Ivory Coast international, Elye Wahi, has been denied entry to Canada and will miss his country’s World Cup group game against Germany on Saturday.
The decision rules the Nice forward out of the fixture in Toronto, where Ivory Coast continue their Group E campaign.
23-year-old Wahi had featured in the side’s opening victory over Ecuador on Sunday.
The situation surrounding the forward has developed alongside an ongoing investigation in France linked to alleged spot-fixing in Ligue 1.
He was reportedly arrested last month in connection with the case.
Wahi has been accused of deliberately receiving a yellow card while playing for Nice against Metz in May, an incident now part of wider scrutiny into betting activity.
Spot-fixing refers to the manipulation of specific incidents within a match for betting gain.
A statement to the Athletic from the public prosecutor’s office in Marseille confirmed that a 23-year-old football player competing in Ligue 1 was arrested, without naming Wahi.
On Wednesday, Ligue de Football (LFP) confirmed that it had been alerted to “an unusually high volume of bets placed on a warning involving the player Elye Wahi”.
The Ivory Coast football federation (FIF) said it had not been informed of any “judicial or administrative proceedings” involving the player, but confirmed that he had been unable to secure the required clearance to enter Canada.
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“The Ivorian Football Federation has taken note of the various articles and information published on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, concerning the Ivorian international Elye Wahi,” the federation said in a statement.
“To date, the FIF has not been officially notified of any judicial or administrative proceedings involving him.
“In this particularly delicate period, the FIF extends all its support to the player and reaffirms its confidence in him. Elye Wahi remains an important element of the Ivory Coast national team.
“The FIF also informs that the player will not be able to join the delegation’s trip to Canada. Indeed, the necessary administrative authorisations for his entry into Canadian territory could not be obtained at this stage.
“Elye Wahi will therefore remain in the United States pending the team’s return.”
Ivory Coast are scheduled to face Germany in Toronto before travelling to Philadelphia for their next group match against Curacao.
Wahi’s situation marks the second case of a World Cup player being denied entry to Canada, following Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey, who was refused a visa due to ongoing legal proceedings in the United Kingdom.
Partey has denied charges relating to rape and sexual assault and is scheduled to stand trial next year. He was previously ruled out of Ghana’s World Cup match against Panama after immigration authorities rejected his entry application.
A request from the Ghanaian government for temporary entry was also dismissed by a federal court in Ottawa.
