Morocco soccer star Achraf Hakimi will stand trial…
A French appeals court confirmed Friday that Paris Saint-Germain and Morocco star participant Achraf Hakimi will stand trial in a rape case, attorneys told The Associated Press.
The defender, who is presently enjoying with Morocco at the World Cup after profitable the Champions League for a second straight 12 months with PSG, had appealed a February resolution by an investigative decide. That ruling adopted suggestions from public prosecutors that Hakimi ought to face trial.
The Versailles appeals court’s resolution was launched just hours before Morocco takes on Scotland in their Group C match. Morocco drew 1-1 with Brazil in its opening recreation.
Morocco defender Achraf Hakimi reacts during a World Cup match against Brazil in East Rutherford, NJ, on June 13, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via GWN Connect
Hakimi, one of the best proper backs in the world, denies any wrongdoing.
He confronted preliminary expenses of rape in March 2023 after a 24-year-old lady said she was raped by Hakimi at his home in a Paris suburb.
Rachel-Flore Pardo, the lawyer representing the plaintiff, said that after more than three years of legal proceedings, “and after being defamed and dragged through the mud by Achraf Hakimi’s defense,” the court’s resolution “brings my client a sense of relief and hope.”
“Relief that she has been heard by the justice system and will have her case heard at trial,” Pardo said in a assertion to the AP. “Hope that this trial will help other women and further weaken the fortress of denial and impunity surrounding inappropriate violence, including within the world of men’s football.”
Achraf Hakimi dribbles a ball during a observe session with the Morocco staff in Foxborough, Mass., on June 18, 2026. AP Photo/Martin Meissner
Paris Saint-Germain’s Achraf Hakimi takes a penalty during a shootout of the UEFA Champions League ultimate match in Budapest on May 30, 2026. AFP via Getty Images
Hakimi claimed in a message posted on X on Friday that his case would have been dismissed if he had not been well-known, and that he sometimes feels he has develop into “an easy target.”
“Justice looked me in the eye and told me: ‘If you were not famous, there would never have been a case,’” Hakimi wrote. “I chose to remain silent for years. I believed that staying dignified, being patient, and trusting the justice system would allow the right decisions to be made.”
He added that the case has been detrimental not only to him, but also to his household, “and above all, to the truth.”
“I have been waiting for this trial since the first day. And I am now waiting for it impatiently,” he added. “Finally, I will be able to speak.”
Achraf Hakimi stays on the ground after play during a match between Morocco and Brazil at New York-New Jersey Stadium on June 13, 2026. PSNEWZ/SIPA/Shutterstock
Achraf Hakimi attends a press convention in Liverpool, England, on April 13, 2026. AFP via Getty Images
A date for the trial has yet to be announced.
“The multitude of exculpatory elements uncovered during the investigation and judicial inquiry would, in any other case, have led to the dismissal of the proceedings,” Hakimi’s lawyer, Fanny Colin, told the AP.
“Achraf Hakimi’s defense regrets that no consequences were drawn from the contradictions and false statements made by the complainant, her concealment of information from the judicial authorities, her obstruction of the search for the truth, and the psychological assessments noting both her ambivalence and her lack of clarity regarding the events she reported.”
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