Biography
Who is Ricardo Costa?
Early life and beginnings
Ricardo Miguel Moreira da Costa started his path in the sport at Boavista FC. He was born in the town of Vila Nova de Gaia within the Porto District. While still an apprentice, he transitioned to the neighboring club FC Porto. His professional debut occurred on January 20, 2002, during a derby match against Boavista.
Although he did not immediately secure a regular starting position, he became a part of the team setup that achieved major trophies. He often played as a central defender but was capable of filling in as a full-back when needed.
Club career and European success
Ricardo enjoyed significant success during his time with FC Porto. He was on the field during the 2003 UEFA Cup final against Celtic, replacing an injured teammate. Later, he moved to Germany to sign with VfL Wolfsburg in July 2007. After some initial struggles, he became a consistent starter and helped the team qualify for the UEFA Cup. During his time in the Bundesliga, he scored a goal against Karlsruher SC just 15 seconds after entering the game.
He later had stints in France with Lille and Spain with Valencia. At Valencia, he was appointed as one of the team captains by the manager. His career also took him to Al-Sailiya in Qatar, PAOK FC in Greece, Granada in Spain, and FC Luzern in Switzerland. He eventually returned to his home country to play for C.D. Tondela and Boavista.
International performance
Ricardo Costa established himself on the international stage starting in 2005. He represented Portugal at the under-21 level and was involved with the Olympic team during the 2004 Summer Games in Athens. His senior international career included appearances in three separate World Cup tournaments. He played against Germany during the 2006 World Cup.
In 2010, he returned to the squad for the tournament in South Africa, where he appeared in matches against Brazil and Spain. He also participated in Euro 2012. During the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, he made history as one of the few Portuguese players to compete in three different World Cup editions. He famously made a goal-line clearance against the United States during that tournament. He scored his only international goal in a match against Israel in 2013.
Coaching career
After concluding his playing career, Ricardo turned his attention to management. He took on a role as the sporting director at Boavista in August 2020, though he left that position the following January. He later transitioned into coaching roles.
In July 2022, he was appointed to manage the under-17 team at FC Porto, having previously served on the staff for the under-19 squad. His coaching path continued abroad when he joined FC Dila Gori in the Georgian Erovnuli Liga in July 2024. During his first season there, he secured third place with eight wins from 18 games. He eventually moved back to Portugal to coach at C.D. Feirense and later Tondela.
Birthday and age
Ricardo Costa was born on May 16, 1981, which makes Ricardo 45 years old today. That birthday falls under the Taurus sign. Ricardo shares the date with 73 other famous people.
Explore more
