West Ham's Lucas Paquetá cleared of betting charges

Graphic.com.gh Sports News Jul - 31 - 2025 , 17:46 3 minutes read

West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paquetá has been cleared of spot-fixing allegations by an independent regulatory commission, nearly two years after the Football Association (FA) launched its investigation.

The FA began its inquiry in August 2023, and the Brazilian international was formally charged in May 2024. The charges alleged that Paquetá had deliberately received yellow cards “for the improper purpose of affecting the betting market,” raising the possibility of a lifetime ban if found guilty.

The four charges were linked to Premier League matches against Leicester City (12 November 2022), Aston Villa (12 March 2023), Leeds United (21 May 2023), and Bournemouth (12 August 2023). However, after a hearing, the commission concluded that the charges were “not proven.”

Paquetá was also accused of two counts of failing to cooperate with the investigation, having allegedly breached FA Rule F3 by not complying with requests for information under Rule F2. While he denied those charges as well, the commission found them to be proven. A sanction for those breaches will be determined “at the earliest opportunity.”

“Since the first day of this investigation, I have maintained my innocence against these extremely serious accusations,” Paquetá said in a statement.

Lucas Paqueta: West Ham midfielder facing lifetime ban over betting charge

See the four spot-fixing incidents which have resulted in West Ham's Paqueta facing a lifetime ban

“I can't say anything more at this time, but I would like to express how grateful I am to God and how eager I am to return to playing football with a smile on my face. To my wife who never let go of my hand, to West Ham United, to the fans who always cheered me on, and to my family, friends and legal team—thank you for everything.”

The 27-year-old joined West Ham from Lyon in August 2022 for an initial £36.5 million and helped the club win the UEFA Europa Conference League in his debut season. He scored four goals in 33 Premier League appearances during the 2024–25 campaign.

Paquetá was visibly emotional after being booked in a match against Tottenham in May. That same evening, his wife, Maria Fournier, posted on Instagram that they had "been living this nightmare for two years."

Following the FA charges last year, Paquetá said he was “extremely surprised and upset.”

West Ham vice-chair Karren Brady welcomed the outcome, saying the club was “pleased” with the verdict and had “resolutely stood by Lucas throughout the process.”

“It has been a difficult time for Lucas and his family, but he has remained absolutely professional throughout and he is now looking forward to drawing a line under this episode, as is everyone at West Ham United,” Brady said.

The FA confirmed it is awaiting the written reasons from the regulatory commission and “will not be commenting further until that time.”