By Reuters
March 9, 2026 – 3:29 PM PDT
(Reuters) – Major League Soccer has issued lifetime bans to midfielder Derrick Jones and winger Yaw Yeboah for breaching its gambling regulations, as announced on Monday.
Jones, 29, participated in 23 matches for Columbus Crew during the 2024 and 2025 seasons, while 28-year-old Yeboah played alongside him before moving to LAFC in January 2025 after three seasons with Columbus.
The league conducted an investigation into suspicious betting activity, revealing that both players engaged in extensive wagering on matches, including those involving their own teams, throughout the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
The infractions involved instances during Jones’ tenure with Columbus and Yeboah’s time with both the Crew and LAFC.
Notably, both players placed bets on Jones receiving a yellow card in a match against the New York Red Bulls on October 19, 2024, which did indeed occur in a 3-2 victory for the Crew.
Investigators also found evidence suggesting the two likely shared confidential details about their plans to incur bookings with other gamblers, although no proof was found that this behavior affected match outcomes.
The players were provisionally suspended in October 2025 while the investigation was underway. Yeboah, who has represented Ghana internationally, transferred to the Chinese Super League’s Qingdao Hainiu after mutually agreeing to terminate his contract with LAFC in January.
Ghanaian Jones, who has played for the U.S. at the under-20 and under-23 level, is currently a free agent, having been released by the Crew in November.
MLS Commissioner Don Garber stated that the league will persist in enforcing its policies, enhancing educational initiatives, and pushing for the prohibition of yellow card betting across all states to safeguard the integrity of competition for clubs, players, and fans.
Reporting by Angelica Medina in Mexico City; Editing by Ken Ferris
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