World Cup 2026: Ivory Coast's Elye Wahi denied entry to Canada amid spot-fixing investigation

Ivory Coast forward Elye Wahi has been denied entry into Canada ahead of his country's FIFA World Cup group-stage clash against Germany on Saturday, after authorities failed to grant him the necessary travel authorisation.

The 23-year-old, who started Ivory Coast's opening 1-0 win over Ecuador, will remain in the United States while the rest of the squad travels to Toronto, the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) confirmed.

The development comes after reports that Wahi was arrested in France last month as part of an investigation into alleged spot-fixing in Ligue 1. He is accused of deliberately receiving a yellow card while playing for Nice against Metz in May, an incident that reportedly triggered unusually high betting activity.

The Marseille public prosecutor's office confirmed that a 23-year-old Ligue 1 footballer had been arrested as part of an investigation into organised fraud, sports corruption, money laundering and handling the proceeds of crime. Wahi was not named by prosecutors but was later released after questioning, with the investigation continuing.

The French Professional Football League (LFP) also confirmed it had been alerted to suspicious betting patterns linked to a booking involving Wahi. No disciplinary action has been taken, although the league said it reserves the right to act depending on the outcome of the investigation.

In a statement, the FIF said it had not received official notification of any judicial or administrative proceedings involving the player and reaffirmed its support for him.

The federation added that Wahi could not travel because the required administrative authorisation to enter Canada had not been obtained. He is expected to remain in the United States until the team returns after facing Germany, with Ivory Coast's final group match against Curacao set to take place in Philadelphia.

Wahi becomes the second player at the tournament to be refused entry into Canada, following Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey, who was denied a visa earlier this week because of ongoing criminal proceedings in the United Kingdom.