truth. I sometimes feel that I have become an obvious target.
“I’ve been waiting for this test since day one. And now I’m excited for it. Finally, I’ll be able to speak.“
The plaintiffs’ lawyer, Rachel-Flor Pardo, said in a statement: “After more than three years of legal proceedings, and in my client’s view, he was defamed and dragged through the mud in his defence of Achraf Hakimi, this decision gives him relief and hope.
He is relieved that the justice system has listened to him and that he will have the right to a trial.
“Hopefully this trial will help other women and further weaken the wall of denial and impunity around sexual violence, including in the world of men’s football.”
The date for the commencement of the trial has not yet been decided.
All three of Morocco’s group stage matches are being held in the United States, where the team is currently based.
But if Morocco advances to the knockout stage, Hakimi could face difficulties entering Canada or Mexico if their matches are scheduled outside the United States.
Last week, Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey missed his country’s opener against Panama after being refused entry into World Cup co-hosts Canada.
Partey, 32, has pleaded not guilty to seven charges of rape and one count of sexual assault related to allegations made by four different women between 2020 and 2022.
He is scheduled to stand trial next year.
The Canadian government website states that it can refuse entry to anyone who has “committed or been convicted of a crime.”
The World Cup is being held in all three co-host countries until the quarter-final stage, when it will be held exclusively in the Americas.
Hakimi, who has won 97 caps for Morocco, made his international debut in 2016 at the age of 17.
He was a key figure in the Morocco team that became the first African nation to reach the World Cup semi-finals in 2022.
The defender joined Paris Saint-Germain from Inter Milan in 2021 and has won 13 pieces of silverware during his time at the club – including consecutive Champions League titles in the last two seasons.
