Lucas Paquetá is considering legal proceedings against the Football Association (FA) after being cleared of spot-fixing allegations that have hung over him for nearly two years.
The West Ham midfielder, 28, was charged in May 2024 on the accusation that he intentionally received yellow cards in order to benefit betting markets. However, in July 2025, an independent commission dismissed all four charges, concluding that the FA’s arguments relied almost entirely on circumstantial evidence.
Those close to Paquetá have confirmed that his legal team is exploring potential next steps, which may include suing the FA for damages. The written judgment, released on Wednesday, strongly criticised the governing body’s handling of the case—particularly its decision to present betting data through its own employee rather than consulting independent experts, a choice the commission described as a serious weakness.
The lengthy investigation has already had profound consequences for Paquetá. His proposed £80m transfer to Manchester City collapsed when the probe was first made public in 2023, a development that the panel noted had cost both player and club potential earnings “running into the tens of millions of pounds.” Both West Ham and Paquetá are understood to be assessing their legal rights in light of those losses. The FA, meanwhile, has confirmed it will not appeal the ruling.
The commission’s 314-page report, produced by Sports Resolutions, revealed that a review of Paquetá’s mobile phones found no evidence of gambling activity or links to the matches under scrutiny. Although more than 300 deleted messages were recovered, none related to betting, reinforcing the player’s claim that he had no involvement. The panel stressed that investigators should be cautious about making assumptions based on missing data, calling such conclusions unreliable.
On-field evidence also failed to support the allegations. Testimony from former West Ham manager David Moyes and ex-Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg suggested the cautions in question were typical of Paquetá’s style of play and did not indicate deliberate intent. Clattenburg even argued that two of the four yellow cards should not have been issued at all.
The commission further criticised the FA’s decision to rely on its own betting integrity investigator, Tom Astley, instead of securing an external specialist. Astley described the betting patterns as appearing “orchestrated,” but the FA’s legal team later distanced itself from that claim, leaving its case without a coherent foundation.
The ruling is one of the most detailed in the history of sports law, with Paquetá’s lawyer, Nick De Marco, describing it as likely the longest written judgment ever delivered in a sports dispute. He highlighted the significance of the case, noting both the seriousness of the charges and the sheer volume of evidence involved.
While Paquetá’s acquittal clears his name, the investigation has already inflicted reputational and financial damage. Any legal action against the FA could therefore set an important precedent for how governing bodies pursue integrity cases in the future—especially when allegations intersect with the global betting industry.
