A World Cup player was arrested just days before the tournament began in North America.
Ivorian star Elie Wahi was reportedly arrested in May.
Ivorian star Elly Wahi has reportedly been arrested in France on suspicion of match-fixing just weeks before the start of the World Cup.
According to a report in The Athletic, Wahi was arrested by French police on May 29, shortly after playing for French club OGC Nice. The 23-year-old forward scored twice in the win over Saint-Etienne, which resulted in his side retaining their place in Ligue 1’s top flight. The Marseille public prosecutor’s office issued a statement saying the unidentified player was 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 clarifying that the player in question was not a member of France’s World Cup squad. The player in question was reportedly identified as Wahi, according to an “anonymous source” cited by The Athletic, and was later released without charge.
A spokesperson for the Marseille public prosecutor’s office told The Athletic on Tuesday: “We can confirm that a 23-year-old French Ligue 1 footballer was arrested on May 29 as part of an investigation launched by the Marseille public prosecutor’s office regarding charges of organized fraud, organized sports corruption, handling the proceeds of crime and money laundering.”
“He was questioned in police custody and then released. The investigation is still ongoing. The footballer is not a member of the French national team participating in the World Cup.”
Mr. Wahi was interviewed by police after the charges were filed and before he was released from custody without charge. He then accompanied Ivory Coast to the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
He started in a 1-0 win against Ecuador in Philadelphia and almost scored the first goal, but his shot hit the crossbar. Ivory Coast will take on Germany in Toronto on Saturday, June 21st, a match that will decide which country advances as the group winner.
The Mirror has contacted Wahi’s agent, his club Eintracht Frankfurt, the Ivorian Football Federation and FIFA for comment.
Wahi represented Ivory Coast in their first World Cup match (Image: Getty Images)
The allegations came to light after the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), the governing body that oversees French domestic matches, was tipped off about suspicious gambling patterns during Nice’s Ligue 1 match against Metz on May 17.
One of the hints was that there was a bet that Wahi would receive a yellow card, and he was booked 35 minutes into the match. This type of market manipulation is generally known as “match-fixing,” but this has a slightly unique definition from “match-fixing,” which directly affects the outcome of a match.
Approximately 12 days later, police questioned Mr. Wahi in connection with the investigation. The forward, who was previously linked with a move to Chelsea in 2024, signed for Nice on loan from Eintracht Frankfurt in January 2026.
Prior to being selected for the Ivory Coast national team, Wahi represented France’s youth teams from Under-16 to Under-21 level. However, he chose to switch international allegiances and FIFA approved his request in March, with head coach Emers Fahe handing him his debut a few days later.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can always check out. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Upgrade your World Cup TV setup with Sky Glass ‘designed for soccer’
From £4.50
sky
Get the deal here
Sky is marking the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup by reducing prices by 20% on its entire range of glass TVs. Until June 17, shoppers can upgrade to a Sky smart TV ‘designed for football’ from £4.50 a month when taken with a Sky TV and Netflix package.
