Ivory Coast striker Elye Wahi was arrested on suspicion of match-fixing just two weeks prior to the FIFA World Cup.
The tournament has now been underway for nearly a week, with Lionel Messi putting on a show for Argentina, netting a hat-trick against Algeria. This past Sunday, Ivory Coast kicked off their World Cup campaign with a victory — their third in the nation's history — as Amad Diallo delivered a last-minute winner against Ecuador, as per The Mirror US.
The triumph is all the more remarkable given the turmoil that disrupted the African nation's preparations in the weeks before the tournament. Wahi was interviewed and remains the subject of an ongoing match-fixing probe stemming from the Ligue 1 season with Nice.
The investigation focuses on whether Wahi intentionally picked up a yellow card during the match against Metz on May 17. The 23-year-old was subsequently arrested by French authorities on May 29, immediately following a standout two-goal display in a victory over Saint-Etienne that secured Nice's top-flight status.
Wahi made the trip to the United States for the World Cup and featured from the start in the win over Ecuador in Philadelphia, coming close to finding the net himself when he struck the crossbar in the second half.
A statement released to The Athletic from the Marseille public prosecutor's office read: "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."
Just before the World Cup kicked off, reports surfaced that two players scheduled to compete in the United States, Mexico, and Canada were being investigated for alleged match-fixing violations. One of those players, Wahi, was flagged to the French Football Federation.
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Wahi had been named in the Ivory Coast's World Cup roster on May 15, four days prior to the Metz game. During that game, he received a yellow card in the 35th minute following a late tackle on defender Sadibou Sane.
Two minutes before that, Wahi had already committed an infraction when he slid into full-back Bouna Sarr, though that challenge escaped punishment. The booking meant Wahi would miss the opening leg of Nice's relegation playoff against Saint-Etienne, having accumulated five yellow cards throughout the 2025-26 campaign. With Wahi confined to the stands, Nice managed a 0-0 draw on the road.
Three days later, Wahi was restored to the starting eleven for the second leg. He shone in a commanding 4-1 home triumph, netting twice and earning man of the match honors.
However, he was later detained by anti-corruption officers within the French police service. The act of influencing specific incidents during a match is referred to as spot-fixing. Wahi has not faced any criminal charges and continues to participate in the World Cup.
The Ivory Coast's next fixture is against Germany in Toronto on Saturday, June 20.
Source: Alloutsoccer.com
