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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Matt Hughes

West Ham’s Lucas Paquetá cleared of spot-fixing charges brought by FA

Lucas Paquetá was charged by the Football Association in May and faced a lengthy ban if found guilty
Lucas Paquetá was charged by the Football Association in May and faced a lengthy ban if found guilty. Photograph: Zac Goodwin/PA

Lucas Paquetá has been cleared of spot-fixing following a two-year investigation by the Football Association. The West Ham midfielder was charged with four counts of being deliberately booked to influence betting markets on Premier League games in May 2024, but the independent regulatory commission that heard the case has found the charges to be not proven.

Paquetá – who had faced a life ban – has asserted his innocence since being made aware the FA had been alerted to suspicious betting patterns around bookings he received in four Premier League games while playing for West Ham in 2022 and 2023, an investigation that led to the collapse of a proposed £85m move to Manchester City in August 2023. The 27-year-old has continued to play for West Ham and Brazil, who have supported him throughout the process.

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