Miguel Cardoso Confirms Mamelodi Sundowns Star's Departure Ahead of Club World Cup Opener

• Miguel Cardoso, has confirmed that Lucas Suarez's exit from Mamelodi Sundowns ahead of their 2025 FIFA Club World Cup opener against Ulsan HD
• The 30-year-old Argentine centre-back, joined the Betway Premiership champions on loan from Atletico Lanus in the January transfer window after the club sold Abdelmounaim Boutouil to Wydad Athletic Club
• Suarez struggled to convince the Premier Soccer League giants with performance despite arriving with high expectations, , and he will return to his parent club in South America

Mamelodi Sundowns manager Miguel Cardoso has confirmed the departure of Lucas Suarez ahead of their 2025 FIFA Club World Cup opener against South Korean side Ulsan HD.

Suarez joined the PSL giants in the January transfer window on loan from Atletico Lanus after the Brazilians lost Abdelmounaim Boutouil to Wydad Athletic Club.

The 30-year-old arrived at Chloorkop with big expectations from the club and the fans, but the Argentine left centre-back was unable to convince the Pretoria giants to take the option of signing him permanently, as he made some individual errors that cost the club some games, especially in their controversial loss to Kaizer Chiefs in the Nedbank Cup semi-final when he gave the ball away to Wandile Duba.

Cardoso Confirms First Sundowns Exit

In an interview ahead of the Ulsan HD clash, Cardoso stated that Suarez will be leaving Sundowns this summer, as they opted out of the option of securing a permanent move included in his loan deal.

The Portuguese gaffer claimed it's no longer a secret that the Argentine defender is leaving and hailed him for being a quality player.

“Lucas Suarez is no longer with us, and there's nothing secretive about it, it’s straightforward information I can share,” Cardoso said.

“Once we decided not to pursue the option to keep him, that was the outcome.

“He had his moments here, and we gave him our full support, but ultimately, things didn’t unfold as we had hoped. That doesn’t reflect on his ability; he’s undoubtedly a quality player. Nor does it suggest there was an error in scouting.

“There was no mistake in bringing him in. The reality is that competition for centre-back positions at Mamelodi Sundowns is incredibly intense. The margin between being a crucial player and just a squad member is razor-thin, especially when it comes to foreign players, where the evaluation carries additional weight.

“When we looked at the squad makeup moving forward, we assessed him not just as a centre-back, but in the broader context of being a foreign player. That’s what ultimately shaped our decision.”

In the six months Suarez spent at Sundowns, he scored one goal in 14 appearances and lifted the Betway Premiership title.

Sundowns are all for all three points against Ulsan HD, before switching attention to matches against Borussia Dortmund and Fluminense.

Cardoso rates leading Sundowns at CWC high

Briefly News also reported that Carodoso has rated coaching Sundowns at the FIFA Club World Cup as one of the major highlights of his career.

The Portuguese tactician has worked some top teams in Europe and also in Africa, but rates this feat with the Brazilians higher than others.

Source: Briefly News