Appeal court halts rape trial against ex-France striker Ben Yedder

A French appeals court has overturned a decision to send former France international Wissam Ben Yedder to trial on rape-related charges, ruling there was insufficient evidence to proceed.

Judicial sources said the Aix-en-Provence appeals court found there was “no basis for prosecuting him,” reversing an earlier move by prosecutors in Nice who had sought a trial on allegations of rape, attempted rape and sexual assault.

“We are very satisfied with the decision. My client has always maintained his innocence,” his lawyer, Sophia Kerbaa, said following the ruling.

Ben Yedder, 35, and his brother Sabri were placed under formal investigation in 2023 after two teenage women accused them of offences linked to an encounter at a party. Both men had previously been ordered to stand trial before the appeal court’s decision.

The former AS Monaco and Sevilla FC forward has faced multiple legal challenges in recent years.

In September, a court in Nice fined him €90,000 for psychological abuse of his wife, from whom he is currently divorcing. In 2023, he was convicted in Spain for tax fraud during his spell at Sevilla. He also received a two-year suspended sentence in France in 2024 in a separate sexual violence case, a ruling he is appealing.

After leaving Monaco in 2024, Ben Yedder had brief spells playing in Iran and Turkey before signing in January with Moroccan side Wydad Casablanca.

The development comes as other prominent footballers, including Achraf Hakimi of Paris Saint-Germain and former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey, are also facing separate rape-related legal proceedings in France and England.