The Conveyor Belt of Age Fraud from Guinea-Bissau into Europe
At least 75 players are currently playing at high levels across Europe under fake ages, facilitated by shady agents and Portuguese clubs who looked the other way.
When Alamara Viriato Djabi landed in Lisbon in early 2019, he had all the hallmarks of yet another rising star: A talented teenager from Guinea-Bissau, “just” 13 years old on paper, arriving from a local academy with a bright future ahead.
In reality, Djabi was 19 years old. He was about to become a case study for age fraud in football.
His path through Portugal’s most prestigious clubs, including Sporting Lisbon and Benfica, before landing in his current team, Denmark’s FC Midtjylland reveals a porous ecosystem where forged documents, friendly agents, and loose oversight continue to enable the trafficking and laundering of football players’ true selves.
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