Atlético de Madrid have secured the services of the silky schemer, who has become a crucial cog in Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina side.
Almada has joined Spanish powerhouse Atlético de Madrid
The 24-year-old attacker spent the previous year at Botafogo and Lyon
His importance to the Argentinian national team has grown during World Cup qualifying
Time appeared to stand still inside the cauldron of noise that is Buenos Aires' Estadio Monumental during the 35thminute of last year’s CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores decider. Botafogo's Thiago Almada picked the ball up just inside Atletico Mineiro territory before gliding gracefully towards a pair of defenders in trademark fashion.
Pursued by compatriot Fausto Vera, he cut smartly inside before pausing with the ball glued to his feet. The prodigious playmaker almost seemed to be luring his opponent into a carrot-dangling act of enticement. The engine-room ace had the composure to apply the brakes while his team-mates dashed and darted around him. With the all-Brazilian showdown edging towards half-time and neither side on the scoreboard, Almada did what he does best on a foray forward: he carved open the defence and claimed an assist on Luiz Henrique’s opener to pave the way for Botafogo’s 3-1 success.
That sequence neatly encapsulates the tantalising talents of Atlético de Madrid’s latest recruit, for whom the Spanish capital club shelled out 40 million euros. Almada’s game is all about tricking his way past opponents with line-breaking bursts, picking up pockets of space and unsettling opposition backlines. With his prime ahead of him, the 24-year-old midfield maestro is set to play a prominent role for Los Rojiblancos for years to come.
As for his stock in the Argentinian ranks, he has established himself as the rising star in Lionel Scaloni’s enviable side since the turn of the year. A member of Argentina's triumphant squad at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, where his only involvement came in a seven-minute cameo in the curtain-closing group-stage victory over Poland, the showstopping Almada has taken centre stage for his country on several occasions over the past 12 months.
Ahead of Argentina’s FIFA World Cup 26™ qualifier against Peru in November 2024, Scaloni issued a forthright message about what the future held in terms of squad make-up. "Given that the relatively short turnaround [between the end of the Copa America and World Cup qualifiers] made it difficult to bring in many new faces, we decided to pretty much stick with the core of the group that won the Copa America. However, moving forward, we need all of them to be getting game time [at their clubs], and we’ll then assess what sort of form each of them are in. That’s how we’ve always done things, with our approach having been different this time round."
Against familiar foes Uruguay in March, Almada stood in for the injured Lionel Messi. The versatile virtuoso operated ahead and to the left of a midfield trident comprising Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez and Leandro Paredes. Combining his pace, precision, high-octane game and ability to keep things simple and squirm out of the tightest of spots, Almada afforded his team a breather when they found themselves under the cosh.
Making Messi’s absence a moot point is, of course, no small task, with the iconic No10’s boots being particularly big ones to fill. Almada’s on-field attributes would appear to make him Scaloni’s go-to man when it comes to deputising for the talismanic skipper.
In the second half of the contest against Uruguay, Argentina committed more bodies forward and began to find their swagger. They were giving Marcelo Bielsa’s well-drilled side plenty to ponder, with Almada at the heart of their brightest moments. In the 68th minute, the former Velez Sarsfield starlet picked the ball up a few metres outside the Uruguayan box before wrapping his right foot around it, bending his effort beyond the despairing dive of Sergio Rochet, with the proverbial postage-stamp strike ultimately proving the difference between the sides.
In the next outing, against Brazil, the then-Lyon livewire was once again at his devastating best as Scaloni’s sensations soared to a 4-1 success - a fitting way to toast the team’s qualification for next year’s showpiece on North American soil.
The tigerish Almada earned his national team stripes in the Argentinian youth sides and was one of his country’s star performers at last year’s Men’s Olympic Football Tournament in France. Speaking in the aftermath of his team’s 3-1 group-stage triumph over Iraq, coach Javier Mascherano was unstinting in his praise of the creative spark: “He links up the play between the middle third and our attack. He’s capable of providing assists and unsettling the opposition’s defence. He’s a top player.”
Almada would appear to be a ready-made replacement for his compatriot and pal Angel Correa. There are plenty of parallels between the pair’s on-field traits, with both famed for their ability to outfox their opponents with a shimmy of the hips, a signature move that is fast becoming a dying art in the modern game.
Speaking after having penned a five-year deal with Los Rojiblancos, Almada expressed his delight at the move. "I’m over the moon. I’ve been dreaming about this moment for some time, and today, fortunately, here I am. Everyone knows what Atleti are all about. This is one of the biggest clubs in the world, and that tells you everything you need to know."
Los Colchoneros will be hoping that Almada provides the attacking inspiration to get them back on the trophy trail in the forthcoming season. Propelled by the exploits of potent poacher Julian Alvarez and operating as a well-oiled machine, Atleti enjoyed an eye-catching first half of the season, which included a club-record 14-match winning streak in all competitions. But they fell short in their three competitions, and at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™, Simeone’s side crashed out after the group stage, which included a 4-0 reverse to Paris Saint-Germain in their opener.
After having conquered the world with Argentina, Almada will be hoping to sprinkle some of his stardust in the red-and-white half of Madrid before strutting his stuff, as the Albiceleste bid to defend their title at next year’s showpiece event.
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