AFCON 2025
Former Arsenal footballer, Thomas Partey has been charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, London’s Metropolitan Police have said.
The charges relate to three women and the offences are reported to have taken place between 2021 and 2022. He is due to appear at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court on August 5.
Partey is not the only footballer to have found himself in this predicament in recent times.
Here’s a look at 5 players who have been accused of rape in the past years.
1. Neymar Jr.
In 2019, Brazilian model Najila Trindade accused Neymar of raping her in a Paris hotel. The case was investigated by Brazilian authorities and later dropped in 2023 due to insufficient evidence.
Neymar strongly denied the allegations, claiming the encounter was consensual and that he was being extorted. No charges were filed, and he was not prosecuted.
2. Benjamin Mendy
The French international and former Manchester City defender was arrested in 2021 and charged with multiple counts of rape and sexual assault involving several women, allegedly occurring between 2018 and 2021.
Mendy stood two trials and was acquitted of all charges in January and July 2023. The jury found insufficient evidence to convict, and Mendy always maintained his innocence.
3. Cristiano Ronaldo
In 2018, American woman Kathryn Mayorga accused Ronaldo of raping her in a Las Vegas hotel room in 2009. Although the pair had previously reached a financial settlement in 2010, Mayorga later claimed it was signed under duress.
Prosecutors declined to bring criminal charges in 2019 due to lack of sufficient evidence. A civil case was later dismissed by a U.S. judge in 2022 due to misconduct by Mayorga’s legal team. Ronaldo has consistently denied the allegation.
4. Dani Alves
The Brazilian full-back was arrested in January 2023 after being accused of raping a woman in a nightclub bathroom in Barcelona on New Year’s Eve 2022.
In February 2024, Alves was convicted and sentenced to four years and six months in prison. However, in March 2025, a higher Spanish court overturned the conviction, citing inconsistencies in the testimony. The case has since been appealed to the Spanish Supreme Court.
5. Robinho
The former Real Madrid and AC Milan forward was convicted in Italy in 2017 for participating in the gang rape of a woman in Milan in 2013. His nine-year prison sentence was upheld by Italy’s Supreme Court in 2022.
As Brazil does not extradite its citizens, Robinho remained free until 2024, when Brazilian courts approved the enforcement of his Italian sentence domestically. He is currently serving the prison term in Brazil.
