Everton forward Martin Sherif faces a Football Association charge over 61 alleged football bets placed across a 15-month period. The 20-year-old has until August 17 to respond.
Good to Know
The charge goes beyond whether any alleged bets involved Everton. FA rules impose a worldwide football betting ban on players and other participants at Premier League, EFL and several lower-level clubs. The restriction covers matches as well as transfers, manager appointments and team selections.
The FA said:
“It’s alleged that the player breached FA Rule E1.2 in respect of 61 bets placed on football matches between 20 November 2024 and 12 February 2026. Martin Sherif has until Monday 17 August to provide a response.”
No allegation of match manipulation or use of inside information appears in the charge announced so far. Sherif can now respond before the FA determines the next stage of the disciplinary process.
Sherif joined the Everton academy in 2019 and later progressed into the club youth setup. The Liberia-born Netherlands youth international has yet to make an Everton first-team appearance.
His first sustained senior football came through two League One loans during 2025 to 2026. Everton first sent him to Rotherham United before recalling him at the end of December. Port Vale then signed him on loan in February.
The case falls under a betting framework that the FA introduced across the upper levels of English football in 2014. Participants cannot place football bets directly or indirectly, including through another person. They also cannot provide non-public football information for betting purposes.
Past FA betting cases show that sanctions depend heavily on the facts behind each charge, including the number and type of bets and whether a player bet on a club or competition connected to them. For example, Brentford forward Ivan Toney received an eight-month suspension in 2023 after admitting 232 betting rule breaches, although that case involved a much larger number of violations than the allegations facing Sherif.
The FA also works with betting operators and integrity services to identify suspicious or prohibited wagering activity. Its rules allow investigators to seek information relevant to disciplinary cases as part of the enforcement process.
The FA alleges that Sherif placed 61 bets on football matches between November 20, 2024 and February 12, 2026.
No. FA rules prohibit covered participants from betting directly or indirectly on football matches and other football-related matters anywhere in the world.
No. Sherif has not made a senior competitive appearance for Everton. He spent the previous season with Rotherham United and Port Vale on loan.