MLS bans two players for life over sports betting involvement

Major League Soccer announced Monday that it has permanently banned players Derrick Jones and Yaw Yeboah for involvement in sports betting activities, including wagers on their own matches during the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

The investigation, conducted by law firm Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP, concluded that both players engaged in extensive football betting over the two-year period. The MLS initiated the inquiry after receiving suspicious betting alerts through integrity partners, leading to the players being placed on administrative leave in October 2025 while the matter was examined.

Yeboah, 28, is a Ghanaian international who won the MLS Cup with Columbus Crew in 2023. Jones, 29, holds both Ghanaian and American citizenship and has played in Major League Soccer since 2017.

Among the specific findings, the investigation determined that the players placed a bet for Jones to receive a yellow card in a match on October 19, 2024—an outcome that occurred. The investigation also identified multiple other instances of betting on their own teams' matches during the investigation period.

The MLS stated that no evidence was found suggesting the betting activities affected match results. The league's decision to impose lifetime bans represents one of the most severe disciplinary actions in recent MLS history.