Olympiacos Welcomes the New Big Star of Mexican Soccer, Armando González!

Olympiacos FC continue to strengthen their squad ahead of the new season, with the Piraeus club completing another major transfer on Saturday (8/22), this time signing Armando González from Chivas Guadalajara.

The 23-year-old Mexican forward is one of the rising stars of soccer in his home country and is now the club’s latest signing, as officially confirmed by Olympiacos.

It is another major transfer bearing the signature of owner Vangelis Marinakis, with Olympiacos continuing to make headlines around the world with its recruitment.

González arrived in Greece at midday on Friday (8/21), accompanied by an entire group of journalists from Mexico who traveled with him to cover the completion of the deal. The transfer includes a fee exceeding 11 million euros for 80 percent of the player’s economic rights, plus bonuses, with the 23-year-old signing a five-year contract.

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The scenes at the airport, where crowds of his compatriots gathered, are proof of that. Speaking to in.gr, one of them, Gustavo Ramírez of Televisa Univision, one of Mexico’s most prominent media outlets, put it plainly: being in Athens and Piraeus for the transfer of “our own La Hormiga” (The Ant in spanish) to Olympiacos shows just how important this move is. He called it an excellent development, noting that after the World Cup, a tournament that ended on a positive note for Mexico, there had been plenty of speculation about Mexican players heading to Europe’s top leagues, yet none had actually signed until now. That makes González the first Mexican player to join a club abroad since the World Cup, and, in Ramírez’s view, one of the most promising talents in the game.

“González Is Joining One of the Biggest Clubs in Europe”

The story also drew coverage from ESPN, which sent its Italy-based correspondent to Athens for the occasion. Back in Mexico, Matías Almeyda, the former AEK Athens coach who now manages Monterrey and knows Greek football well, was asked about the transfer’s significance at a press conference. “Greek football is exciting. González is joining a big club, one of the biggest in Europe, a powerful institution in every sense. It’s a good step for him, I wish him the best. He’ll adapt quickly and show what he can do across Europe,” said Almeyda, known in Mexico by the nickname “Pelado.”

González: “I Will Give Everything for This Shirt”

González himself, on arriving in Athens, said he was ready to help Olympiacos meet its goals. “I am very happy, very pleased with my transfer. It’s a great honor to play for this club, the biggest in Greece, and to play in front of these wonderful fans. What you can expect from me is that I will give everything, my absolute best, for the team. I will do everything for this shirt and give my best for the fans and for the club,” said the 23-year-old forward.

62 Goals, and Interest From Barcelona

At just 23, Armando González has already scored 62 official career goals in 140 appearances for Chivas Guadalajara. He broke into the first team in January 2024 and has made 69 appearances in total, scoring 24 goals with 4 assists. Last season, his busiest yet, he made 38 appearances across all competitions, scoring 24 goals with 2 assists. In Mexico’s most recent Clausura tournament he scored 12 goals in 17 games and was named the competition’s MVP, and he was also the top scorer of the 2025 Apertura with another 12 goals. He is a full Mexico international and was part of the squad at the recent World Cup, which his country co-hosted.

He came on as a substitute for 14 minutes in Mexico’s opening match against South Africa and remained with the squad throughout the tournament. He has 8 senior caps for Mexico and one international goal. His scoring record, paired with his age, he is still only 23, has made him a target for several European clubs over the past two years. And not mid-table sides, either, but some of the biggest names in Europe’s top leagues.

Barcelona was among them. Just a few months ago, the Catalan club was seriously weighing a move for González. Spanish outlet Marca reported back in March that it was only a matter of time before a major European club made a serious move for him. Catalan paper Sport went further, reporting that Barcelona saw in the Mexican a forward who could pair well with Lamine Yamal in Hansi Flick’s attack, and considered him a future starting center forward for Mexico’s national team as well.

Source: in.gr