Morocco captain Hakimi indicted on rape charges

Achraf Hakimi, captain of Morocco's squad at the 2026 North America World Cup and a Paris Saint-Germain defender, has been formally indicted on rape charges.

Major wire services including the Associated Press reported Friday that France's Versailles Court of Appeal ordered Hakimi to stand trial on rape charges. The court concluded that prosecutors had gathered sufficient evidence — through the investigation and judicial inquiry — to proceed.

A 23-year-old woman alleged in March 2023 that Hakimi raped her at her home. Prosecutors at the Nanterre prosecutor's office opened an investigation, and a court ruled in February that Hakimi should be sent to trial.

Hakimi appealed that ruling, but the appeal was ultimately rejected, leaving him to face a formal trial. No date for the proceedings has been confirmed.

Hakimi was named in Morocco's starting lineup for the team's Group C second-round match against Scotland at Boston Stadium in the United States on Friday.

On his X account, formerly Twitter, Hakimi wrote that justice had looked him in the eye and said, "If you weren't famous, this case would never have happened."

"I chose silence for years. I believed that maintaining dignity, being patient and trusting the judicial system would lead to the right outcome," he said. "I have been waiting for a trial since day one, and now I welcome it. I can finally make my voice heard."