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Elye Wahi’s 2026 World Cup campaign nearly hit a wall, and not the defensive kind. The Ivory Coast striker was blocked from entering Canada on June 18, only to be cleared hours later after the Ivory Coast Football Federation (FIF) pulled off a last-minute administrative scramble to get him from Philadelphia to Toronto.
The 23-year-old, currently on loan at OGC Nice, is under investigation in France for alleged match-fixing. That investigation is what triggered the initial travel denial, turning what should have been routine squad logistics into a diplomatic fire drill.
What happened, and why it almost didn’t
Here’s the timeline. On May 29, French authorities arrested Wahi in connection with suspected match-fixing during a Ligue 1 match between OGC Nice and FC Metz on May 17. The game ended 0-0, and investigators flagged unusual betting patterns surrounding a yellow card Wahi allegedly received under suspicious circumstances.
Ivory Coast opened their tournament against Ecuador on June 15, and Wahi played. No issues. The squad was based in Philadelphia, and things seemed fine.
Then came June 18. The team needed to travel to Toronto for their group-stage match against Germany, and Canada’s entry requirements collided with Wahi’s legal situation. The FIF initially announced that Wahi would not be cleared to travel and would remain behind in Philadelphia.
Within hours, the federation confirmed it had secured the necessary administrative clearances, and Wahi was back on the travel roster.
The match-fixing allegations
French authorities are examining whether Wahi intentionally picked up a yellow card during the Nice-Metz match, a game that carried no significant sporting stakes but apparently attracted some eyebrow-raising betting activity.
Wahi was arrested on May 29, just weeks before the World Cup kicked off. Despite the timing, the FIF has publicly backed the player, noting that it has not received any formal judicial notification regarding the case. In English: until a court tells them otherwise, they’re treating him as available for selection.
For Ivory Coast’s World Cup campaign, the stakes are obvious. Wahi is a key attacking option, and losing him for the Germany match would have been a significant tactical blow. Born on January 2, 2003, he’s in the prime development window for a striker and represents a core part of the squad’s forward depth.
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