Kiki Ramos: Haiti-born teenager makes history with Argentina Under-17s after 53-year wait

Stephen “Kiki” Ramos has become the first black player to appear for any Argentina national youth side in 53 years after featuring for the Under-17s in their build-up to the FIFA U-17 World Cup.

The 17-year-old forward, who plays for Velez Sarsfield, pulled on the Argentina shirt in a 2-1 friendly win over Ecuador as part of preparations for the tournament, which will be staged in Qatar at the end of this year.

Ramos, known universally as Kiki, operates on both the right and left wing for Velez Sarsfield and has scored 12 goals for the club’s youth sides, performances that convinced Under-17 head coach Diego Placente to call him up.

Born in Haiti, first Haiti-born player for Argentina

Ramos was born in Haiti and is the first player born in the Caribbean nation ever to represent Argentina at any level.

His family relocated to Argentina when he was nine months old, in the aftermath of the devastating 2010 earthquake that struck Haiti. He has since come through the Argentine football system, eventually earning his opportunity with the national Under-17 side.

Historic moment for Argentina’s youth set-up

According to Spanish newspaper Marca, if Ramos goes on to make an official competitive appearance for the Under-17s, he will become the first foreign-born player to play for Argentina at that age group since 1973.

The last foreign player to wear the Argentina shirt at youth level was Paraguayan forward Heriberto Correa, who featured for the national team in 1973 and, in a notable coincidence, was also a Velez Sarsfield player at the time.

Ramos’s appearance also ends a wait of more than half a century for a black player in Argentina’s national team structure. Should he eventually break into the senior side, he would be only the fourth black player ever to represent the Argentina first team, following Alejandro De Los Santos, Jose Ramos Delgado and Hector Baley.

Argentina’s U-17 World Cup challenge

Argentina’s Under-17s will compete at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar, scheduled for November and December.

They have been drawn in a group alongside Australia, Denmark and Mozambique as they attempt to improve on a modest record in the competition.

Despite their rich history at senior level, Argentina have never won the U-17 World Cup. Their best performances have been three third-place finishes, achieved in the 1991, 1995 and 2003 editions.

Recent tournament disappointment

At the most recent U-17 World Cup, held in Qatar in 2025, Argentina’s campaign ended in disappointment.

The team were eliminated in the round of 32, going out to Mexico on penalties, extending their wait for a first title in the age-group tournament.

Ramos’s emergence adds a new storyline to Argentina’s latest attempt to make a breakthrough at Under-17 level, as the team prepare for another shot at the trophy later this year in Qatar.