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World Cup star arrested over alleged French betting offences

Ivory Coast international Elye Wahi is the subject of an ongoing investigation into alleged betting-related offences after being arrested by French police less than two weeks before the start of the 2026 World Cup.

The 23-year-old striker has not been charged with any offence and remains available for his country at the tournament while investigations continue.

Wahi featured in Ivory Coast’s opening World Cup match against Ecuador and is expected to remain part of the squad unless further developments emerge.

According to reports, the investigation centres on suspicions that Wahi may have deliberately received a yellow card during Nice’s Ligue 1 match against Metz on May 17.

Authorities are reportedly examining unusual betting activity linked to the player being booked during that fixture.

The investigation was launched after alerts were raised over suspicious betting patterns connected to the match.

The practice of manipulating specific events within a game for betting purposes is commonly referred to as spot-fixing.

French prosecutors have confirmed that a 23-year-old Ligue 1 footballer was arrested on May 29 as part of an investigation involving allegations of organised fraud, sports corruption, money laundering and handling the proceeds of crime.

However, prosecutors also confirmed that the player was released after being questioned and that investigations remain ongoing.

Wahi has not publicly commented on the allegations.

The forward was arrested shortly after helping Nice secure their Ligue 1 status.

Having missed the first leg of the club’s relegation play-off through suspension, Wahi returned for the decisive second leg against Saint-Etienne and scored twice in a 4-1 victory.

His performance earned him the man-of-the-match award before he later joined up with the Ivory Coast squad for the World Cup.

The booking that triggered the investigation came during the first half of Nice’s match against Metz.

Wahi was shown a yellow card following a challenge on defender Sadibou Sane after already committing an earlier foul in the game.

That caution resulted in a suspension for the first leg of Nice’s relegation play-off.

The striker remains one of Ivory Coast’s key attacking players at the tournament.

Born in France, Wahi represented the country at youth level before switching his international allegiance to Ivory Coast earlier this year.

He came through the ranks at Montpellier before enjoying spells with Lens, Marseille and Eintracht Frankfurt.

After struggling for regular goals in Germany, he joined Nice on loan in January and played an important role in helping the club avoid relegation.

For now, the legal process remains at the investigation stage.

No charges have been filed, no disciplinary action has been announced by FIFA, and Wahi remains eligible to continue playing while authorities determine whether any wrongdoing took place.