Johnny Cardoso joins Atlético Madrid from Real Betis - Among most expensive USMNT players in history

Now announed 

Atlético Madrid have signed US men’s national team player Johnny Cardoso from Real Betis. According to various media reports, Atlético Madrid have paid an initial €24 million plus €5m in bonuses and a sell-on percentage to secure the 23-year-old defensive midfielder. The transfer makes Cardoso one of the most expensive USMNT-eligible players in history (overview).

Born in Denville, New Jersey, Cardoso rose to prominence in Brazil, where he played for Internacional before joining Real Betis in a deal worth €6m in January 2024. Once in LaLiga, Cardoso improved steadily, becoming a solid defensive midfielder, scoring four goals and three assists in 45 league games and increasing his market value from €6m to €25m.

Cardoso’s solid play has also been noticed abroad. Last summer, the American became part of a deal that saw Giovani Lo Celso join Real Betis from Tottenham for a reported fee of €5m. As part of the deal, Tottenham secured a priority option to sign Cardoso for a reported fee of €25m. That clause, however, has never been triggered, and Tottenham have changed managers, sacking Ange Postecoglou and hiring Thomas Frank in his stead.

USMNT Johnny Cardoso – What can he add to Atlético Madrid?

What can Atlético Madrid expect from Cardoso? Considered a hard-working player, Cardoso should fit in well with Diego Simeone’s system. Last season, Cardoso was in the 99th percentile in LaLiga with 2.01 interceptions per 90 minutes and 95th percentile with 2.69 clearances per 90 minutes when compared with his positional peers by FBREF. Joining a top team like Atlético Madrid will be a big step ahead of the  2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.