Ivory Coast star Elye Wahi was reportedly arrested on suspicion of fixing offences in France just weeks before the commencement of the World Cup.
Arrest Details
A report from The Athletic claims that Wahi was arrested by French police on May 29, shortly after playing for his club OGC Nice in France. The 23-year-old forward scored twice in a victory over Saint-Etienne, a result that consequently preserved the Ligue 1 side's top-flight status.
The Marseille public prosecutor's office released a statement stating that an unidentified player had been arrested as part of an investigation into organized fraud, sports corruption, handling of proceeds of crime and money laundering. However, they stopped short of identifying Wahi, only revealing that the player in question was not a member of France's World Cup team. The player in question, reported to be Wahi according to anonymous sources cited by The Athletic, was later released without charge.
Prosecutor's Statement
A spokesperson for the Marseille public prosecutor's office told The Athletic on Tuesday: '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 organized fraud, organized 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 Participation
Wahi was interviewed by police following the allegations before he was released from custody without charge. He later flew with the Ivory Coast squad for the World Cup, which is being hosted across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
He started the 1-0 win over Ecuador in Philadelphia and almost opened the scoring, only to hit the crossbar from range. The Ivory Coast face a crunch game against Germany in Toronto on Saturday, June 21, which is likely to decide which nation progresses as group winners.
The Mirror has approached Wahi's representatives, the Ivorian Football Federation and FIFA for comment.
Spot-Fixing Allegations
The allegations surfaced when the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), the governing body that oversees the French domestic game, were tipped off regarding suspicious betting patterns in Nice's Ligue 1 fixture against Metz on May 17.
One of the tips involved wagers allegedly placed on Wahi to receive a yellow card, and he was cautioned in the 35th minute of the game. This type of market manipulation is commonly known as spot-fixing, which has a slightly distinctive definition to match fixing, where the result of the game is directly influenced.
Some 12 days later, police questioned Wahi in relation to their investigation. The forward, once linked with a move to Chelsea back in 2024, signed for Nice on loan from Eintracht Frankfurt in January 2026.
International Career
Before opting to represent the Ivory Coast, Wahi represented France's youth teams from Under-16 to Under-21 level. However, he opted to switch his international allegiance and FIFA approved his request in March before head coach Emerse Faé handed him his debut days later.
