World Cup Player Denied Entry to Canada After Spot-Fixing Arrest

^{Elye Wahi of the Ivory Coast is the subject of a match-fixing investigation and was arrested before the World Cup got underway. (Photo: Harry Langer / DeFodi Images)}

Ivory Coast soccer player Elye Wahi, who is representing his country at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, was arrested on suspicion of fixing events in a Ligue 1 match prior to the tournament, according to a report from The Athletic. Now, despite playing in the Ivory Coast's opening match, Wahi has been denied entry into Canada for the team's next game against Germany on Saturday in Toronto.

Wahi was reportedly arrested by French police on May 29 as part of an investigation into events during a Nice vs. Metz match on May 17.

Authorities Call Foul on Yellow Card

Wahi plays for Nice and has been one of Europe's most sought-after young players, with clubs paying transfer fees of nearly 90 million euros to sign him during his career.

Ligue 1 is the top division of professional club soccer in France, and Nice finished the 2025-26 season in 16th place out of 18 teams. Wahi helped the team narrowly avoid relegation from the top league, scoring two late goals in a 4-1 playoff win over St-Etienne on May 29 after defeating St-Etienne in a two-leg playoff.

Immediately after that match, Wahi was arrested by French police, according to anonymous sources cited by The Athletic. The investigation relates to a match between Nice and Metz on May 17, which ended in a scoreless draw.

According to the report, the investigation concerned whether Wahi had deliberately earned a yellow card in that match. Authorities reportedly looked into the events of that match after the French soccer governing body, the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), was notified of suspicious betting patterns related to wagers on Wahi to receive a yellow card in the game.

In a statement, the LFP confirmed it had been alerted to the suspicious bets while making clear that the investigation is still in its early stages and out of its hands for now.

“The LFP reiterates that it remains fully committed to safeguarding the integrity of its competitions and that it will take the strongest possible action against any behaviour likely to compromise it," the statement read.

The statement leaves open the possibility of disciplinary action from the governing body once police proceedings have run their course, meaning Wahi could face consequences on two separate fronts depending on how the investigation develops.

Prosecutors Confirm Investigation, Won’t Name Player

Authorities in France also confirmed an arrest, though they did not identify the player involved.

“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,” a spokesperson for the Marseille public prosecutor’s office told The Athletic on Tuesday. “He was released after he was interviewed in police custody. The investigations remain ongoing.”

Despite the arrest, Wahi joined the Ivory Coast squad for the World Cup. On Sunday, he was a starter for his country in a 1-0 win over Ecuador in Philadelphia, registering two shots before being subbed out in the second half. It remains unclear whether FIFA was aware of his arrest before the tournament began.

Since that match, the Ivory Coast Football Federation confirmed that Wahi will not travel with the team to Toronto, Canada, for Saturday's match against Germany, because "the necessary administrative authorizations for his entry into Canadian territory could not be obtained at this stage." 

Wahi will remain in the United States pending the team's return. The federation added that it has not been officially notified of any judicial or administrative proceedings involving Wahi and said it "reaffirms its confidence in him."

Prop Fixing Is a Global Problem

There have been no allegations of wrongdoing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is taking place in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. But prop fixing, also known as spot-fixing, has been an issue in American sports as well.

Last season, Major League Baseball suspended two Cleveland Guardians pitchers in relation to an investigation into two pitches that were allegedly deliberately thrown for balls, along with suspicious betting on those pitches. MLB has since moved to limit how much money can be placed on single-pitch bets. 

The NBA has also called for limits on prop bets, as have some government officials in the United States.