Former French international footballer Wissam Ben Yedder is set to stand trial on charges of rape, attempted rape, and sexual assault, the Nice prosecutor’s office confirmed to AFP on Monday.
The 35-year-old forward, who now plays in Turkey, will face the court alongside his brother, Sabri Ben Yedder, who is accused of rape and sexual assault. The charges stem from allegations made by two young women they met at a party in 2023 — allegations both brothers deny.
According to the prosecutor’s office, the investigating judge upheld the prosecution’s request to bring the brothers to trial, while adding an additional count of attempted rape against Wissam.
Ben Yedder, capped 19 times for France, has faced a series of legal troubles in recent years. In September, he was fined €90,000 ($105,000) by a Nice court for psychologically abusing his estranged wife, who has filed for divorce.
He previously received a six-month suspended sentence from a Spanish court in 2023 for tax fraud during his time with Sevilla (2016–2019), and a two-year suspended jail term in November 2024 for sexually assaulting a woman two months earlier.
After leaving AS Monaco in June 2024, Ben Yedder briefly joined Iranian club Sepahan SC before signing with Turkish second division side Sakaryaspor in September.
