Elye Wahi started the opening match of the World Cup for the Ivory Coast. He was arrested on suspicion of match fixing less than two weeks before the tournament.
The forward remains under an active investigation while in the starting lineup for his home country on the biggest stage in soccer.
Although the 23-year-old international soccer player has not been charged, the allegations are concerning. It could impact his eligibility.
Who is Elye Wahi?
Sepe Elye Delmas Wahi was born on January 2, 2023 in Courcouronnes, France. He was born to parents of Ivorian descent.
The 23-year-old forward began his youth soccer career at the age of six. Wahi made his professional debut in 2019. Since then, he has played more than 150 matches for Montpellier, Lens, Marseille, Eintracht Frankfurt and Nice. He is currently on loan to Nice, on the top tier of French football, from Eintracht Frankfurt of the Bundesliga. His international career recently saw a
Wahi played for his home country of France as a U16, U17, U19, U20 and U21 player. He made his debut for the U23 team at the Olympics in 2024. FIFA approved his request to switch allegiance to Ivory Coast in March of 2026. Ivorian national team coach Emerse Fae added him to the roster for the senior squad in May.
This current World Cup is Wahi’s first international tournament as a member of the Ivory Coast. The Ivory Coast defeated Ecuador 1-0 during its opening match of the summer. It will next play Germany on Saturday. It will conclude group play against Curacao.
This is not the first scandal.
Unfortunately, controversy has followed Elye Wahi throughout his career.
He was expelled from the College Jean-Moulin secondary school in partnership with Caen’s youth academy in 2018. The school alleged 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.” Investigative reporter Romain Molina alleged that Wahi pressured three students to masturbate in front of him. The French club immediately cut him from the team.
Wahi was later accused of violence in October 2021. A 22-year-old woman claimed that he punched her in the nose at a night club. He denied the allegations. The case was eventually closed without further action.
Why did the Ivory Coast soccer player get arrested?
Elye Wahi made his World Cup debut on Sunday. Jacob Whitehead dropped a bombshell report on Wednesday.
According to The Athletic, the Ivorian soccer player was arrested on “suspicion of fixing offences less than two weeks before the tournament.” The 23-year-old is currently subject to an investigation. It stems from a club match between Nice and Metz in May.
The Ligue de Football Professionnel is the governing body of professional soccer in France. It received several notifications of suspicious betting patterns in Nice’s Ligue 1 fixture against Metz. The wagers were placed on Wahl to receive a yellow card.
Sure enough, Wahi received a yellow card in the 35th minute. He made a late tackle on Mertz defender Sadibou Sane.
Wahi was suspended for the next match as a result of yellow card accumulation. He made his return to the lineup on May 29 and scored two goals to save Nice from relegation.
French police immediately arrested him after the match. He has not been charged with a crime. He remains under investigation.
The Marseille public prosecutor’s office gave the following statement on the situation:
“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.
“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 did not respond to Whithead’s request for comment. It is unclear as to whether the governing body knew of the arrest.