A story that isn't mine is being told at the expense of my family
Achraf Hakimi, captain of Morocco and one of football's most decorated defenders, has been ordered to stand trial in France on rape charges stemming from an alleged incident at his Paris home in 2023. The case, which has moved through French courts for over three years, now arrives at a formal reckoning — one that places questions of power, public identity, and accountability at the center of a global sporting moment. Behind the legal proceedings stands a woman whose lawyer says she has endured vilification alongside her pursuit of justice, and a man who insists the truth has yet to be heard.
- A French investigating judge formally ordered the trial to proceed in February 2026, and Hakimi's attempt to have the case dismissed was rejected — leaving no legal off-ramp before a full hearing.
- Hakimi broke his public silence on the day of Morocco's World Cup match against Scotland, claiming the charges exist only because of his fame and expressing urgency to finally speak in court.
- The plaintiff's lawyer countered that her client had spent three years being defamed and dragged through the mud, and framed the trial order as long-overdue validation.
- The World Cup itself now hangs in the balance: if Morocco advances to knockout matches in Canada or Mexico, Hakimi could face entry restrictions, echoing the case of Ghana's Thomas Partey, who was denied entry to Canada last week.
- No trial date has been set, meaning the legal and sporting timelines remain dangerously entangled as Morocco pushes deeper into the tournament.
French prosecutors confirmed this week that Achraf Hakimi, Morocco's captain and Paris St-Germain defender, will stand trial on rape charges arising from an alleged incident at his Paris home in 2023, when the woman involved was 24 years old. An investigating judge ordered the trial in February 2026, and a subsequent appeal by Hakimi to dismiss the case was rejected by French courts.
Hakimi, now 27, has consistently denied the allegations. On the day Morocco faced Scotland in their second World Cup group match, he broke his long public silence with a social media statement, arguing that the charges would never have materialized against an ordinary person and that a false narrative had taken root, harming his family. He said he welcomed the trial as his first real opportunity to speak.
The plaintiff's lawyer, Rachel-Flore Pardo, offered a sharply different account. She said her client had endured more than three years of defamation and public vilification, and that the court's decision to proceed represented hard-won recognition. Pardo also cast the case in wider terms, suggesting it could mark a turning point in how sexual violence within men's football is confronted.
The World Cup setting adds a layer of practical jeopardy. Morocco's group matches are all in the United States, but advancement to knockout rounds could require travel to Canada or Mexico — both of which can deny entry to individuals facing serious criminal charges. The precedent is fresh: Ghana's Thomas Partey, who faces his own rape trial, was denied entry to Canada last week and missed his team's opening match. No trial date for Hakimi has yet been announced.
Hakimi's stature in the sport makes the moment all the more charged. He has earned 97 caps for Morocco, was central to the nation's historic semi-final run at the 2022 World Cup, and has won 13 trophies with PSG, including back-to-back Champions League titles. The trial, whenever it comes, will unfold in the full glare of that prominence.
Achraf Hakimi, the captain of Morocco's national football team and a defender for Paris St-Germain, will stand trial on rape charges, French prosecutors confirmed this week. The accusation stems from an alleged incident in 2023 at his home in the French capital, when the woman involved was 24 years old. The public prosecutor's office in Nanterre, a suburb west of Paris, opened a preliminary investigation in March 2023. An investigating judge formally ordered the trial to proceed in February 2026, and Hakimi's recent attempt to have the case dismissed was rejected by the courts.
Hakimi, now 27, has maintained his innocence throughout the legal process. On Friday, as he led Morocco out for their second World Cup match against Scotland, he posted a statement on social media addressing the case. He described feeling that the justice system had told him the charges would never have materialized if he were not a public figure. He wrote that he had chosen silence for years, believing that patience and faith in the legal process would lead to the right outcome. Instead, he said, a narrative that does not belong to him has taken hold, affecting his family and his life. He expressed eagerness for the trial to finally begin so he could speak and set the record straight.
The plaintiff's lawyer, Rachel-Flore Pardo, responded with a statement of her own. She said that after more than three years of legal proceedings, her client felt both relief and hope. The woman had experienced what her lawyer characterized as defamation and public vilification at the hands of Hakimi's defense team. Pardo framed the court's decision to proceed with trial as validation that her client had been heard. She also positioned the case within a broader context, suggesting that the trial could serve as a moment for other women and could begin to erode what she called the wall of denial and impunity that surrounds sexual violence, particularly within men's football.
No trial date has been set. The timing raises practical complications for Hakimi's participation in the World Cup, which is being held across the United States, Canada, and Mexico through the quarter-final stage, after which all remaining matches move to the United States. Morocco's group stage fixtures are all scheduled in the United States, where the team is currently based. But if Morocco advances to the knockout rounds and faces matches in Canada or Mexico, Hakimi could encounter entry restrictions. Canada's government has stated it can deny entry to anyone who has committed or been convicted of a crime. The precedent was set last week when Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey was denied entry to Canada and missed his country's opening match against Panama. Partey, 32, has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault related to allegations spanning 2020 to 2022, and is scheduled to stand trial next year.
Hakimi has been a central figure in international football for a decade. He made his debut for Morocco in 2016 at age 17 and has earned 97 caps. He was instrumental in Morocco's historic run to the World Cup semi-finals in 2022, making the nation the first from Africa to reach that stage. At club level, he joined Paris St-Germain from Inter Milan in 2021 and has won 13 trophies with the French side, including back-to-back Champions League titles in the last two seasons. The trial will unfold against the backdrop of his continued prominence in one of the world's most visible sports.
Notable Quotes
I've been waiting for this trial since day one. And now I'm eagerly awaiting it. Finally, I'll be able to speak.— Achraf Hakimi, in a social media statement
After more than three years of legal proceedings, this decision brings her relief and hope that this trial will help other women and further weaken the wall of denial and impunity surrounding sexual violence.— Rachel-Flore Pardo, the plaintiff's lawyer
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does the timing of this trial matter so much right now?
Because Hakimi is playing in the World Cup. If Morocco advances past the group stage and faces matches in Canada or Mexico, he might not be allowed to enter those countries. The legal case and his athletic career are suddenly on a collision course.
Has this happened before?
Yes, just last week. A Ghanaian midfielder named Thomas Partey was denied entry to Canada and missed his team's opening game. He's also facing sexual assault charges. It shows the precedent is real and being enforced.
What does Hakimi's statement suggest about how he's experiencing this?
He feels targeted. He's saying that if he weren't famous, this case wouldn't exist—that his celebrity has made him a convenient target. But he's also expressing frustration that his silence hasn't protected him, and now he wants his day in court.
What about the woman accusing him?
Her lawyer says she's been dragged through the mud for three years. The legal process itself has been a form of harm. The lawyer is framing this trial as potentially meaningful for other women, not just her client.
Is there any indication of what the evidence might be?
The source material doesn't detail that. We only know the allegation: that he raped her at his home in 2023 when she was 24. The actual substance of the case—what evidence exists, what witnesses might say—remains unknown.
What happens if Morocco loses early?
Then the entry restriction question becomes moot. Hakimi plays out the group stage in the U.S. and goes home. The trial would proceed without the World Cup complication.