Austin FC academy hit by FBI and police probe into sexual abuse claims

Major League Soccer club Austin FC has confirmed that its youth academy is at the centre of an investigation by the FBI and Austin police into allegations of sexual abuse involving young players. Multiple sources have told reporters that the inquiry concerns alleged interactions between academy players themselves.

The Texas-based club, which joined MLS in 2021, said in a statement that it first became aware of allegations of “youth-on-youth misconduct” among a group of academy players in December 2025. The club said it acted after being alerted by “concerned Academy families”.

Club says it acted immediately

According to Austin FC, officials reported the allegations to MLS, the US Center for SafeSport and local law enforcement as soon as they emerged, and launched an internal investigation in coordination with the league. The club also suspended all activities for the age group affected while the matter was examined.

Sources with knowledge of the situation, speaking anonymously given the sensitivity of the case, said several academy families had reported the allegations directly to the club before it escalated the matter to the authorities. Both MLS and Austin FC sources have separately confirmed that the Austin Police Department and the FBI are involved.

Police and FBI confirm ongoing inquiries

The Austin Police Department confirmed the existence of the investigation, but said that because it “involves juveniles and is ongoing”, no further details could be released. An FBI spokesperson said the bureau could “neither confirm nor deny” the existence of any investigation and declined to comment further.

No details of criminal charges, the number of players involved, or the specific age group affected have been made public. Reporters have not identified any individuals named in the inquiry, reflecting the ongoing nature of the case and the involvement of minors.

Wider scrutiny for youth football safeguarding

The case is likely to renew scrutiny of safeguarding structures within professional football academies on both sides of the Atlantic. MLS academies, like those operated by clubs across English football, are required to have safeguarding protocols in place, and the involvement of SafeSport — the US body responsible for addressing abuse in sport — indicates the seriousness with which the allegations have been treated.

Austin FC has not commented further beyond its initial statement, and MLS has yet to issue its own public statement on the matter. NonPro Football will continue to follow developments as the investigation progresses.

Sources

• dailymail.com
• The Guardian

This is an independent report written from the facts across the sources named above.