Real Madrid legend Sergio Ramos recently received a resounding welcome at his new club in Mexico, which also employs a Banyana Banyana star in their women's team. Here's a look!
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Ramos' proximity to one of South Africa's top footballers has never been closer. The Spanish icon was unveiled by CF Monterrey, where he signed a one-year deal until December 2025.
Impressively, Monterrey's women's team also boasts Banyana star Jermaine Seoposenwe, who joined the Mexican outfit in the 2023/24 campaign.
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Indeed, Ramos' arrival was met with huge fanfare, with many supporters packing their stadium, Estadio BBVA, to witness the defender's grand arrival.
The 38-year-old's trip from Spain to Mexico certainly didn't lack glamour, as a video posted by Ramos shows the player boarding a lavish private jet with some of his loved ones.
Upon his arrival, he was escorted in a luxurious Volvo XC90, a stunning SUV said to be worth $58,695 (R1 million).
Notably, Ramos will also be one of the big-name players at the upcoming 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, as Monterrey have been drawn in Group E of the tournament alongside Urawa Red Diamonds, River Plate, and Inter Milan.
Ramos also explained his decision to join the club, which is commonly known as Rayados.
"I'm very familiar with the culture because I have many good friends in Mexico, I've visited it for many years, and well, it was a market, a country that attracted me a lot," said the Spanish centre-back, according to beIN Sports.
"I didn't know Monterrey, but the structure of the club, the ambitions, the objectives, are things that, in the end, give me a balance that I was looking for," Ramos added.
"I think Rayados offers me that opportunity for balance in everything we were looking for that no one else had offered me. A balance in the market, in the country, in the city of Monterrey, and the fans, who everyone has spoken highly of."
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