Inside Lucas Paqueta’s FA saga – Timeline of 24-month investigation
Lucas Paqueta has now been cleared of all charges after a two-year investigation into alleged spot-fixing.
It has been a difficult period for the West Ham midfielder, who saw his form drop over the course of the last year, with this cloud hanging over him.
Paqueta could still end up leaving the Hammers this summer, but this investigation prevented him from joining Manchester City in a big-money move two years ago.
In what was a drawn-out set of events, West Ham Zone has now laid out all the key events which took place over the last two years.
Paqueta’s alleged offences
The whole saga started almost three years ago, when he picked up a yellow card in a Premier League clash with Leicester City in November 2022.
With West Ham a goal down at home, the Brazilian slid in for a reckless challenge on Boubakary Soumare, taking the player out from behind and getting nowhere near the ball, and this saw him handed a yellow card.
More yellow cards then came under investigation, with it alleged that the player was attempting to be booked on purpose in order to win bets.
Paqueta’s yellow cards against Aston Villa, Leeds and Bournemouth in 2023 came under the microscope, and the midfielder appeared to be in big trouble.
- Leicester (12 November 2022).
- Aston Villa (12 March 2023)
- Leeds United (21 May 2023)
- Bournemouth (21 August 2023)
August 2023: Paqueta agrees move to Manchester City
Paqueta’s strong debut campaign for West Ham attracted interest from Manchester City, and after some tough negotiating, they agreed an £80 million deal (Sky Sports) in principle to sign him.
This came shortly after the sale of Declan Rice to Arsenal, and while this was set to significantly weaken West Ham, their finances would have been in an incredibly healthy position if the deal had gone through.
The FA then opened an investigation into the alleged offences, meaning that the deal collapsed on 23 August 2023.
- Man City agreed an £80m deal to sign Paqueta, which then fell through.
- Paqueta would have been part of a title-winning team.
May 2024: Charges issued
Paqueta continued to play for West Ham amid the ongoing investigation, and had his best season statistically as he recorded 10 goal and assist contributions in 31 Premier League games.
The 27-year-old was then officially charged on 23 May 2024, just two days before the end of the season, but he came on as a substitute as West Ham beat Ipswich Town on the final day.
He was given until 3 June to respond to the charges, but while he was not suspended from playing, West Ham could not sell him despite interest from Flamengo until the charges were resolved.
Paqueta was potentially facing a lifetime ban from football if found guilty of spot-fixing, and his performances were affected for the following season.
With no end date in sight, frustration was brewing with both the player and club, as neither side had any clarity while the case dragged on.
| Stat | 22-23 | 23-24 | 24-25 |
| Appearances | 43 | 43 | 36 |
| Goals | 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Assists | 7 | 7 | 0 |
July 2025: Paqueta cleared of all charges
The outcome of the case was significant, with millions of pounds, West Ham’s squad building and Paqueta’s own career all at stake, and there was relief at the London Stadium.
It emerged on Saturday, July 26, that Paqueta was to be cleared of all charges, with no offence deemed to have taken place.
The decision was confirmed in recent days, and the Brazilian sprung back into life as he starred in a friendly victory against Everton.
Paqueta’s next steps will be to work out whether he should stay at West Ham or seek a fresh start elsewhere, while the Hammers also need to decide what to do with an asset with two years left on his contract.
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