Elye Wahi arrested in an investigation for suspicion of betting in France
By OnzeActu · · 2 min read
Aged 23, Wahi was questioned and then released on May 29 in an investigation into betting anomalies linked to a card received during a Ligue 1 match on May 17. He has not been formally indicted and remains available for Ivory Coast at the World Cup.
Less than two weeks before the start of the 2026 World Cup, Ivorian striker Elye Wahi was arrested in France as part of an investigation into suspected betting. According to available information, the arrest took place on May 29; the player was questioned and then released and was not formally indicted.
Authorities are investigating whether Wahi may have knowingly received a yellow card during the Ligue 1 match between Nice and Metz on May 17. Warning signals were triggered by betting movements considered unusual linked to the specific event of the player's carding, a practice that is generally referred to as "spot-fixing" (manipulation of one-off actions within a match for betting stakes).
Prosecutors have confirmed that a 23-year-old footballer playing in Ligue 1 had been arrested in an investigation into alleged organized gang fraud, corruption in sport, money laundering and concealment of proceeds of crime. They said the player was released after questioning and that the investigation was continuing.
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Wahi has not made a public comment on these facts. However, he participated in Ivory Coast's opening match at the World Cup against Ecuador and remains, for the moment, eligible and available for selection as long as the investigation continues and no disciplinary decision from the courts or FIFA is taken.
On the club side, the card in question led to a suspension which forced Wahi to miss the first round of the Nice maintenance play-off. Returning for the second match against Saint-Étienne, he scored twice in the 4-1 success which ensured the Aiglons' survival, performances which earned him the title of man of the match before his departure for the selection.
Born in France, Elye Wahi had worn French colors in the youth category before opting for Ivory Coast in the senior selection earlier this year. Trained in Montpellier, he then had stints with Lens, Marseille and Eintracht Frankfurt. Loaned to Nice in January, he played an important role in the end of the season for the Riviera club.
For the moment, the procedure remains at the investigation stage: no charges have been made publicly against the player and no sanctions have been announced by FIFA. The investigations carried out by the French authorities will have to determine whether there has been manipulation of gaming events for betting purposes, or whether the anomalies observed can be explained otherwise.