Dutch professional footballer Osmon Foyo caught placing 252 illegal bets

Imagine: you are 21 years old, playing for a professional club in England, you have worked hard to get there, and then you ruin it all by… betting on football matches. That is exactly what Osmon Foyo, a Dutch footballer who plays for AFC Wimbledon, did. Between October 2023 and March 2025, he placed 252 bets on football matches. And no, that is not allowed.

Now he has been suspended for five months. He has to sit out the first month anyway. The rest of the punishment hangs over his head like a dark cloud: if he makes another mistake, it’s over. It’s like you already have a yellow card and the referee is ready with the red one.

From Chelsea youth to gambling blunder: how it all went wrong for Foyo

Foyo’s story began like that of many young talents: a dream, a move to England at the age of 12 and Chelsea’s youth academy. Not long after, he moved via Norwich and a few small clubs to AFC Wimbledon, where he signed in early 2025.

But behind the scenes, something else was going on. Between training, travelling and playing, he regularly bet money on matches. Did he think it wouldn’t come out? Perhaps. Or did he think it wasn’t such a big deal? Probably.

But the English Football Association (FA) saw it differently.

‘Foyo violated rule E8. In total, he placed 252 bets on football matches. That is serious,’ the association reported dryly.

This is what his club said about his gambling behaviour

His club initially remained silent, but eventually issued a statement. It said that Foyo had admitted his mistakes and was cooperating with the investigation. Click here to read AFC Wimbledon’s statement. No angry words, but clear: this must not happen again.

He will be sitting on the bench for the first month. Or rather, in the stands, most likely. After that, he will be given a probationary period of more than a year. He has until April 2027 to turn his life around. If he fails to do so, he will be banned from the field for four months.

Why this is not just a “stupid mistake”

At first glance, it may seem harmless: a young lad taking a gamble. But there is more to it than that. In football today, millions in sponsorship money goes into the gambling world. Shirts, billboards, TV commercials — bookmakers are everywhere.

For young players, the temptation is therefore great. It is a world in which it seems normal to quickly place a bet.

But players are not allowed to do that. Period. And if you get caught, like Foyo, you pay a hefty price for it.

Foyo is not alone: more players in trouble

And believe it or not, Foyo is not alone. Luiz Henrique was recently embroiled in a match-fixing scandal. And he is certainly not the last. Every year, the FA publishes a list of players who have done wrong. And it seems as if that list is only getting longer.

Perhaps it’s time for better guidance? Or maybe clubs and associations should finally do something about those gambling advertisements. Because as long as young people are surrounded by odds, chances of winning and live bets, the temptation remains strong.

What can we learn from this?

Foyo’s story is painful, but also instructive. He had talent, opportunities and a place at a club in English professional football. And yet he put it all at risk. Maybe he thought no one would notice. Maybe he thought: oh well, once won’t hurt. But it turned into 252 times.

His suspension is a warning. Not just for himself, but for all of England and the Netherlands. You can have talent, but if you break the rules, it’s over.