Elye Wahi

Sepe Elye Delmas Wahi (born 2 January 2003) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Nice on loan from German club Eintracht Frankfurt. Born in France, he plays for the Ivory Coast national team.

Early life Sepe Elye Delmas Wahi was born on 2 January 2003 He is of Ivorian descent.

Wahi's father died when he was two years old. He grew up with his mother Olga, his sister, and his stepfather Richmond.

Club career Caen While a youth player at Caen, Wahi made headlines for scoring 89 goals in the 2016–17 season as an under-14 and under-15 player.

Montpellier On 17 October 2019, Wahi signed his first professional contract with Montpellier. He made his professional debut in a 2–0 Ligue 1 loss to Metz on 16 December 2020.

Wahi scored his first goal for Montpellier in a 3–2 loss to Monaco on 15 January 2021. In doing so, he became the club's second-youngest ever goal scorer at the age of 18 years and 13 days. On 14 March 2022, Wahi signed a contract extension at Montpellier. On 29 December 2022, by scoring his twentieth career Ligue 1 goal in a 2–0 away win over Lorient, Wahi became only the second teenager after Kylian Mbappé to reach this milestone in the previous forty years. He quickly became the second youngest player in the history of Ligue 1 to reach the landmark of 25 goals in the competition. On 7 May 2023, he scored four goals in fifteen minutes for Montpellier in a 5–4 away defeat to Lyon.

Lens On 20 August 2023, Wahi signed a five-year contract with Lens following a €35 million transfer from Montpellier. The deal became Lens's record arrival, Montpellier's record sale, and the second-biggest transfer between two Ligue 1 clubs. On the same day, he was presented to the Stade Bollaert-Delelis ahead of a match against Rennes, holding his new number 9 shirt. On 29 September, he scored his first goal at the club in a 1–0 away win over Strasbourg. On 3 October, he scored his first UEFA Champions League goal and provided an assist in a 2–1 home victory over Arsenal, winning the player of the match award.

Marseille On 13 August 2024, Wahi joined fellow Ligue 1 club Marseille for a fee of €25 million, plus €5 million in potential bonuses. It was reported by the media, but not confirmed by the club, that he had signed a five-year contract.

Eintracht Frankfurt On 24 January 2025, Wahi moved to Germany and signed a five-and-a-half-year contract with Eintracht Frankfurt.

Nice (loans) On 1 January 2026, Wahi was loaned to Ligue 1 side Nice until the end of the season. Two days later, he netted a goal on his debut in a 1–1 draw with Strasbourg.

After spending the 2026–27 preseason with Eintracht, on 24 August 2026 Wahi returned to Nice on another loan, with an option to buy.

International career Youth Wahi is a youth international for France. He had a single cap with France U17, where he played against Italy U17 on 3 December 2019. The match ended in a 1–1 draw.

With France U19, he scored a goal against England U19 on 6 October 2021, in a 3–1 win. He then also scored in the next game against Mexico U19, which ended in a 4–1 victory.

In September 2022, Wahi was called up for the first time with France U21 by manager Sylvain Ripoll. He went on to score his first goal on his second cap for the national side against Belgium U21.

Senior On 28 March 2026, Wahi's request to switch allegiance to Ivory Coast was approved by FIFA.

On May 15, 2026, Wahi was integrated by Ivory Coast coach Emerse Faé in his list of 26 players in order to participate in the 2026 World Cup. After making his World Cup debut starting in a 1–0 win over Ecuador, he was denied a visa to Canada for the second match against Germany due to alleged involvement in a spot-fixing scandal earlier that year. He was later granted entry after officials confirmed he met the requirements for travel.

Controversies In March 2018, Elye Wahi was expelled from the Collège Jean-Moulin secondary school in partnership with Caen's youth academy. The woman received treatment from emergency services for her injuries. Wahi's entourage denied the allegations, and the case was eventually closed without further action.

Career statistics Club

International

Honours Nice

Coupe de France runner-up: 2025–26

Individual Ligue 1 Goal of the Year: 2022–23