Major League Soccer (MLS) has announced lifetime bans for two players after they were found to be involved in sports betting activities, including wagers related to matches involving their own teams.
The decision comes as part of the league’s efforts to protect the integrity and credibility of its competition.
The sanctions apply to Ghana international Yaw Yeboah (28), who won the league title with Columbus Crew in 2023, and American player of Ghanaian descent Derrick Jones (29), who has been playing in MLS since 2016.
According to the league, the punishment stems from betting activities carried out by the two players during 2024 and 2025.
MLS stated that there is no evidence suggesting that the wagers directly influenced the results of matches.
However, the investigation revealed that the players bet on specific in-game events, including an instance where Jones reportedly wagered on receiving a yellow card on October 19, 2024.
The league also indicated that the players may have shared confidential information with other bettors regarding these events, which led to the severe disciplinary action.
Yeboah previously had a brief spell in France with Lille OSC during the 2015–2016 season before continuing his career in the Netherlands, Spain, and Poland.
He joined Columbus Crew in 2022 and later signed with Los Angeles FC in 2025 before his contract was terminated last January.
Jones, meanwhile, has played for several MLS clubs, including Philadelphia Union, Nashville SC, Houston Dynamo, and Charlotte FC, before eventually joining Columbus Crew.
Both players had been provisionally suspended since October pending the outcome of the investigation.
The case comes amid a growing number of sports betting issues in the United States following the legalization of sports wagering in many states, prompting MLS to tighten regulations to safeguard the league’s integrity.
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