Sudden shift for Kiki Ramos
Stephen “Kiki” Ramos will represent Haiti instead of Argentina at the upcoming FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar, shifting allegiances after previously appearing in friendlies for the Albiceleste, lanueva.com reported.
Born in Port-au-Prince on April 3, 2009, the Vélez Sarsfield forward arrived in Argentina when he was nine months old after being adopted alongside his siblings by an Argentine family, according to sources. When he was six years old, a neighbor who was impressed by his skills during neighborhood pickup games encouraged him to try out for Vélez, starting his path through the youth ranks, TyC Sports reported.
Before receiving his call-up, the youth player admitted that he never imagined the national team summons would arrive so quickly, noting that he was nervous at first because he was playing with the best, but felt loose by the second training session, according to ESPN Argentina.
The surprise announcement came directly through official channels from the Haitian Football Federation, which welcomed the teenager to the Grenadye squad heading to Brazil before the tournament, TyC Sports reported. Yesterday the Argentine Football Association (AFA) was completely shaken as a result of the news regarding the call-up of 17-year-old Kiki Ramos for the Haiti national team, lanueva.com noted.
From Villa Olímpica to the Albiceleste debut
Ramos established himself as a prolific scorer in Vélez Sarsfield’s youth ranks, netting 20 goals in 29 matches during the current season and eventually signing his first professional contract with the club, ESPN Argentina and TyC Sports reported.
His early childhood nickname, Kiki—used simply because he used to repeat that word—took on a new meaning as a reflection of Kylian Mbappé, even though his style of play is often compared to that of Vinicius, TyC Sports reported.
He stands out for his enormous offensive capacity, quality, speed, and power, traits that position him as a great youth prospect and led him to sign his first professional contract with El Fortín, TyC Sports added.
🚨 HE PLAYED FOR ARGENTINA, SCORED FOR ARGENTINA… BUT NOW HE'S CHOOSING HAITI! 🇭🇹😳 One of the most unexpected international football stories involves 17-year-old Vélez Sarsfield prospect Stephen "Kiki" Ramos. Born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on April 3, 2009, Ramos was adopted… pic.twitter.com/5UU8E6C5HN
His breakthrough with Argentina’s under-17 side came on July 30, when he debuted against Ecuador in an exhibition match at Lanús, according to MDZ Online and ESPN Argentina.
Days later at Atlanta’s stadium, Ramos scored his first goal for Argentina’s youth setup during a 1-1 draw against the same Ecuadorian side, earning praise from manager Diego Placente’s staff, ESPN Argentina reported. In that match, he scored the goal that allowed Diego Placente’s team, which was losing by a minimal margin, to tie the duel 1-1 at Atlanta’s Estadio León Kolbowski, MDZ Online reported.
Thus, Kiki became the first footballer born in Haiti—a country where he lived his first months of life before his family emigrated to Argentina—to wear the Albiceleste shirt, according to MDZ Online.
𝕆𝔽𝔽𝕀ℂ𝕀𝔸𝕃: 17-year-old Vélez Sarsfield prospect Kiki Ramos has chosen to represent Haiti over Argentina, having previously featured in several friendlies for Argentina's U-17 national team. Stephen Oscar Ramos, known as Kiki, was born on April 3, 2009, in Port-au-Prince.… pic.twitter.com/AOE13yMVfV
Welcomed by the Grenadye
El joven jugador de Vélez Sarsfield elige a Haití y se unirá a la selección Sub-17 en Brasil! La FFH le desea la bienvenida a la familia Grenadye.
Reports indicated that Ramos accepted the call-up from Haiti to secure his place in the global tournament after missing out on recent microcycles and preliminary friendlies under Placente.
This decision came after Placente left him out of Argentina’s recent practices and preparation friendlies for the World Cup, and although the final roster has not yet been announced, the Vélez youngster received the call from the Haitian squad first and opted for it to ensure his presence in the tournament, MDZ Online reported.
Despite making the switch for the upcoming international competition, Ramos remains uncapped at the senior international level, meaning he is not yet permanently tied to Haiti under FIFA eligibility rules, according to TyC Sports.
Tournament groups and future eligibility
Haití will compete in Group D alongside France, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay when the youth tournament runs from November 19 to December 13 in Qatar, lanueva.com reported. The perspective of the Central American selection focuses on Kiki Ramos subsequently continuing his progress until he reaches the senior squad, lanueva.com noted.
Argentina enters the competition in Group C with matches against Australia, Mozambique, and Denmark, according to TyC Sports and ESPN Argentina.
Under FIFA regulations, competitive appearances in official senior matches remain the threshold required to permanently lock a player’s national team eligibility, meaning Ramos could theoretically return to represent Argentina later in his career if selected for a senior side, TyC Sports noted.
To prevent that from happening, he would need to log minutes in three matches for the senior national team organized by FIFA or continental entities, lanueva.com and TyC Sports pointed out.
Worth a look
.webp)