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

• Miguel Cardoso has confirmed 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.

Analysing Lucas Suarez's performance last season

Lucas Suárez played 14 competitive matches for Mamelodi Sundowns across all competitions last season.

He featured 11 times in the PSL, twice in the Champions League and once in the Nedbank Cup, clocking 1,179 minutes and contributing a solitary goal.

However, Suarez's run of games included "costly errors" highlighted by Cardoso, particularly in matches against Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs, and a fateful back-pass in the Nedbank Cup semi-final.

These mistakes appeared to be decisive in Sundowns' decision to terminate his loan contract which was supposed to expire in December 2025.

Recall that Suárez joined Sundowns on loan from Talleres Córdoba until 31 December 2025, with an option to buy.

But Miguel Cardoso has now confirmed the club “didn’t move forward on his option,” effectively ending the arrangement early.

As of now, there’s no clarity if he returns to Talleres immediately or remains sidelined.

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

Nomso Obiajuru was a contributing writer to this article

Source: Briefly News