Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi will stand trial for rape after a French appeals court rejected his appeal on 19 June 2026. The Achraf Hakimi trial was confirmed hours before Morocco beat Scotland 1-0. He denies the allegations.
Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi will stand trial for rape after a French appeals court rejected his appeal on 19 June 2026. The Achraf Hakimi trial was confirmed hours before Morocco beat Scotland 1-0. He denies the allegations.
The Court of Appeal in Versailles upheld an investigating judge's February 2026 decision to send the case to a criminal court. The prosecutor's office in Nanterre confirmed the outcome. Judges found the file held enough evidence for proceedings to continue, which under French law does not amount to a verdict on guilt.
The complaint dates from three years ago. A woman, then 24, told police in the Val-de-Marne region that Hakimi had raped her at his home. She said they first connected on Instagram in January 2023 before she travelled to his residence in a taxi he had arranged. No trial date has been set at the criminal court in Hauts-de-Seine.
Hakimi, 27, set out his reaction on X. "I've been waiting for this trial since day one. And now I'm eagerly awaiting it. Finally, I'll be able to speak," he wrote.
His lawyer, Fanny Colin, said the result was anticipated. "Nothing here says that he is guilty of anything, he remains steadfast in his defence," she said.
Rachel-Flore Pardo, who represents the complainant, said the decision brought "relief and hope". She added that she hoped the trial would "help other women and further weaken the wall of denial and impunity surrounding sexual violence, including in the world of men's football."
The woman, who used the pseudonym Jeanne, spoke publicly for the first time this week. She said she wanted a trial "to defend myself, to be heard" and added: "I want to explain myself. I want people to believe me."
The ruling landed on the day Morocco beat Scotland 1-0 in their second Group C fixture. Hakimi has earned 97 caps since his 2016 debut and captained the side that reached the 2022 World Cup semi-finals. At PSG, he has won 13 trophies since joining from Inter Milan in 2021.
Coach Mohamed Ouahbi built a younger 26-man squad for the tournament, leaving out forwards Youssef En-Nesyri and Hakim Ziyech. En-Nesyri's omission was put down to technical reasons. Ziyech, 33, had not featured for Morocco since 2024 and underwent emergency appendicitis surgery on 17 June. Forward Abde Ezzalzouli was also ruled out through injury days before the World Cup began.
