In a development that has sent shockwaves through the chateaux of the footballing elite, Achraf Hakimi, the sinewy sentinel of Paris Saint-Germain and celebrated hero of Morocco’s miraculous World Cup run, is to stand trial in France on charges of rape. The news lands like a half-baked baguette on the pristine lawns of the Élysée Palace, threatening to smear the gilded narrative of a nation’s sporting triumph with the grim reality of the dock.
Let us first applaud the impeccable timing of this indictment. For months, the football world has been basking in the warm glow of Morocco’s historic semi-final appearance, a tale of plucky underdogs toppling giants. And now, just as the last echoes of the Atlas Lions’ roar fade, we are reminded that heroes, like cheap cologne, can leave a lingering stench. Hakimi, whose legs carried him to glory on the pitch, now finds himself hobbled by accusations that have little to do with football and everything to do with the ancient, squalid theatre of sexual violence.
The charges, as reported, stem from an incident in February 2023, when a woman alleged that Hakimi assaulted her at his home in the chic Parisian suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt. Prosecutors, after a year of deliberation that makes the average snail look like Usain Bolt, have decided there is enough evidence to proceed. Hakimi, through his lawyers, maintains his innocence, and we must, of course, afford him the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. But let us not forget that justice, like a penalty shootout, is often a cruel lottery.
What does this mean for the beautiful game? Well, for a start, it throws a spanner in the works of PSG’s carefully curated image of star-studded invincibility. The club, already reeling from the messy departure of Lionel Messi and the ongoing saga of Kylian Mbappé’s contract, now faces a defender whose off-field conduct threatens to overshadow his on-field heroics. And for Morocco, the nation that dared to dream in Qatar, this is a bitter pill. The World Cup run was a tale of unity and pride. Now, it is a tale of a player who may be remembered not for his lung-bursting runs but for his alleged assault.
But let us not be cynics. Let us instead embrace the madness. This is, after all, a story that has everything: fame, fortune, a beautiful woman’s testimony, and a legal system that moves with the speed of a glacier. The trial, scheduled for later this year, will be a circus of epic proportions, complete with lawyers flourishing their robes like matadors and journalists salivating for scraps. And in the middle of it all, a young man whose life once seemed a fairy tale now faces a very different narrative.
The question, dear readers, is whether football can survive yet another stain on its already besmirched honour. From Cristiano Ronaldo’s allegations to the shadow of Benjamin Mendy’s trial, the sport has proved remarkably adept at absorbing scandal. But Hakimi’s case is different. It touches on the intersection of global stardom, national pride, and the raw, ugly business of consent. It is a story that will not be resolved by a deft nutmeg or a curling free kick. It requires the slow, grinding machinery of justice.
In the meantime, we shall watch, as we always do, with a mixture of schadenfreude and despair. For every fallen idol, there is a gleam in the eye of the tabloid gods. And for every trial, there is the hope that the truth, however inconvenient, will emerge. Whether it does or not, the footballing world will continue to spin, its axis tilted slightly by the weight of another scandal. But for now, we raise our glasses of airport gin to Achraf Hakimi: a man who once conquered the world, now fighting a far less forgiving opponent.
