Botafogo would need to pay Atlanta United $21 million (R$114 million at current exchange rates) to avoid a transfer ban.
For failure to pay for Thiago Almada, Glory filed a lawsuit against FIFA, which was ultimately defeated by the United States.
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It has issued an official statement – see below.
The Argentinian attacking midfielder joined the Rio de Janeiro club for a fixed price of $22 million in July last year.
He played 26 games, winning the Brazilian Championship and Copa Libertadores, before being loaned to Lyon until 2025 before negotiating a €21 million deal with Atletico Madrid in July this year.
Atlanta filed the lawsuit in November 2024 after not receiving the first two installments of the deal – payments that were supposed to be made in July and September.
In its original decision, FIFA demanded full payment. Botafogo appealed, saying it should only pay the first installment – a total of $6 million.
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A hearing on the matter was held online in October at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The decision was officially made on Tuesday (9) this week.
See Botafogo’s statement
official statement
Botafogo, represented by law firm Bichara and Motta Advogados, received on Tuesday (December 9) an arbitration decision issued by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) confirming FIFA’s understanding that the club must pay the full costs involved in the transfer of player Thiago Almada from the United States to Atlanta United.
Staying true to its commitment to transparency to its supporters, the club said it will continue to take all legal steps applicable to the case.
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It is worth noting that John Textor, the majority shareholder of SAF Botafogo, has made a financing proposal to other partners of Eagle Football Holdings to cover all existing debts of Botafogo with FIFA, as well as the player signing budget for the January transfer window and the remainder of the 2026 season. Textor is fully resourced for these projects and expects the cooperation and approval of these budgets from a friendly and cooperative Eagle Board of Governors.
Botafogo Sudan Armed Forces
This article was translated into English by artificial intelligence. You can read the original version at 🇧🇷.
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