Major League Soccer announced on Wednesday that it has terminated the contract of Sporting Kansas City midfielder Felipe Hernandez after an investigation into alleged gambling violations.
Hernandez was initially placed on administrative leave in June amid suspicions that he may have violated the league’s gambling policies for a second time.
An MLS statement on Wednesday did not divulge any details other than to confirm that Hernandez’s contract has now been terminated. He will not be eligible to train or sign with an MLS club again until Jan. 1, 2026, meaning he will miss the final months of the current season and the entirety of 2025.
The league stressed that its investigation found no evidence that Hernandez did not share inside information or that the integrity of any MLS match was compromised.
MLS said the same thing three years ago, when the Colombian was suspended for the final weeks of the 2021 season after breaching the league’s gambling integrity rules and standards of conduct by betting on two MLS matches. Neither of the games involved Hernandez’s team, but wagering of any kind on any MLS game is strictly prohibited by the league.
Hernandez was 23 at the time of his first gambling violation. He said at the time of his first suspension that he had informed the club of his gambling activities in July, had undergone treatment for a gambling addiction and feared for his safety.
The terms of his reinstatement in January 2022 specified that he must continue to abstain from gambling, and both MLS and SKC committed to helping him receive support and counseling as necessary.
Hernandez has been with the Sporting KC organization for a decade and has made 74 appearances in MLS since his debut in the league in September 2019.
