{"id":36582,"date":"2026-06-18T17:44:39","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T17:44:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/18\/world-cup-star-player-arrested-on-suspicion-of-match-fixing-before-tournament-name-decided\/"},"modified":"2026-06-18T17:44:39","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T17:44:39","slug":"world-cup-star-player-arrested-on-suspicion-of-match-fixing-before-tournament-name-decided","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/18\/world-cup-star-player-arrested-on-suspicion-of-match-fixing-before-tournament-name-decided\/","title":{"rendered":"World Cup star player arrested on suspicion of match-fixing before tournament name decided"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A World Cup player was arrested just days before the tournament began in North America.<\/h2>\n
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June 17, 2026 18:14<\/span>Updated June 17, 2026 18:17<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Ivorian star Elie Wahi was reportedly arrested in May.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n
Ivorian star Elly Wahi has reportedly been arrested in France on suspicion of match-fixing just weeks before the start of the World Cup.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.”<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The Mirror has contacted Wahi’s agent, his club Eintracht Frankfurt, the Ivorian Football Federation and FIFA for comment.<\/p>\n
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Wahi represented Ivory Coast in their first World Cup match (Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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![\"Ivorian](\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37311242.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/0_Elye-Wahi-Ivory-Coast-GettyImages-2281881021.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>![\"Wahi](\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37311286.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_Cote-DIvoire-v-Ecuador-Group-E-FIFA-World-Cup-2026.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>![\"content](\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37252457.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s510b\/0_Untitled-June-03-2026-at-091411-3jpeg.jpg\"\/)
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