Palmeiras Extends Benedetti, Thalys to 2029; Varela to 2027, Vaz to 2028, Ronaldo Nears Al-Nassr Renewal

Palmeiras has extended the contracts of two young players, defender Benedetti and forward Thalys, until December 2029. Both athletes were promoted to the first team in 2025, with Benedetti, who is 1.98m tall, having played six matches, four as a starter, and Thalys making 11 appearances and scoring two goals for the senior squad, including a goal against Santos. Palmeiras currently sits as vice-leader in the Campeonato Brasileiro. Benedetti, 18, joined Palmeiras in 2022 and has won several youth titles with the club, including three national championships and a Copa do Brasil Sub-17. Thalys, 19, arrived in 2021 and became the top scorer for the club's under-20 team in a single season in the 21st century, with 32 goals in 2024. Flamengo is close to renewing the contract of right-back Guillermo Varela, 32, until the end of 2027. Varela joined Flamengo from Dynamo Moscow in 2022, previously played for Manchester United, has played 84 matches and scored two goals, and has won the Copa Libertadores, two Copas do Brasil, a Supercopa Rei, and two Campeonato Carioca titles with the club. In France, Olympique de Marseille announced the contract extension of 18-year-old forward Robinio Vaz, a France U17 international, until 2028. Vaz has made three appearances for the first team this season, including two in Ligue 1, after joining Marseille from Sochaux in 2024. Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly close to renewing his contract with Al-Nassr for two more seasons, with the second year as an option. The Portuguese forward leads the Saudi Pro League scoring charts with 23 goals, has scored 934 career goals, and the new contract is expected to exceed €200 million per season.