Ribeiro Costa Bids Farewell To Spain: Is A Sundowns Return Next?
Former Mamelodi Sundowns forward Lucas Ribeiro Costa, who has been strongly linked with a return to Chloorkop, has bid an emotional farewell to Deportiva Leonesa after sharing a heartfelt message at the end of his first season with the Spanish club.
The 27-year-old Brazilian took to Instagram to thank the club’s supporters, teammates, coaching staff and everyone who formed part of his journey during what proved to be a difficult campaign.
Costa joined Deportiva Leonesa at the start of the 2025/26 season after leaving Sundowns under controversial circumstances. His departure from the African champions followed a transfer dispute that arose after his outstanding performances at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
The Brazilian was one of Sundowns’ standout performers at the tournament and was also named winner of the Goal of the Tournament award.
The 2024/25 PSL Footballer of the Season attracted strong interest from several overseas clubs, but Sundowns rejected the offers as they held out for a higher transfer fee. The disagreement eventually led Costa to terminate his contract unilaterally, triggering an ongoing FIFA legal dispute between the player and the club.
Although the move to Spain presented a fresh challenge, Costa’s spell with Deportiva Leonesa did not go according to plan. The club endured a disappointing campaign and was relegated from Spain’s second division, LaLiga 2, to the third tier of Spanish football.
Despite the team’s struggles, Costa still made a valuable contribution, scoring five goals and providing two assists in his debut season.
Following the conclusion of the campaign, Costa posted an emotional farewell message on Instagram.
“The time has come to close another chapter of my journey. Today I say goodbye to this club that welcomed me and became part of my history,” he wrote.
“I want to thank, from the bottom of my heart, all the fans who always stood by me, both in the good times and in the most difficult moments. Your care, support and trust made all the difference and will never be forgotten.
“To my teammates, the technical staff, club staff and the wonderful friends I made along this journey, thank you so much for every moment we shared, for the laughter, the lessons learned and everything we experienced together. You made this experience even more special.
“I leave with a heart full of gratitude and memories that I will carry with me forever.
“I wish the club every success, and may the future be filled with many achievements. Thank you for everything.”
While nothing has been officially confirmed and Costa’s FIFA legal dispute with Sundowns remains unresolved, his emotional farewell to Deportiva Leonesa has added further fuel to speculation that a return to Chloorkop could be his next move.
