Morocco took a draw in their first game of the Group Stage against Brazil at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. That is now a background thought as one of their players is facing serious allegations.
Morocco and Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi will stand trial in a rape case in France, according to ESPN.
“Relief that she has been heard by the justice system and will have her case heard at trial,” Rachel-Flore Pardo, the lawyer for the plaintiff, said in a statement to The Associated Press. “Hope that this trial will help other women and further weaken the fortress of denial and impunity surrounding sexual violence, including within the world of men’s football.”
The decision was released hours before Morocco was set to face Scotland in their Group C game. He initially appealed a decision to face trial in February, but a judge has ruled that he needs to face trial for the charges. Hakimi is of firm belief that he would not be a target in the case had he not been a footballer. He took to X on Friday, noting that.
“Justice looked me in the eye and told me: ‘If you were not famous, there would never have been a case.’ 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,” Hakimi wrote. “I have been waiting for this trial since the first day. And I am now waiting for it impatiently. Finally, I will be able to speak.”
Meanwhile, Hakimi’s lawyer released an official statement on the impending trial.
“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, said. “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.”
There has not been an official date set for the trial or an announcement on the status of Hakimi for the World Cup
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