PSG said it "supports" Moroccan international Achraf Hakimi and "trusts the justice system" after he was given preliminary charges of rape ©Getty Images

Moroccan FIFA World Cup semi-finalist Achraf Hakimi has been given preliminary charges of rape, according to French prosecutors.

Agence France-Presse reported that the Paris Saint-Germain defender was questioned by prosecutors on Thursday (March 2) following accusations made by a 24-year-old woman and subsequently charged.

The Nanterre prosecution office has said Hakimi has been placed under police monitoring and banned from contact with the alleged victim, although he is allowed to leave French territory.

Preliminary charges under French law mean there is reason to suspect a crime has been committed, but grants more time for magistrates to investigate before deciding whether to send the case to trial.

Hakimi's lawyer Fanny Colin has said that the player "firmly denies all the accusations against him" and indictment would allow him the "possibility to defend himself", according to AFP.

Colin also alleged Hakimi is "the victim of an attempt of racketeering."

The alleged victim's lawyer Rachel Flore Pardo told AFP: "My client maintains everything that she said.

"She made the choice to speak exclusively to prosecutors and does not want the affair to become a media issue, mainly to protect her safety."

Achraf Hakimi helped Morocco become the first African side to reach the FIFA World Cup semi-finals in Qatar last year ©Getty Images
Achraf Hakimi helped Morocco become the first African side to reach the FIFA World Cup semi-finals in Qatar last year ©Getty Images

PSG manager Christophe Galtier declined to comment on the investigation, but the club said it "supports the player, who has firmly denied the accusations and trusts the justice system".

"Paris St-Germain is an institution that promotes respect on and off the pitch," it added.

Hakimi is expected to feature for PSG on Wednesday (March 8) in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League round-of-16 tie away to German champions Bayern Munich.

He joined PSG in 2021 from Italian side Inter Milan, having previously featured for Real Madrid in Spain and Borussia Dortmund in Germany.

The 24-year-old was born in Madrid, but opted to represent Morocco.

He has 61 caps for Morocco, scoring eight goals and featuring at the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups, with the country reaching the semi-finals in last year's tournament in Qatar.

Earlier this week, he was named in the FIFA International Federation of Professional Footballers Men's World 11 for 2022 - the best team in men's football from August 8 2021 to December 18 2022 voted for by players.