Ivory Coast forward Elye Wahi had reportedly been arrested for alleged fixing offences on the eve of the 2026 World Cup.
Wahi, 23, who made his World Cup debut in the Ivory Coast’s 1-0 win over Ecuador on Sunday, was arrested for events two weeks before the tournament.
The forward is under an active investigation, which is seeking to determine whether he deliberately earned a yellow card while playing for his club, Nice, against Metz on May 17th.
He was arrested by French police on May 29th, immediately after scoring a brace in Nice’s 4-1 relegation play-off win over Saint-Etienne.
A spokesperson for the Marseille public prosecutor’s office told The Athletic: “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 organised fraud, organised 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.”
