Ivory Coast forward Elye Wahi arrested over suspected match-fixing weeks before World Cup
Elye Wahi, 23, was taken into custody on 29 May, less than two weeks before Ivory Coast's opening World Cup win against Ecuador, and released without charge as an investigation into a suspicious yellow card continues.
Arrest before the tournament
Elye Wahi, a 23-year-old forward for OGC Nice and the Ivory Coast national team, was arrested in France on 29 May (the Marseille prosecutor's office confirmed that date, though one initial report cited 28 May). He was released after police questioning, and no charges have been filed. The arrest came less than a fortnight before the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The yellow card in question
The investigation centres on a Ligue 1 match on 17 May between Nice and Metz. Wahi received a yellow card in the 35th minute for a late tackle on Sadibou Sané. The French league's integrity unit flagged suspicious betting patterns, specifically wagers that Wahi would be booked. The booking also triggered a suspension for the first leg of the relegation play-off against Saint-Étienne. Wahi returned for the second leg and scored twice in a 4-1 win that kept Nice in the top flight.
Official investigation
A spokesperson for the Marseille public prosecutor's office told The Athletic that the inquiry covers allegations of "organised fraud, organised sports corruption, handling of proceeds of crime and money laundering".
We can confirm that a 23-year-old football player, competing in France's Ligue 1, was arrested on May 29 as part of an investigation opened by the Marseille public prosecutor's office into allegations of organised fraud, organised sports corruption, handling of proceeds of crime and money laundering. He was released after he was interviewed in police custody. The investigations remain ongoing. The football player is not a member of the French selection taking part in the World Cup.
World Cup involvement
Despite the investigation, Wahi travelled to the World Cup and started Ivory Coast's opening match against Ecuador on 14 June. He played 56 minutes and hit the crossbar in a 1-0 victory secured by a stoppage-time goal. The team's next fixture is on Saturday, 21 June, against Germany in Toronto. No restrictions have been placed on his participation.
Second player under scrutiny
The Athletic also reported that a second player taking part in the World Cup is under investigation for suspected match-fixing. No name or national team has been disclosed at this stage.
- Yellow card received in Nice-Metz match; suspicious betting patterns noted.
- Arrested by French police, later released after interview.
- Started for Ivory Coast in 1-0 World Cup win over Ecuador.
- Scheduled to face Germany in Toronto.
