Derrick Jones and Yaw Yeboah banned for life by Major League Soccer for gambling on games

By Canadian Press on March 9, 2026.

Two players were banned for life Monday by Major League Soccer for gambling on soccer, including bets involving their own matches.

Derrick Jones and Yaw Yeboah were both placed on administrative leave in October pending a review of potential violations of league rules.

MLS said the investigation concluded the players “engaged in extensive gambling on soccer, including on their own teams, during the 2024 and 2025 seasons.” The league cited one instance where the players bet on Jones to receive a yellow card in a 2024 match, which he did. Both players were with the Columbus Crew at the time.

“Major League Soccer remains steadfast in its commitment to match integrity,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said in a statement. “The League will continue to enforce its policies, enhance education efforts, and advocate for the elimination of yellow card wagering in all states to protect the integrity of our competition for clubs, players, and fans.”

Jones was playing for the Crew when he was placed on leave. Yeboah, Jones’ former teammate in Columbus, played for LAFC last season and is currently playing for Qingdao Hainiu in China.

MLS was alerted to suspicious betting through its integrity partners and retained a law firm for the subsequent investigation. The Crew cooperated with the probe.

“The Columbus Crew are proud of the reputation we’ve established in MLS and global soccer that’s rooted in respect and integrity throughout our organization,” the team said. “We fully condemn all actions and notions that aren’t aligned with these critical values for our Club and any individual’s activity contradicting the principles of fair competition that are pivotal to our team, league and sport.”

Jones, 29, played for the Philadelphia Union for four seasons starting in 2016. He later had stints in Nashville, Houston and Charlotte before joining the Crew ahead of the 2024 season.

Yeboah, 28, played for the Crew for three seasons from 2022-24.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Anne M. Peterson, The Associated Press