FIFA World Cup 2026: Ivory Coast striker Wahi to miss World Cup clash in Canada as travel authorisation not obtained
Toronto, June 18
Ivory Coast striker Elye Wahi will not be able to travel to Canada for his team's FIFA World Cup opener against Germany on June 21, as his authorisation for visiting the country has not yet been obtained, said the Ivorian Football Federation on Thursday.
The announcement comes just a day after Wahi was linked to an investigation into alleged sports corruption, with French authorities saying that unusual betting patterns were detected around a yellow card that the striker received while representing Nice in the Ligue 1 last month.
Wahi, while not named as a suspect, was not available for comment. A spokesperson of the Marseille prosecutor's office told Reuters that the Ligue 1 player was taken into custody on May 29 for an investigation into suspected organised fraud, organised sports corruption, handling stolen goods and money laundering.
FIF has shown their full confidence in their player. "The FIF has not been officially notified of any legal or administrative proceedings concerning him," Reuters reported.
FIF also said that Wahi remains an important part of the Ivory Coast national team. Till the team returns to Philadelphia for their final group stage against Curacao, he will be staying in US, where the team's base camp is in Chester, Pennsylvania.
"The player will not be able to join the delegation's trip to Canada. This is because the administrative authorisations required for him to enter Canadian territory have not yet been obtained. Elye Wahi will therefore remain in the United States until the team returns," said FIF.
Wahi has also represented France at the under-21 level and made his senior level debut for the Ivory Coast back in March. Ivory Coast started off their tournament with a 1-0 win over Ecuador, while Curacao will be heading into the match after a 1-7 loss to four-time champions Germany.
— ANI
Reader Comments
I feel for the player. He must be gutted to miss such a big match. But honestly, with a corruption investigation hanging over his head, maybe it's better he stays out of the spotlight till things are cleared. Hope he gets a chance to play later in the tournament. 🙏
Classic example of modern football's dark side. You hear about match-fixing and betting scams in Indian cricket too, but seeing it happen at the World Cup level is shocking. The authorities need to be more transparent. The "unusual betting patterns" around that yellow card sound very suspicious. 🧐
Ivory Coast won their first match 1-0, so they have a good start. But missing a key striker like Wahi for the Germany clash is a big blow. Germany just thrashed Curacao 7-1, so the Ivorians need all hands on deck. I hope the team management has a backup plan. Good luck to them! 🤞
This FIFA administration never fails to disappoint. How can a player not have his travel papers ready for a World Cup? They have months to prepare. In India, even for a local tournament, we ensure all visas are sorted. This is pure incompetence. Wahi deserves better. 🚫
I'm just a casual football fan, but this whole story sounds like a movie plot. Betting scandal, visa issues, and a World Cup match—all in one week! It's good that the Ivorian Federation is standing by their player for now. Innocent until proven guilty, as
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.