Before yesterday, not many in Europe had heard of Diogo Costa. Not to be confused with former Chelsea striker Diego Costa; Diogo Costa is Portugal’s goalkeeping saviour, saving three penalties to send his nation into the quarter-finals of the European Championships, where they will face France.
With Ronaldo crying for a lifeline, he upstepped the 24-year-old Costa, who made a superb save to send the game to extra time before his penalty heroics. But who exactly is Diogo Costa?
Early Life and Background
The Portuguese international was born in Rothrist, Switzerland, on September 19, 1999. At the age of seven, he moved to Portugal with his Portuguese parents to Santo Tirso, a city very close to central Porto.
It would be there where the love affair with Porto would begin, joining their academy in 2011. Costa progressed through the ranks, making his senior debut for the reserve side in 2017 in a 2-1 loss to Gil Vicente.
After a successful first season, during which he made 31 appearances, former Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas recognised him as his “successor” at Porto.
Costa would feature for Porto in their 2018-19 UEFA Youth League triumph, where he was in goal in a 3-1 win against Chelsea in the final, lifting the trophy with his boyhood club.
First-Team Debut and Rise to Prominence
On September 25, 2019, six days after his 20th birthday, he made his first-team debut, keeping a clean sheet at home in a 1-0 win over Santa Clara.
Costa cemented himself as the first-choice keeper, signing a contract extension till 2027 and now accumulating over 100 first-team games for his beloved side.
Yesterday, however, was the most significant moment of his young career. Costa became the first goalkeeper in European Championship history to save three penalties in a row, sparing the blushes of captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who had missed a penalty in extra time.
Ronaldo x Diogo Costa ❤️#EURO2024 | #PORSVN pic.twitter.com/yzI7kAjCSf
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) July 1, 2024
The 24-year-old said post-match: “It was probably the best game of my life – it was certainly the one where I was most useful to my team.”
He added: “I believe in the hard work I do. Work, work, work. That comes first, and sometimes you reap the fruits.”
His performances have already attracted eyes in Europe. Both Manchester clubs and Chelsea are already plotting moves for Porto’s man, who has an £85 million release clause attached to his name.
Costa’s eyes will be firmly on Portugal’s upcoming fixture against hot favourites France. He and the rest of Portugal will be hoping for a repeat of 2016, when Portugal beat France 1-0 to win their first major trophy.
