Sundowns await FIFA contact over reported R66m Lucas Ribeiro ruling

Mamelodi Sundowns say they have not received any communication from FIFA regarding reports that former player Lucas Ribeiro Costa has been ordered to pay the club US$4m – approximately R66m – following a contractual dispute.

The Brazilian forward left Sundowns in August 2025 after unilaterally terminating his contract. He had attracted interest from elsewhere after an impressive season, which included his performances at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

Ribeiro then joined Spanish club Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa as a free agent in September 2025 after obtaining his FIFA International Transfer Certificate.

The 27-year-old spent the 2025/26 campaign in Spain, but left Leonesa after the club were relegated. His disagreement with Sundowns continued during that period.

Reports recently claimed Ribeiro had been found guilty of breaching his contract by the FIFA Football Tribunal and had been instructed to pay the South African club US$4m. Those reports also suggested he could be banned from playing football if he failed to settle the amount.

However, broadcaster Robert Marawa has offered a different account after contacting Sundowns to establish whether the club had received formal confirmation of the alleged ruling.

“Yeah, I saw that [reports] and immediately, I did reach out to Mamelodi Sundowns to ask for the latest,” Marawa said on his MSWshow on 947.

“And I can tell you what Sundowns said, ‘Not as far as we know’, so that message that came through 15:28 on Saturday.

“The club has not received any communication from FIFA. That was at the same time.”

The latest information indicates that, despite the reports of a FIFA decision, Sundowns had not received official notification from football’s governing body at the time of Marawa’s update.

Ribeiro’s career has continued elsewhere since his departure from Leonesa. He was reportedly close to joining Libyan club Al Ittihad, but that move did not go through.

Instead, he joined Tunisian side Esperance de Tunis in August. He remains at the club while the unresolved dispute with Sundowns continues.

The reported ruling has therefore not yet been formally communicated to the Tshwane club, according to Marawa’s account. It remains unclear whether FIFA will issue the club with official confirmation and what action, if any, will follow in the Ribeiro case.