West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta Cleared of Spot-Fixing After Nearly Two-Year Investigation 

West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta’s long nightmare is over after being cleared of the FA’s spot-fixing charges following an independent investigation that loomed over the Brazilian star for nearly two years. 

Paqueta, who faced a lifetime ban if found guilty, denied any wrongdoing throughout the extended process. West Ham confirmed Paqueta was cleared in an X post earlier today.

West Ham United can confirm that an independent Regulatory Commission has cleared Lucas Paquetá of misconduct charges made against him by the Football Association for alleged breaches of FA rule E5.

— West Ham United (@WestHam) July 31, 2025

Paqueta Investigation Centered on ‘Deliberate’ Yellow Cards

In August 2023, the FA launched an investigation to determine if Paqueta had intentionally received yellow cards in four Premier League matches in 2022 and 2023. Ultimately, the FA officially charged Paqueta last May.

The FA’s statement at the time said that Paqueta tried to “influence the progress, conduct, or any other aspect of, or occurrence in these matches by intentionally seeking to receive a card from the referee for the improper purpose of affecting the betting market in order for one or more persons to profit from betting.”

Paqueta expressed his relief over the independent commission’s findings in a statement from the team, saying: “Since the first day of this investigation, I have maintained my innocence against these extremely serious accusations. 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.” 

West Ham United Vice-Chair Karren Brady added: “We are pleased Lucas has been cleared. He has maintained his innocence from the outset, and as a club we have resolutely stood by him and supported him throughout the process. Despite the incredible pressure on him, Lucas has performed week in and week out.”

Despite Paqueta being cleared of all major offenses, he was still found in breach of FA Rule F3, which involves complying with investigations. The commission will decide on sanctions (if any) in the future.

BoyleSports Replaced Betway as Shirt Sponsor During Investigation

Irish sports betting operator BoyleSports inked a $16M deal to become West Ham United’s shirt sponsor while the Paqueta investigation was still ongoing in June. BoyleSports replaced longtime sponsor Betway, which partnered with the club back in 2015.

Boyle Sports won’t enjoy such a longstanding presence, but will rather be “one and done” after this season ends. Premier clubs agreed in a previous vote to end front-of-shirt betting sponsors starting with the 2026-27 season.

Recent Premier League Players Suspended for Gambling Offenses

Premier League players have faced suspensions for gambling offenses in recent years. Last year, Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali was sanctioned with a two-month ban for breaching the FA’s betting rules.

The FA, which charged the midfielder with 50 breaches of FA Rule E8 for placing bets on football matches in 2023, said Tonali admitted to having wagered on the matches.

Brentford’s Ivan Toney received a reduced eight-month ban from the FA in 2023 after being diagnosed as a gambling addict. Toney was also slapped with a £50,000 fine after he accepted 232 breaches of the FA’s rules on betting.