FIFA has imposed a severe penalty involving an Argentine star.

FIFA has issued a harsh punishment on Botafogo by prohibiting the Brazilian team from acquiring players for three consecutive transfer periods because of unsettled debts concerning Thiago Almada.

FIFA has enforced a ban preventing Botafogo from participating in 3 transfer windows,prohibiting them from registering new players, stemming from the outstanding debt the Brazilian club owes Atlanta United connected to the Argentine midfielder Thiago Almada, who currently plays for Atlético Madrid.

Previously, in July, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ordered the Rio de Janeiro club to immediately pay 21 million USD to Atlanta United after a legal dispute over the installment payments for Almada’s transfer. Due to failure to meet this payment obligation, FIFA has decided to ban Fogão from signing new players for the next 18 months.

Right after the sanction was announced, Botafogo stated they have engaged in “constructive discussions with representatives of Atlanta United in recent weeks to seek an agreement regarding the Thiago Almada case.” Additionally, the 2024 Copa Libertadores champions, who recently appointed Martín Anselmi as head coach and are preparing for the Copa Libertadores qualifiers, also confirmed they will be “very active in the January 2026 transfer market ,” indicating their intention to resolve the outstanding debt promptly.

Thiago Almada moved from Georgia state to Brazil in July 2024. According to the initial agreement, Botafogo would pay the transfer fee in quarterly installments over four years. However, the American club’s documents specify that half of the payment must be completed before June 2026. In reality, Botafogo was only required to pay 10 million USD so far, but the club’s management failed to fulfill this commitment, resulting in the penalty mentioned above.

In January 2025, Botafogo loaned Almada to Olympique Lyon (a club under the same ownership group) before selling the midfielder permanently to Atlético Madrid mid-year. In the current season, the Argentina star has scored 2 goals and provided 1 assist in 11 La Liga appearances.