An Ivory Coast forward started his team’s World Cup opener, but he is playing under the shadow of a recent match-fixing arrest

Elye Wahi took the field as a starter for the Ivory Coast in its World Cup opening match this past Sunday, but his presence on the pitch is currently overshadowed by a serious legal investigation. The 23-year-old forward was arrested on suspicion of match fixing less than two weeks before the tournament began. While he has not been charged with a crime, the ongoing investigation into his professional activities has created a complex situation for his national team on the world stage.

According to BroBible, the allegations against Wahi stem from a Ligue 1 match between Nice and Metz that took place in May. The Ligue de Football Professionnel, which serves as the governing body for professional soccer in France, received multiple alerts regarding suspicious betting patterns related to that specific fixture. These wagers were focused on the likelihood of Wahi receiving a yellow card.

During the 35th minute of that match, Wahi committed a late tackle on Metz defender Sadibou Sane and was issued a yellow card by the official. Following the incident, Wahi was suspended for one match due to yellow card accumulation. He returned to the lineup on May 29 and scored two goals that helped Nice avoid relegation.

The Yellow Card Under Investigation

The Marseille public prosecutor’s office confirmed the arrest of a 23-year-old Ligue 1 player, stating: “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 organized fraud, organized sports corruption, handling of proceeds of crime and money laundering.”

The authorities also noted, “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.” FIFA has not responded to requests for comment regarding the matter, and it remains unclear if the organization was aware of the arrest before the tournament started.

If these allegations are proven, it could certainly impact his future eligibility for international competition, highlighting a broader trend of prominent athletes facing serious fraud charges. Wahi has had a long road to this point in his career. Born on January 2, 2023 in Courcouronnes, France, to parents of Ivorian descent, he began his youth career at only six years old.

He made his professional debut in 2019 and has since played more than 150 matches for clubs including Montpellier, Lens, Marseille, Eintracht Frankfurt, and Nice. He is currently on loan to Nice from Eintracht Frankfurt. After playing for various French youth national teams and making his U23 debut at the 2024 Olympics, he received approval from FIFA to switch his allegiance to the Ivory Coast in March of 2026. Coach Emerse Fae added him to the senior roster in May.

This tournament is his first international competition with the Ivory Coast, which secured a 1-0 victory over Ecuador in its opening match. The team is scheduled to play Germany on Saturday and will finish group play against Curacao. Despite his talent on the field, Wahi has faced previous controversies.

In 2018, he was expelled from the College Jean-Moulin secondary school, which partnered with the Caen youth academy, following allegations that, “Under the verbal threat of physical violence, (Wahi) ordered three of his classmates to follow him into the restrooms and forced them to undress.”

Additionally, he was accused of violence in October 2021 when a 22-year-old woman claimed he punched her in the nose at a night club, though he denied the claim and the case was eventually closed without further action.