Argentine center-back, 31, joins on contract through December 2028 after World Cup concludes.
3:51 PM
Palmeiras announced Friday the signing of Argentine defender Alexander Barboza from Botafogo. The 31-year-old center-back signed a contract through December 2028, with an option for the club to extend for an additional year.
Palmeiras acquired Barboza for approximately 4 million dollars, equivalent to roughly 20 million Brazilian reais. The transfer allowed Botafogo to avoid losing the player on a free transfer, as his contract with the Rio de Janeiro club was set to expire at year's end. Under Brazilian football regulations, Barboza would have been eligible to sign a pre-contract with another club starting in June.
Barboza will be unavailable for Palmeiras until after the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which takes place in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. He made his first public comments as a Palmeiras player following the announcement.
"I am very happy about this new experience in Brazilian football. I am certain it will work out, I will work for that and I am very eager to begin," Barboza said. "The supporters can be certain that they will have on the field someone who will represent you in every play, in every ball, because I live football this way. As I said, I am very happy and I hope to bring joy to you when I start playing."
Barboza spent two seasons at Botafogo, appearing in 123 matches and scoring four goals with four assists. During his time with the Rio club, he won the 2024 Campeonato Brasileiro and the 2024 Copa Libertadores.
Before his departure, Barboza addressed Botafogo supporters in a farewell message. "If I have to say one thing to the fans and to everyone, I am obligated. Thank you for everything. What you demonstrated to me all this time was respect," he said in an interview with the "Arena Alvinegra" channel. "I tried, on my part, to always give the best, both on and off the field, to respect you, all the fans, to respect the players, to respect the rivals. And, above all things, I respected this here," he added, gesturing toward the club crest. "So I will leave happy and a little sad too. I will leave happy because I know I did everything to leave the club as high as possible. And I am a little sad because I left many friends and many people that I really love."
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