A Spanish second-tier club, Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa, has announced the signing of Lucas Ribeiro Costa amid the standoff between the player and Mamelodi Sundowns.
“Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa has reached an agreement with Lucas Ribeiro for the player to join the club,” the La Liga 2 club confirmed the move on its website on Friday.
“Lucas Ribeiro Costa [born in Saint Helena, 09/10/1998] is an attacking footballer who has developed his football career in countries such as Brazil, France, and Belgium. In his most recent spell, he played for Mamelodi Sundowns FC in South Africa. He joins León as a free agent on a one-year deal. Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa welcomes Lucas Ribeiro to our club and wishes him every success in his new role in León.”
The announcement comes as a surprise, given that a legal dispute is still ongoing. PSL’s reigning Footballer of the Season recently made a dramatic move by declaring himself a free agent. The 26-year-old attacker, who had three years left on his contract with Masandawana, achieved a clean sweep of awards last season.
Besides being named the best footballer in the SA league, he also won the Players’ Player of the Season, Goal of the Season, and Golden Boot awards. The highlight was his impressive performances at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, where he won the Goal of the Tournament award. Afterwards, he attracted interest from Brazilian side Fluminense and Qatar SC.
However, both deals collapsed due to Sundowns’ valuation of the player. Unable to secure a move, the player referred the matter to the FIFA Tribunal, accusing the South African champions of being “unreasonable” in their demands.
WHAT LUCAS RIBEIRO COSTA’S LAWYER SAID ABOUT HIS SITUATION
Just days before the Spanish second division club Leonesa announced his signing, prominent lawyer Jean-Louis Dupont informed the Spanish newspaper Heraldo de León that a verdict in the case is expected to be announced within days, possibly hours.
“The substance of the matter can and often does take time,” he said. “This cannot affect the player’s right to play for his new employer.”
“The RFEF or FIFA must, in order not to violate the Diarra ruling of the CJEU, allow the player’s registration. Furthermore, this is stipulated in the FIFA regulations themselves… in light of the Diarra ruling, on the merits of the case, Mr. Ribeiro has very good options. I cannot say more for now.”
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