Achraf Hakimi to Stand Trial for Rape Amid World Cup Participation

The legal battle that has trailed Achraf Hakimi for more than a year has moved into its most serious phase, with French authorities ordering the Morocco captain to stand trial for rape.

The case centres on an alleged assault at the defender’s home in Boulogne-Billancourt in February 2023, reported by a young woman who filed a complaint soon after the incident. After a lengthy judicial process, authorities in Hauts-de-Seine have ruled that the investigation produced enough evidence to send the 27-year-old directly to a full criminal trial.

A three-year inquiry, involving an investigating judge and multiple layers of judicial review, culminated in the prosecution formally requesting a trial. The appeals court has now confirmed the final referral, clearing the way for proceedings to begin in France.

Hakimi, who has consistently denied the accusation, reacted publicly with a pointed statement on social media.

"The court looked me in the eye and said: 'If you weren't famous, there would never have been a case,'" he wrote, presenting himself as the target of an unjust process. "I chose to remain silent for years. I thought that remaining dignified, being patient, and trusting in the justice system would allow the right decisions to be made."

On the other side, the woman’s legal team hailed the ruling as a landmark step in a football world that has long been accused of shielding its stars.

Rachel-Flore Pardo, lawyer for the civil party, said the investigating chamber had concluded there was "sufficient evidence against Achraf Hakimi for having committed rape," calling the decision "perfectly consistent" with the case file and aligned with the positions of the public prosecutor, the investigating judge, and the advocate general at the Court of Appeal.

For her client, Pardo said, the ruling brings "relief and hope" – hope that the trial can encourage other women to come forward and "further erode the fortress of denial and impunity surrounding sexual violence, even within the world of men's football."

Hakimi’s defence has taken the opposite line, attacking the decision in stark terms and insisting that crucial material in his favour has been ignored.

His lawyer argued that "the multitude of exculpatory elements revealed by the investigation and the judicial inquiry would, in any other case, have led to a dismissal," and said the Paris Saint-Germain full-back is now "eagerly awaiting his trial so that he can finally speak publicly about the false accusation against him."

The clash could hardly be sharper: one side speaking of impunity being challenged, the other of a supposed miscarriage of justice driven by the player’s fame.

All of this unfolds at a moment of maximum visibility for Hakimi. He is currently captaining Morocco at the 2026 World Cup, tasked with leading a team carrying heavy expectations after their historic run in Qatar. On Friday night, he must line up for a pivotal second group-stage match against Scotland with the weight of an impending criminal trial pressing in from outside the stadium walls.

Every touch, every sprint down the right flank, will now be viewed through a different lens. The scrutiny will not stop at his defensive positioning or his delivery from wide areas; it will follow him into press conferences and mixed zones, where legal questions will sit alongside tactical ones.

Back in Paris, his club will watch closely. PSG, already accustomed to operating under the glare of global attention, must now factor an upcoming trial into their pre-season planning. A definitive court date in France is expected to be set soon, a development that could shape not only Hakimi’s immediate future but also the broader conversation about accountability at the top of the men’s game.

For the moment, the defender lives in two parallel worlds: captain of a nation chasing World Cup glory, and accused man heading towards a criminal court. The next whistle he hears may be on the pitch. The next one could be in a courtroom.