Botafogo must pay Atlanta United $21m to avoid a transfer ban | OneFootball

Botafogo will need to pay $21m to MLS outfit Atlanta United to avoid a transfer ban.

The Brazilian giants were defeated by Atlanta United in the courts after a lawsuit filed with FIFA due to non-payment for the purchase of attacker Thiago Almada.

The Argentine attacking midfielder joined the Rio de Janeiro club in July last year for a fixed $22m.

He played 26 games, won the Brazilian championship and the Libertadores before being loaned to Lyon until 2025 and then negotiated with Atlético Madrid for €21m in July this year.

Atlanta filed this lawsuit back in November 2024 after not receiving the first two installments of the negotiation, which should have been paid in July and September.

In the initial decision, FIFA demanded full payment. Botafogo appealed, arguing that it should only pay the first installments, totaling $6m.

The hearing on the matter, held online at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), took place in October. And the decision was formalized this Tuesday, December 9. 

Botafogo's statement

Botafogo, represented by the law firm Bichara e Motta Advogados, received on Tuesday (12/09) the arbitral decision issued by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which confirmed FIFA's understanding that the Club must pay the full amount involved in the transfer of player Thiago Almada to Atlanta United, from the United States.

Maintaining its commitment to transparency with its fans, the Club informs that it will continue to take all applicable legal measures in the case.

It is worth noting that John Textor, the majority shareholder of SAF Botafogo, has presented financing proposals to the other partners of Eagle Football Holdings to cover the payment of all existing debts of Botafogo with FIFA, as well as the budget for player signings in the January transfer window and for the remainder of the 2026 season. Textor has fully secured resources for these items and expects to obtain the cooperation and approval of these budgets from a friendly and cooperative Eagle council.

SAF Botafogo

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.

📸 MAURO PIMENTEL - AFP or licensors