Ivory Coast forward Elye Wahi is at the centre of a French police investigation into suspected sports corruption following unusual betting patterns around a yellow card he received in Ligue 1 on May 17, 2026 [1, 2, 3]. Authorities were alerted by the French Professional Football League (LFP) when monitoring partners detected a high volume of international bets specifically targeting Wahi’s yellow card during Nice’s final league game against Metz [1, 2, 3].
Wahi, 23, was booked in the 35th minute of that match, triggering the scrutiny that led to the probe [3]. A form of spot-fixing is suspected, where specific in-game events such as yellow cards are manipulated for betting gains [3].
On May 29, 2026, Wahi was taken into custody by French police as part of an investigation into organised fraud, sports corruption, handling stolen goods, and money laundering—charges linked to the suspicious betting activity and broader corruption allegations [1, 2, 3]. Authorities have widely identified the 23-year-old Ligue 1 player in custody as Wahi [1, 2, 3]. Hours before his arrest, he scored two goals against Saint-Étienne for Nice [3].
Following questioning, Wahi was released from police custody but has not faced formal charges yet [3]. Despite the ongoing investigation, he traveled to the United States and played for Ivory Coast in their 1-0 World Cup win over Ecuador on June 14, 2026 [3].
The investigation into Elye Wahi was made public on June 17, 2026, highlighting continued law enforcement attention on suspected corruption in French football [1, 2, 3]. Authorities are continuing to examine the case and gather evidence related to the unusual betting and potential spot-fixing.
Further updates are expected as the investigation progresses.
