Ivory Coast's Wahi Under Investigation for Match-Fixing in French League

Elye Wahi (23, OGC Nice), a forward for the Ivory Coast national team currently competing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, is reportedly under investigation for his alleged involvement in match-fixing in the French league prior to the tournament.

U.S. sports media outlet The Athletic reported on June 18 (KST), citing sources, that "Wahi was arrested and subsequently released in connection with match-fixing allegations just less than two weeks before the start of the World Cup."

The Marseille prosecutor's office in France confirmed to The Athletic that "a 23-year-old player competing in France's Ligue 1 was arrested on May 29 as part of an investigation into organized fraud, sports corruption, receiving proceeds of crime, and money laundering." The office added, "He was taken into police custody, questioned, and then released. The investigation is ongoing."

According to subsequent reports from AP and Reuters, the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), which oversees Ligue 1, stated, "We received information from partner organizations that monitor betting markets that an abnormally high volume of bets had been placed on the prediction that Wahi would receive a yellow card during the match between OGC Nice and FC Metz held on May 17 (which ended in a 0-0 draw)."

In that match, Wahi did indeed receive a yellow card.

The LFP stated that upon receiving this information, it immediately reported the matter to the police, gambling regulatory authorities, and the French Football Federation.

Furthermore, without explicitly naming Wahi, the LFP announced that it had "filed a criminal complaint against unidentified individuals in relation to charges of sports corruption and organized fraud."

Wahi's representatives have not yet responded to requests for comment from foreign media outlets regarding these allegations.

Wahi is currently participating in the North America World Cup as a member of the Ivory Coast national team.

He started in the Group E opening match against Ecuador held on June 15, contributing to a 1-0 victory.

Early in the second half, his right-footed shot struck the crossbar.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.