World Cup 2026: Ivory Coast's Elye Wahi denied entry to Canada

Key Points:

• Ivory Coast international Elye Wahi has been denied entry to Canada for his country's World Cup match against Germany due to alleged involvement in spot-fixing in Ligue 1, with investigations ongoing after his arrest last month.
• Wahi, 23, was accused of deliberately earning a yellow card in a Ligue 1 match to influence betting markets, leading to an investigation by the Marseille public prosecutor's office into organized fraud and sports corruption.
• The Ivorian Football Federation stated they had not been officially notified of any judicial proceedings against Wahi but confirmed he could not obtain Canadian entry authorization and will remain in the United States during the team's Canada trip.
• Ligue de Football (LFP) acknowledged an unusually high volume of bets placed on Wahi's yellow card and emphasized their commitment to competition integrity, while refraining from disciplinary action pending investigation results.
• Wahi is the second World Cup player denied entry to Canada, following Ghana's Thomas Partey, who was refused a visa due to ongoing criminal proceedings in the UK related to serious charges.