At least nine figures at the 2026 World Cup have faced rape or sexual assault allegations. FIFA kept all but one on the field.

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Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey and Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi are facing criminal trials for rape while playing at the 2026 World Cup, two of at least nine tournament figures tied to sexual violence and allegations spanning four confederations.<br>FIFA has kept every accused player eligible throughout the tournament and removed only one figure from its 2026 rosters, a match official arrested in Britain. The cases run from active prosecutions to allegations that prosecutors declined to pursue, and in several, the complainant is an employee or a much younger person than the man she accuses.<br>Players on trial<br>Thomas Partey<br>Photo Credit: Getty Images<br>The case began in February 2022, when the Metropolitan Police received a report of rape. At the time Thomas Partey was a first-team midfielder at Arsenal, one of the highest-paid players in the Premier League, and he was not publicly named for the next three years. British reporting restrictions meant that as detectives investigated and more complainants came forward, the public knew only that an unnamed Premier League footballer had been arrested and bailed repeatedly. Partey continued to play throughout, for Arsenal and for Ghana, while the file grew.<br>On July 4, 2025, the Crown Prosecution Service authorised charges, and Partey could finally be named. The initial charge was five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, involving three women, with the alleged offences dated between 2021 and 2022. In February 2026 the CPS added two further counts of rape, tied to an alleged incident dating to December 2020 and a fourth complainant. The running total is now seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, across four women, spanning 2020 to 2022.<br>All four complainants have lifelong legal anonymity, the charging documents are sealed, and the CPS issued an unusually direct warning against any reporting that could prejudice the trial: "We remind everyone that criminal proceedings are active, and the defendant has the right to a fair trial," adding that "it is absolutely vital that there is no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings." Four separate women, alleged offences across a roughly two-year window, and rape charges attached to three of the four complainants. Any account circulating with named accusers or graphic specifics should be treated as unreliable.<br>Partey has pleaded not guilty to every count. At Southwark Crown Court he spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth, and his pleas. His lawyer said he "welcomes the opportunity to finally clear his name." He remains on bail throughout, under a condition that he not contact the alleged victims. Originally listed for November 2026, the trial has been pushed to June 8, 2027 at Southwark Crown Court, before Mr Justice Bennathan, with an expected length of up to eight weeks and a further hearing scheduled for October 2026.<br>Partey's Arsenal contract ended on June 30, 2025, days before the charges were announced; Arsenal said only that "due to ongoing legal proceedings, the club is unable to comment on the case." He later signed with Villarreal in Spain. He was selected for Ghana's 2026 World Cup squad and played. Canada denied him entry during the group stage, so he featured only in Ghana's matches staged in the United States.<br>Achraf Hakimi<br>Photo credit: Moroccan photographer J.Noufel via Wikimedia Commons.<br>In late February 2023, a 24-year-old woman told French investigators she had been raped by Paris Saint-Germain and Morocco defender Achraf Hakimi at his home in Boulogne-Billancourt, a western suburb of Paris. It is the most fully documented complainant account in this entire group, because the French investigation has run for three years and much of the file has...