Top footballers who have been cleared of rape

• Every year at least one high-profile footballer finds himself in trouble with the law after being accused of sexual assault or rape
• While some get cleared due to different reasons, others get sentenced to prison
• Thomas Partey is the most recent footballer to be accused of rape

Every year at least one high-profile footballer finds himself in trouble with the law after being accused of sexual assault or rape. While some have spent time behind bars, there are other top footballers who have been cleared of rape.

Thomas Partey is the most recent footballer to be accused of rape. The Ghanaian star, who most recently played for Arsenal,  has been charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. He allegedly committed the offences in 2021 and 2022, according to a statement by the Metropolitan Police.

In this article, we take a look at famous footballers who have been cleared of rape.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo

Starting the list of footballers who have been cleared of rape is five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo. The Al Nassr forward was accused of rape by Kathryn Mayorga of rape in 2010. The lady claimed that Ronaldo had raped her at a hotel in Las Vegas the previous year.

Ronaldo later defender himself saying that they had consensual sex. The American woman later said that the Portuguese footballer paid her $375,000 to keep quiet.

2. Frank Ribery and Karim Benzema

Former Bayern Munich player Frank Ribery and his international teammate Karim Benzema are among footballers who have been cleared of rape. The two were accused of having sex with an underage prostitute back in 2014.

The lady, who is now 32 years old, was 17 when Ribery and Benzema allegedly paid her for sex. Ribery admitted to have sex with her but claimed he did not pay. On the other hand, Benzema denied the allegations. The charges against the players were later dropped.

3. Neymar Jr.

One of the most talented footballers of his generation, Neymar Jr. made headlines when he moved to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 for a record transfer fee. Fast forward two years later, the Brazilian landed in trouble after being accused of rape by a lady named Najila Trindade.

Trindade said she flew from Brazil to France to meet Neymar after the two exchanged messages on Instagram. He found Neymar in a hotel “drunk” and also “aggressive” before he forcibly had sex with her. The case ended in a Brazilian court but the charges against Neymar were dropped after it emerged that Trinidad was actually blackmailing him.

4. Benjamin Mendy 

In January 2023, Benjamin Mendy got his full freedom back after being cleared unanimously of six counts of rape and one of sexual assault at Chester Crown Court. Outside court, he said, “Alhamdulillah,” an Arabic word which translates to “praise be to God”.

The former Manchester City man was first arrested in November 2020 after a young woman accused him of raping her a few weeks earlier. He was released under investigation but once again arrested after a second woman accused him of sexually assaulting her at a party at his home in January 2021.

Mendy was shortly released but found himself behind bars for four months as police continued with investigations. He has since returned to football after being cleared of all the charges against him.

5. Callum Hudson-Odoi 

Callum Hudson-Odoi is one of the famous footballers who have been cleared of rape. The former Chelsea man was arrested in May 2020 on accusation of sexual assault but was released a few days later. He found himself behind bars after police officers and an ambulance were called to his apartment following a report of an unwell woman.

Hudson-Odoi assisted the police with investigations and the rape case he had was dropped afterwards.

6. Mason Greenwood 

Mason Greenwood found himself in trouble at the start of 2022 after his girlfriend Harriet Robson shared shocking images of bloodied face and body covered in bruises allegedly because of being assaulted by the footballer. Greenwood was later arrested and charged with controlling and coercive behavior, and attempted rape.

All the charges against the former Manchester United player, including rape, were later dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) after the withdrawal of key witnesses. Greenwood is currently signed to French side Marseille.