South America in action: Top sports news this week from South America

This week in South America, there were big soccer transfers, wins in international hockey, and choices made by team leaders. Here is a quick look at the seven most important sports stories from the region.

PSG secures deal with Brazilian young talent Gabriel Moscardz

Paris St Germain has bought Brazilian teenager Gabriel Moscardo from Corinthians for around £17 million. The 18-year-old midfielder signed a deal with PSG until 2028 but will play with Corinthians for the rest of this season on loan. PSG will initially pay £17 million, with a chance of an extra £2 million based on his performance. Moscardo, who plays for Brazil’s Under-23 team, expressed his joy, saying he’s excited to join PSG’s talented young players, meet the team and coaching staff, and hopes to win many trophies and make the fans happy.

Man City finalizes a $25 million transfer for Argentine talent Claudio Echeverri, set to join River Plate in 2024

Manchester City has signed the highly-rated teen midfielder Claudio Echeverri from River Plate in a deal that could be worth over $25 million. The 18-year-old, who performed impressively in the Under-17 World Cup, signed a contract until 2028 but will continue playing for River Plate until January next year.

This move follows the path of other South American talents like Gabriel Jesus and Julian Alvarez, who were signed by City and later joined the club. The initial payment is expected to be $15.8 million, with an additional $9.8 million based on Echeverri’s performance.

Echeverri, known for his pace, has already made six appearances for River Plate’s senior side and has a strong record with the Argentine U-17 team. He describes his speed as his greatest strength and has been inspired by Lionel Messi. River Plate and Valencia great Pablo Aimar have also played a role in mentoring him.

Chelsea signed Colombian Mayra Ramirez for a record-breaking fee in women’s football

Ending a quiet January transfer window, Chelsea announced the signing of Colombian forward Mayra Ramirez from Levante. The Blues reportedly spent a record fee in women’s football for the transfer, totaling 450,000 euros ($488,610). Ramirez, 24, who joined Levante in 2022, has signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with the Women’s Super League club.

The deal includes a fixed amount of 450,000 euros and an additional 50,000 euros based on specific goal-related criteria, with one condition being Ramirez playing in 30% of the matches. This surpasses the previous record set in 2022 when Barcelona paid 400,000 euros to sign England midfielder Kiera Walsh from Manchester City.

Ramirez, with 30 appearances for Colombia, was part of the national team that reached the quarter-finals of the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Chelsea, the WSL winners for the last three seasons, currently tops the standings, with their upcoming game against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.

Uruguay dominates Malaysia with an 8-4 victory

Malaysia finished in sixth place in the women’s Hockey 5s World Cup after losing 8-4 to Uruguay in Muscat, Oman today. Malaysia scored four goals, with Zati Alyani Zubir scoring in the fourth and 19th minute, Nur Zafirah Aziz in the sixth minute, and Nurul Safiqah Mat Isa in the 25th minute.

Uruguay’s Teresa Viana scored six goals in the first, eighth, 16th, 23rd, 24th, and 25th minutes. Manuela Vilar (third minute) and Florencia Penalba (20th minute) also scored for Uruguay.

Zidane rejects a coaching offer for Algeria’s national team

The Algerian Football Federation (FAF) is searching for a new manager since Djamel Belmadi resigned due to Algeria’s disappointing exit from the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023 group stage.

Zinedine Zidane, born to Algerian parents in Marseille and the coach who led France to World Cup victory in 1998, was offered the position but has chosen not to return to coaching at this time. The 50-year-old has been without a team since leaving Real Madrid in 2021 and has expressed his wish to manage France in the future. However, with Didier Deschamps extending his contract until 2026, and Thierry Henry taking over the France U21 team, Zidane’s options have become limited.

Reports suggest Zidane also turned down coaching offers from the United States and Brazil recently. The FAF is now considering other options, including Hervé Renard, the current manager of the France Women’s team, experienced coach Vahid Halilhodzic, former Switzerland boss Vladimir Petkovic, and former Argentina and Chile manager Jorge Sampaoli.

Conclusion

In South America, young soccer players are getting big-money deals, women’s soccer is making history with expensive transfers, and decisions about who leads teams are causing a buzz. South America’s sports world is full of different and exciting things.