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.
