Four charges are connected to a Premier League match against Leicester City on 12 November, 2022, along with fixtures in 2023 against Aston Villa on 12 March, Leeds United on 21 May, and Bournemouth on 12 August. The 26-year-old has been under investigation since last summer due to suspicious betting patterns.

"It's alleged that he (Paqueta) directly sought 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," a statement from the FA read.

The Brazil international received a yellow card against Leicester for a challenge on Boubakary Soumare and was booked again for a late tackle on Villa's John McGinn. He was shown a third yellow card against Leeds for pulling back Crysencio Summerville and a fourth versus Bournemouth for handling the ball in added time, which prompted the investigation.

Paqueta, who joined West Ham from Ligue 1 side Lyon for an initial fee of €42.8million in August 2022, expressed being "extremely surprised and upset" by the charges. "For nine months, I have co-operated with every step of their investigation and provided all the information I can.

"I deny all the charges in their entirety and will fight with every breath to clear my name. Due to the ongoing process, I will not be providing further comment," the Brazilian stated. The attacking midfielder has additionally faced charges for "two breaches of FA Rule F3 concerning alleged non-compliance under FA Rule F2," which pertains to the provision of information and documents.

A West Ham statement said, "The club will continue to stand by and support the player throughout the process. Lucas categorically denies the breach and will continue to robustly defend his position. The club will continue to stand by and support the player throughout the process.”

Paqueta, who has been named in Brazil's squad for the Copa America next month, has until 3 June to respond to the charge of "misconduct in relation to alleged breaches of FA Rules E5 and F3," pending any request for an extension. While this case will be assessed on its individual merits, Paqueta could potentially face a lengthy ban if found guilty.

Stratford Town defender Kynan Isaac received a ten-year ban in 2022 for his involvement in a spot-fixing arrangement with associates. An independent commission imposed the lengthiest ban since the 1964 match-fixing scandal, which resulted in numerous players being incarcerated and receiving lifetime bans.