Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi will stand trial on rape charges, French prosecutors have confirmed.
A woman has accused the Paris Saint-Germain defender of sexually assaulting her at his Paris Saint-Germain home in 2023, when she was 24 years old.
The prosecutor’s office in Nanterre, a western suburb of Paris, began a preliminary investigation in March 2023.
The investigating judge ordered a trial for February 2026, and French media reported that Hakimi, 27, had recently appealed to have the trial dismissed.
Hakimi, who is set to lead his team in their second World Cup match against Scotland on Friday (23:00 BST), has consistently denied the accusations.
“The judicial system looked me in the eye and said, ‘If you weren’t famous, there wouldn’t have been a case,’” Hakimi said on social media Friday.
“I chose to remain silent for many years. I believed that if I maintained my dignity, had patience, and trusted the justice system, I would make the right decision.
“Today, a story that is not mine is being told at the cost of my family, my life, and most of all, the truth. Sometimes I feel like I am an easy target.
“I have been waiting for this trial since day one. And now I am waiting desperately. I can finally speak.”
“After more than three years of legal proceedings, this decision brings relief and hope to my client after she suffered defamation and hardship as a result of Achraf Hakimi’s representation,” the plaintiff’s lawyer, Rachel-Flore Pardo, said in a statement.
“I am relieved that she has the right to be heard by the judicial system and to have a trial.
“I hope this trial will help other women and further weaken the walls of denial and impunity surrounding sexual violence, including in men’s football.”
A trial start date has not yet been set.
All three of Morocco’s group matches will be held in the United States, where the team is currently based.
However, if Morocco advances to the knockout stages, Hakimi could face difficulties entering Canada or Mexico if the match is scheduled outside the United States.
Last week, Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey missed his country’s opening match against Panama after being denied entry to World Cup co-hosts Canada.
Partey, 32, has pleaded not guilty to seven charges of rape and one charge of sexual assault related to allegations made by four women from 2020 to 2022.
He is scheduled to go on trial next year.
The Canadian government’s website states that entry can be denied to anyone who has “committed or been convicted of a crime.”
The World Cup will be held in all three co-hosting countries until the quarterfinals, and will be held only in the United States until the quarterfinals.
Hakimi, who has won 97 caps for Morocco, made his national team debut in 2016 at the age of 17.
He was a key figure in the Moroccan national team that became the first African country to reach the semifinals of the 2022 World Cup.
The defender joined Paris Saint-Germain from Inter Milan in 2021 and has won 13 trophies during his time at the club, including back-to-back Champions League titles in the past two seasons.
