Elye Wahi arrested over spot-fixing allegations weeks before Ivory Coast's World Cup opener

Elye Wahi, the Ivory Coast and OGC Nice forward, was arrested by French police on May 29 as part of an investigation into alleged spot-fixing, organised fraud, and money laundering, according to a report by The Athletic. The 23-year-old was released without charge following a police interview and subsequently travelled with the Ivory Coast squad to the World Cup in North America.

The Marseille public prosecutor’s office confirmed the arrest in a statement, describing the suspect as “a 23-year-old football player competing in France’s Ligue 1” without naming him directly. The office added that the player “is not a member of the French selection taking part in the World Cup” and that investigations remain ongoing. The Athletic cited anonymous sources identifying the player as Wahi.

The case centres on suspicious betting patterns flagged to the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) surrounding Nice’s Ligue 1 fixture against Metz on May 17. Among the tips received were wagers allegedly placed on Wahi to be booked — he was shown a yellow card in the 35th minute of that match. This type of manipulation, in which specific in-game events rather than the overall result are targeted, is known as spot-fixing.

Wahi’s arrest came just days after he scored twice in Nice’s victory over Saint-Etienne on May 29, a result that secured the club’s Ligue 1 survival. Twelve days after the Metz fixture, police questioned him in connection with their investigation before releasing him.

Despite the circumstances, Wahi was included in Ivory Coast’s World Cup squad and started the team’s opening group-stage match, a 1-0 win over Ecuador in Philadelphia. He came close to scoring, striking the crossbar from range. Ivory Coast face Germany in Toronto on Saturday, June 21, in a fixture likely to determine which side advances as group winners.

The Mirror has approached Wahi’s representatives, the Ivorian Football Federation, and FIFA for comment.