Hakimi will not risk World Cup exclusion: Morocco will not go to Canada

Achraf Hakimi will not face a Canadian visa denial at this World Cup: none of the matches Morocco is likely to play will take place on Canadian soil, which eliminates the main external threat to his tournament participation.

The Paris Saint-Germain right-back learned Friday that he will be tried for rape by the criminal court of Hauts-de-Seine, in a trial that could open in 2027. The player maintains his innocence and has the support of both his club and his national team. But another entity could theoretically compromise the rest of his World Cup: the Canadian government.

The Thomas Partey precedent had highlighted this risk. The Ghanaian midfielder, who will be tried for rape and sexual assault in the United Kingdom, was denied entry to Canada, one of the three host countries of the competition. Ivorian striker Elye Wahi, targeted by an investigation for suspicious betting, was also initially denied a visa, before Canadian authorities confirmed there were no legal proceedings against him.

Hakimi could have faced the same fate. But the configuration of Morocco’s group protects him from this scenario. After their opening match against Haiti in Atlanta, the Lions of the Atlas will travel either to Houston or to Guadalupe in Mexico depending on their final standings. In the highly unlikely event of a third-place finish — which would require a loss to Haiti — they would play in Foxborough, New York or Mexico City.

None of these destinations is Canadian. The three final-round matches organized in Canada — a Round of 16 in Toronto, a Round of 16 and a quarterfinal in Vancouver — are beyond Morocco’s reach regardless of the outcome of the first round. The question of a possible visa denial will therefore not arise for Hakimi during this tournament.