Austin police and the FBI are investigating multiple players in the Austin FC youth academy over allegations of sexual abuse within the club's academy system, according to an investigation published by The Guardian on July 24, 2026.

The Austin Police Department confirmed the existence of the investigation to The Guardian, but said it could not share further details because the case involves juveniles and remains ongoing. An FBI spokesperson told the newspaper the bureau could neither confirm nor deny an investigation. However, sources at both MLS and Austin FC confirmed to The Guardian that both the Austin PD and FBI investigations are active. A club source also told the newspaper that the FBI visited Austin FC's training facility to conduct interviews.

The Austin FC Academy said it first became aware of allegations of youth-on-youth misconduct involving a group of academy players in December 2025. The club said it immediately reported the allegations to MLS, the US Center for SafeSport (the body that handles abuse complaints in American sport), and local law enforcement. An internal investigation was then launched in coordination with MLS.

As a result of that internal probe, multiple academy players were disciplined. No academy staff member was disciplined. The club also suspended all activities for the age group affected by the allegations. Austin FC and MLS have since been asked to pause their own proceedings until law enforcement concludes its work.

The Guardian's investigation was reported by journalist Pablo Iglesias Maurer. KXAN Austin, a local NBC-affiliated television station, also reported on the police investigation on July 24.

Austin FC's academy is the youth development arm of the Major League Soccer club. It comprises five teams spanning the under-13 to under-18 age groups and involves at least 100 players. The academy is overseen by a separate coaching staff and leadership structure from the senior professional team. Its teams compete in MLS Next, a youth league run by MLS that began in 2020.

The academy recruits players from around the country and offers homestay living arrangements for those arriving from out of town. Schooling is provided through an agreement with SAI Academy, a Florida-based education provider.

The allegations come during a period of significant change within Austin FC's senior sporting department. The club parted ways with head coach Nico Estévez in the months before July 2026, among other restructuring moves. Those changes involved the first team and are separate from the academy's leadership structure.

For the families who send their children to academy programs across the United States, the investigation raises familiar and difficult questions about safeguarding in youth sport. The US Center for SafeSport was created in 2017 in response to the Larry Nassar scandal in gymnastics and has since expanded its remit across Olympic and Paralympic sports. MLS, through its own policies and the SafeSport framework, requires member clubs to report allegations of misconduct involving minors to the center and to law enforcement.

Austin FC, MLS, Austin police, and the FBI have not publicly identified any of the players involved or disclosed the specific nature of the allegations. Because the investigation involves juveniles, further details are likely to remain limited while it continues.