Six players who gained fame at the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada have secured transfers to new clubs following the tournament.
Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha arrived at Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport in Santiago on Sunday, where Colo-Colo fans gathered to welcome him. The 40-year-old completed a move to the Chilean club on a six-month contract, which includes an option for a 12-month extension.
"I'm very happy to be here. And I want to thank the fans for the patience they've shown while waiting for me," Vozinha said. "See you at the Monumental Stadium."
Vozinha aims to help Colo-Colo win the league title. During the World Cup, he made 18 saves and outperformed his expected goals against by 0.9 as Cape Verde reached the last-32. He kept clean sheets against Spain and Saudi Arabia before his team lost 3-2 to Argentina after extra time.
His performance earned him a place in the FIFA team of the tournament, and his Instagram following increased from 50,000 to 28.6 million. He previously played in his homeland, Moldova, Slovakia, Cyprus and Portugal's second tier.
Bayern Munich signs Saibari
Morocco forward Ismael Saibari joined Bayern Munich for £43 million. The transfer became official on July 1.
The 25-year-old scored in all three group stage matches. A knee injury forced him off during Morocco's last-16 win over Canada, and he watched from the stands as his team lost to France in the quarter-finals.
Before the tournament, Saibari won a third consecutive Eredivisie title with PSV Eindhoven and was named Player of the Year. He has now reported to training with Bayern in the Bundesliga.
"We're delighted to have secured the services of Ismael Saibari, one of the most exciting forwards at the World Cup," Max Eberl, FC Bayern board member for sport, said.
"Transfers like this don't happen on the spur of the moment but are the result of long-term planning: the key factor was that we made our position clear to him early on because we were aware of Ismael's skills and were able to show him a clear future with us from the start," Eberl added. "Ismael Saibari will bring extra quality and unpredictability to our attacking play."
Chelsea confirms Barco deal
Chelsea agreed to sign Argentina midfielder Valentin Barco in May and confirmed the transfer after the World Cup. The 22-year-old joins on a seven-year deal from sister club Strasbourg, marking the 13th transfer between the two BlueCo teams.
Barco, a former Brighton full back who played as a midfielder in Ligue 1, played 19 minutes in a group stage match against Jordan. He drew attention during Argentina's semi-final win over England.
When Enzo Fernandez scored a late equaliser, Barco sprinted across the pitch and taunted the England players, prompting a shove from John Stones. Barco also entered the pitch after Lautaro Martinez scored the winning goal, and reports stated he wound up the England bench for the entire 90 minutes.
Following the final whistle, Jude Bellingham slapped Barco on the back of the head as Argentina celebrated, which caused a scuffle on the pitch.
Manzambi chooses Aston Villa
Switzerland midfielder Johan Manzambi moved to Aston Villa from Freiburg. He declined an offer from Newcastle, who had a £49 million bid accepted and a verbal agreement with the 20-year-old.
Manzambi scored three goals and provided two assists at the World Cup before a knee injury ended his tournament. He began the competition as a substitute but forced his way into a starting role.
Aston Villa noted Manzambi's deep-lying role for Freiburg, who lost 3-0 to Unai Emery's side in May during preparations for the Europa League Final. Manzambi joins a revamped midfield following the departures of Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans, and a knee injury that ruled Amadou Onana out for a prolonged period.
"I am very, very happy and I am excited to play with this club," Manzambi said. "It's a very big club in England, and they're playing in the Champions League. I've already played against Aston Villa, and for me, it was the perfect plan."
"I hope I can play the same as in the World Cup and with Freiburg. I'm sure that with the team, the coach and the staff that I can do the same."
Olimpia signs Tim Payne
New Zealand centre-back Tim Payne transferred to Club Olimpia in Paraguay after Wellington Phoenix accepted a reported £430,000 fee ahead of the team's first World Cup match.
The 32-year-old gained a massive following when Argentine content creator Valen Scarsini, known as "El Scarso", campaigned to make an unknown player famous. Payne's Instagram followers increased from 5,000 to over 5.6 million.
Payne made his debut for Olimpia on Sunday and scored by curling a shot into the top corner from the edge of the box. He thanked Scarsini and his followers for their role in the transfer.
"Club Olimpia is one of the biggest clubs in South America, with an incredible history, passionate supporters and ambitions that match its stature, and I am looking forward to rising to that challenge," Payne said.
"For our family, this is something really special. My son, growing up speaking Spanish like his mum did, immersing ourselves in her culture and her family's world is what makes this so much more than just a football move."
Herrington nears Hull City
Australia defender Lucas Herrington is nearing a transfer from the Colorado Rapids to Hull City for approximately £17 million. The fee would make the 18-year-old the most expensive Australian player in history.
Herrington missed a penalty in Australia's shootout defeat to Egypt in the last-32, prompting a message of support from former Sweden international Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
"Penalty is like lottery. You score, you become a hero, you don't score, sadly you become zero," Ibrahimovic said. "I just want to reach out to Herrington. You're 18 years old, you're young, this is just the beginning of your career."
"You stepping up there, you showed a lot of courage, not everybody will do that. My friend, you're the best. Don't listen to the rest. Listen, Herrington, if you want to reach out, I'm here."
Hull City owner Acun Ilicali confirmed the club's interest to the BBC on Saturday.
"Yes," Ilicali said. "He's (got) very big potential. Very young boy. I think (a) future star. We are very close, very close."
Asked when a decision might be made, Ilicali said: "One week."
