West Ham midfielder Lucas Paquetá faces charges from the English Football Association for his alleged involvement in a soccer betting scandal.
The FA is accusing Paquetá of attempting to influence the outcome of matches by deliberately trying to receive a card from the referee, impacting the English Premier League’s betting market for financial gain.
It is the third major league sports betting scandal to emerge over the past few months, which have seen MLB superstars associated with offshore gambling rings and NBA players handed lifelong bans.
Multiple Premier League outcomes called into question
Paquetá’s alleged violations include three matches from the 2022-23 season, his debut season in the Premier League, and the first match of the 2023-24 season.
The matches in question were against Leicester City on November 12, 2022, Aston Villa on March 12, 2023, Leeds United on May 21, 2023, and AFC Bournemouth on August 12, 2023.
The FA declined to provide further details. According to its betting policy, players may be banned for life depending on the extent of a sports betting scandal.
Paquetá denies wrongdoing
Paquetá took to Instagram to deny the accusations, expressing surprise and frustration at the FA’s charges.
“I am extremely surprised and upset that the FA has decided to charge me. I have cooperated with every step of their investigation and provided all the information I can. I deny the charges in their entirety and will fight with every breath to clear my name. I will not be providing any further comment.”
The FA has given Paquetá until June 3 to formally respond to the charges.
Charges handed down after season
ESPN reported in August that Paquetá faced potential betting rule violations, though he continued to play for West Ham throughout the FA’s investigation. He is listed on Brazil’s squad for the upcoming Copa América in June.
West Ham inked the Brazilian to a five-year, $39 million contract in 2022 after paying a $64 million transfer fee to acquire him from Lyon. In his first season with the club, he helped West Ham secure its second Europa Conference League trophy.
He tallied four goals and six assists on the way to West Ham’s ninth-place Premier League finish in 2024.
Club implicated in soccer betting scandal features sportsbook on kits
The Betway logo has appeared on the front of all West Ham kits since 2015. It is one handful of English clubs with a “front-of-shirt” sports betting sponsorship.
A ban on those sponsorships, part of a larger effort to reduce gambling advertising in the UK, will take effect in 2026.
Betting-related charges have become more common in English football, with recent suspensions handed down to Brentford’s Ivan Toney and Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali. In Tonali’s case, it meant missing international play.
