Diogo Costa’s journey toward his main goal of becoming a successful goalkeeper started young and proved successful. At only 23 years old, he’s arguably one of the best young goalkeepers out there. Let’s take a look at 6 facts about Portuguese goalkeeper Diogo Costa, as the FIFA World Cup’s first week begins.
Como Nós. Um de Nós. Um dos 𝗡𝗢𝗦𝗦𝗢𝗦 💙#FCPorto #DiogoCosta2027 pic.twitter.com/mFHOgIdX9q
— FC Porto (@FCPorto) November 3, 2022
1. Costa was actually born in Switzerland
Diogo Costa was born in Rothrist, Switzerland, on September 19, 1999, making him 23 years old of age. He was born to Portuguese parents, Armanda Meireles and Francisco Costa, who led a middle-class life in a small Swiss village on the outskirts of Zurich. Diogo would play football in the village with friends every day.
In 2006, at the age of seven, Diogo and his family relocated to Portugal to Vila das Aves so that he could pursue his dream of goalkeeping. His dad would often commute back and forth from Switzerland for work.
2. Costa made his senior international debut in 2021
At the age of 22, Diogo Costa made his senior international debut after being called up to the senior team of Portugal on August 26, 2021. After the UEFA Euro 2020 round of 16 elimination against Belgium, the decision was made by Fernando Santos to drop Rui Patricio. This opening allowed Costa to make his debut and get chosen as Portugal’s first-choice goalkeeper.
3. Diogo Costa will be one of the goalkeepers for the FIFA World Cup 2022
Fernando Santos announced on November 10 his final 26-man roster for the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar. The goalkeepers include Diogo Costa, José Sá, and Rui Patrício. It’s rumored that Diogo Costa will be the main goalkeeper to help the team achieve a possible victory.
4. Growing up, his idol was Vítor Baía
Growing up in Vila de Alves, Diogo and his cousin would spend their time in the main square playing football with each other. They were both FC Porto fans and looked up to their idol, Vítor Baía.
Baía was a Portuguese goalkeeper for Porto, helping the team win 25 titles. He also played for Barcelona and the Portugal national team in the Euros and 2002 World Cup.
5. Diogo welcomed a son in November 2022
The same day he got the news he would be playing in the FIFA World Cup 2022, on November 10, Diogo Costa welcomed the birth of his son, Tomás Costa. His first child, Costa took to Instagram to say, “Welcome, Tomás. You are and will always be the best of our lives.”
Diogo began dating his wife and mother of his child, Catarina Machado, around six years ago. The couple announced their pregnancy in May of 2022. Catarina Machado is a fashion designer in Porto.
Meu suporte 💙 pic.twitter.com/xIlkNGFYqN
— Diogo Costa (@DiogoMCosta99) November 6, 2022
6. Costa allegedly makes over €800,000 a year
Diogo Costa is a well-paid goalkeeper. According to the information out there, he makes over €800,000 a year. This is over €65,000 a month and over €16,000 a week, almost the average salary in Portugal a year. The average person makes around €16,500 a year. His contract with FC Porto was recently renovated until 2027.
The new contract includes a clause that if a team wanted to get Costa, they would need to offer the club at least €75 million instead of the initial €60 million.
