Ivory Coast footballer Elye Wahi has been barred from entering Canada for their World Cup group game with Germany on Saturday, the Ivorian federation has said.
"The administrative authorizations required for his entry into Canada could not, at this time, be obtained," the federation wrote on X on Thursday.
"Elye Wahi will therefore remain in the United States and wait for the team's return."
He was arrested and quizzed in France last month over alleged spot-fixing.
The Marseille public prosecutor's office told dpa that a 23-year-old footballer who plays in France's top league was arrested on May 29 on suspicion of match manipulation and other offences.
The Athletic news portal said the case concerns a French top-flight match on May 17 involving Wahi, who was loaned from Eintracht Frankfurt to Nice in January. Wahi is accused of deliberately receiving a yellow card in the match against Metz, the report said.
The French football league said it had been notified of atypical activity in international sports betting linked to the match. An unusually large amount was said to have been placed on Wahi being booked.
The league alerted the French authorities.
The Ivorian federation did not make a direct link between the spot-fix probe and his failure to gain entry to Canada.
Federation offers Wahi'full support'
But it added in the X statement: "The Ivorian Football Federation has taken note of the various articles and reports ... concerning the Ivory Coast international Elye Wahi. To date, the FIF has not been officially notified of any legal or administrative proceedings concerning him."
The federation said it was offering "its full support" to Wahi and that he remained an important member of the national team.
Canada also blocked Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey from entering for Thursday's 1-0 win over Panama in Toronto. He faces trial next year in London on seven counts of rape and one of sexual assault.
Canada's laws allow border officials to prevent entry to people who have been arrested even if they have not been convicted of a crime.
The United States, co-hosting the tournament with Canada and Mexico, has been in the headlines for visa issues given travel bans on fans from some competing nations, its war with Iran and border tensions with Mexico.
But Canada is the only host so far to have not given visas to two competing players.
Wahi was able to travel to US with his national team for the World Cup and was in the starting line-up in the 1-0 win against Ecuador on Sunday.
Ivory Coast's final group game against Curaçao is in Philadelphia next Thursday when he is set to be involved - unless the French authorities step in.
Frankfurt signed Wahi in January 2025 from Marseille and gave him a five-year contract until 2030. But he was unable to establish himself in his first year and returned to France.
