Elye Wahi in action during Ivory Coast’s opener against Ecuador. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

The Athletic reported that Elye Wahi was arrested on May 29 as part of an investigation into alleged spot-fixing, but the Ivory Coast forward has not been charged and remains part of his team’s World Cup squad.

Ivory Coast forward Elye Wahi, who started his team’s FIFA World Cup 2026 opener against Ecuador, was arrested less than two weeks before the tournament as part of an investigation into alleged spot-fixing, The Athletic reported.

According to the report, French authorities are investigating whether Wahi deliberately earned a yellow card while playing for Nice against Metz in Ligue 1 on May 17. The Athletic said suspicious betting patterns had been flagged around wagers on the 23-year-old being booked in the match.

Wahi received a yellow card in the 35th minute after a late challenge on Metz defender Sadibou Sane. He was later suspended for the first leg of Nice’s relegation playoff against Saint-Etienne because of accumulated bookings.

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The Athletic reported that Wahi was arrested by French police on May 29 after scoring twice in Nice’s 4-1 win over Saint-Etienne, a result that helped the club remain in Ligue 1. A spokesperson for the Marseille public prosecutor’s office confirmed to The Athletic that a 23-year-old Ligue 1 footballer had been arrested as part of an investigation into alleged organised fraud, sports corruption, handling of proceeds of crime and money laundering.

The player was released after being interviewed in police custody. Wahi has not been charged, and the investigation remains ongoing.

He subsequently travelled to North America for the World Cup and started in Ivory Coast’s 1-0 win over Ecuador in Philadelphia, hitting the crossbar in the second half before being substituted. Ivory Coast next faces Germany in Toronto on Saturday.

Wahi, who represented France at youth level before switching allegiance to Ivory Coast earlier this year, joined Nice on loan from Eintracht Frankfurt in January.

Published on Jun 17, 2026