.jpg) Costa withPortugal in 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Diogo Meireles da Costa[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1999-09-19)19 September 1999 (age 26)[2] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Rothrist, Switzerland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[3] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Goalkeeper | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Porto | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 99 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | AMCH Ringe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2011 | CB Póvoa Lanhoso | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2019 | Porto | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2021 | Porto B | 51 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019– | Porto | 156 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | Portugal U15 | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Portugal U16 | 4 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Portugal U17 | 14 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | Portugal U18 | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2018 | Portugal U19 | 19 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2019 | Portugal U20 | 10 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2021 | Portugal U21 | 16 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021– | Portugal | 42 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 23:24, 8 February 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 22:46, 15 December 2025 (UTC) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Diogo Meireles da CostaComM (European Portuguese pronunciation:[diˈoɣuˈkɔʃtɐ]; born 19 September 1999) is a Portuguese professionalfootballer who plays as agoalkeeper forPrimeira Liga clubPorto, which hecaptains.
Coming throughPorto's youth system, Costa won theUEFA Youth League in2019. He was promoted from thereserve side to the first-team in 2019, winning adomestic double of thePrimeira Liga and theTaça de Portugal in hisfirst season. He broke into the starting line-up in 2021, aged 22, helping Porto to a second domestic double and being named in the Primeira Liga Team of the Year in2022,2023 and2025.
Costa represented Portugal at variousyouth levels, being part ofthe under-17 team that won the2016 European Championship, theunder-19 team that won the2018 European Championship and theunder-21 team that finished as runners-up at the2021 European Championship. He made his senior international debut in 2021, representing Portugal at the2022 FIFA World Cup andUEFA Euro 2024. He won theUEFA Nations League in2025.
Born inRothrist,Canton of Aargau, Switzerland toPortuguese parents,[4] Costa relocated toSanto Tirso in Portugal at the age of 7 due to his father gaining employment at the localToilet Duck factory there.[5] In his childhood, he played football with his cousin Vitor, with their idol beingFC Porto legendVítor Baía, whom they looked to emulate. He started playing football at a local academy, AMCH Ringe, and later began going through some training sessions withBenfica, being integrated into one of their feeder club, Póvoa de Lanhoso, where he stayed for two years, standing out alongside future teammateVitinha, before joining FC Porto's academy in 2011, following the consent of his parents.[6][7]
Costa made his senior debut withthe reserve team on 6 August 2017,[4] in a 1–2 home loss againstGil Vicente for theLigaPro.[8] He finishedthe season with a further 31 appearances, helping to a seventh-place finish, and on 15 May he renewed his contract until June 2022.[9] In September, he was named the club's Newcomer of the Year;[5] late in the same year, Spanish goalkeeperIker Casillas – who started for the first team – heaped praise upon him, regarding him as his "successor".[10]
Costa won the2018–19 UEFA Youth League with Porto, defeatingChelsea 3–1 in the final inNyon, Switzerland on 29 April.[11] Days later, after Casillas suffered a heart attack,Vaná replaced him as starting goalkeeper and Costa was called up to the bench for the final three games ofthe season, starting with a 4–0 win atDesportivo das Aves on 4 May.[12][13]
On 25 September 2019, Costa made his first-team debut in theopening group match of theTaça da Liga, keeping aclean sheet in a 1–0 home victory overSanta Clara.[14] His firstPrimeira Liga appearance took place on 10 November in a 1–0 away defeat ofBoavista, as the habitual starterAgustín Marchesín was suspended internally after a breach of discipline.[15] He made a further two until the end ofthe campaign for the eventual champions,[16] as well as all sevenTaça de Portugal matches as theysecured thedouble.[17]
At the start of the 2020–21 season, Costa inherited Porto's 99 shirt,[4] made famous by goalkeeper and club legendVítor Baía. He remained Marchesín's backup, only appearing in one league game, and made hisChampions League debut on 9 December 2020; he kept a clean sheet in a 2–0group stage win atOlympiacos.[18][19]
At the start of the2021–22 season, Costa had a run as first-choice goalkeeper when Marchesín was sidelined with an injury.[20] He was September 2021's Goalkeeper of the Month, receiving 25% of the votes while Benfica'sOdysseas Vlachodimos received 22%.[21] On 16 October, he agreed to a contract extension to 2026, increasing hisbuyout clause from €30 million to €60 million.[22] After helping Porto to an unbeaten run of sixteen consecutive league games, during which he kept eight clean sheets, he was named the league's Goalkeeper of the Month for four consecutive months from December to March 2022.[23]
He would then be part of five more victories that would seal Porto a seconddomestic double of thePrimeira Liga and theTaça de Portugal, after keeping a clean sheet in the 1–0 victory ofO Clássico against rivalsBenfica on 7 May, and 15 days later Porto 3–1 defeatingTondela in thedomestic cup final.[24][25] Despite finishing the season with 15 clean sheets, thesecond-highest total behindAntonio Adán ofSporting CP, Costa was still named in the Primeira Liga Team of the Year ahead of him.[26] He also named the Primeira Liga Goalkeeper of the Year, having started in 33 of 34 Porto's league matches of the season, having missed only their last match, with the title being already secured.[27]
On 4 October, Costa managed to save a penalty fromPatrik Schick, and preserved a clean sheet in a 2–0 home win overBayer Leverkusen in aChampions League group stage match. In the reverse fixture against them, on 12 October, Costa managed to provide an assist to a goal fromGaleno, then saved a penalty fromKerem Demirbay, and preserved a clean sheet in a 3–0 away win against Leverkusen in Germany, becoming the first goalkeeper to achieve that feat in theChampions League.[28] On 26 October, Costa saved another penalty fromNoa Lang, as Porto's went on to win the game 4–0 away againstClub Brugge, becoming the first goalkeeper to save three consecutive penalties in the competition's history.[29] His form throughout the club's Champions League group stage campaign, saw him help his side qualify to theround of sixteen, as group winners, following a 2–1 home win overAtlético Madrid on 1 November, amassing 43 saves, and a man of the match award, during the group stage.[30][31]
On 28 January 2023, Costa kept a clean sheet in the2–0 final win over Sporting CP, helping Porto win their firstTaça da Liga inLeiria.[32] On 22 February, in the first leg ofChampions League round-of-16, Costa proved to crucial for Porto, making several crucial saves as they lost 1–0 away in the first leg, to eventual tournament runners-upInter Milan. On 14 March, in the second leg, despite keeping a clean sheet at home, in his 100th appearance for Porto, producing several decisive saves, a 0–0 draw prevented him from advancing to the quarter-finals.[33][34][35] On 4 June, his team won the2023 Taça de Portugal final 2–0 againstBraga, with Costa keeping another clean sheet.[36] In the league, Porto finished as runners-up, with Costa reaching 16 clean sheets goals in 33 games, contributing decisively for the club's second-best defensive record in the competition, being named for the second consecutive season the Primeira Liga Goalkeeper of the Year.[37]
Over the course of the 2023 summer transfer window, there was much speculation that Costa would leave Porto withChelsea, andManchester United all heavily linked with the player. Porto were adamant he would not be sold for less than his €75 million release clause, leading both clubs to pull out of the deal, due to the overall cost of the transfer with United signingAndré Onana instead.[38][39][40] He was also linked to a move toBayern Munich andReal Madrid, following an injury to their starting goalkeepers, but a move never materialised, and he ended up staying at Porto for the upcoming season.[41][42]
In the2023–24 season, despite a third-place finish from Porto in thePrimeira Liga, he ended the season with 14 clean sheets out of 34 league matches, the highest in the season. Costa also featured in the entirety of Porto'sTaça de Portugal final victory over Sporting CP on 26 May, which ended 2–1.[43] Shortly after, he was linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, with three clubs in theSaudi Pro League interested in him, as well asManchester City as potencial replacement forEderson, who was linked to a move to Saudi Pro League sideAl-Ittihad.[44][45] However, on 2 July, Porto's PresidentAndré Villas-Boas confirmed that the club was not willing to sell him, as he was "one of their biggest assets".[46]
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On 12 July, it was announced that Costa would become the newclub captain followingPepe's retirement andIván Marcano long-term injury, with new vice-captains beingCláudio Ramos andFábio Cardoso.[47] On 3 August, he captained his side in the first competitive match of theseason as Porto won the2024 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira by defeating Sporting CP with a 4–3 victory, despite being down by three goals.[48] On 29 September, in a 4–0 league win againstArouca, Costa kept his 100th career clean sheet, at age of 25, in his 161st appearance for the club.[49] Despite a difficult start to the season for Porto defensively, after keeping three clean sheets in five league matches, he was named the Primeira Liga's Goalkeeper of the Month for September and October.[50] He would finish the season with the most clean sheets in the league at 16, despite Porto finishing third in the Primeira Liga.[51] His performances saw him being named the league's Goalkeeper of the Season, and saw Costa being included in the season's best XI.[52]
On 23 December 2025, Costa extended his contract with Porto until June 2030, which saw his release clause decrease to €60 million.[53]
Costa started all ofPortugal's matches in the2016 UEFA European Under-17 Championship. In the final againstSpain, he savedManu Morlanes' spot kick in a 5–4 penalty shoot-out victory after a 1–1 draw, helping his team win the tournament for the sixth time.[54] With theunder-19s, he participated in the2017 European Championship, playing four out of five matches as they lost in the final toEngland.[55] He representedthe nation at the2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup,[56] starting in all the matches in a quarter-final exit.[57]
InJuly 2018, Costa played four matches out of five at theUEFA European Under-19 Championship in Finland, helpingPortugal win the tournament for the first time,[58] but missed the final due to a muscle injury.[59] Previously, on 25 May, the 18-year-old won his firstcap for theunder-21 side, coming on as a second-halfsubstitute in a 3–2friendly win overItaly.[60] In March 2021, Costa played all of Portugal's matches in the2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, as Portugal finished the tournament as runners-up, losing the final 1–0 toGermany.[61]
Costa was called up tothe senior team for the first time on 26 August 2021,[62] for2022 FIFA World Cupqualifiers against theRepublic of Ireland andAzerbaijan and a friendly withQatar.[63] He made his debut on 9 October against the last of those opponents, in a 3–0 victory atAlgarve Stadium.[64] Costa was chosen as the first-choice goalkeeper by the head coachFernando Santos for the2022 FIFA World Cup qualification play-offs, relegating usual starterRui Patrício to the bench.[65] On 24 March, at his club ground, he played his first competitive game in a 3–1 win overTurkey in the play-off semi-finals;[66] he featured again five days later in a 2–0 victory overNorth Macedonia that sealed a place for the tournament.[67]
Costa was called up for the final 26-man squad for the2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.[68] On 25 November, he played his first World Cup match, a 3–2 group stage win againstGhana. This made him the youngest Portuguese goalkeeper to play in a major international tournament, at age 23.[69] However, Costa had a difficult game, nearly costing his team's match in injury time. While setting the ball down on the pitch, Costa prepared to kick the ball out of the box, but he did not know that Ghana strikerIñaki Williams was lurking behind him, as Williams proceeded to charge forward and steal the ball, he ended up slipping while being challenged by Costa, leading Portugal's defence to clear the ball and seal the victory.[70] He still played every minute of the campaign, as they were knocked out of the tournament after losing in the quarter-finals toMorocco, where he misjudged a cross when coming for the ball, andYoussef En-Nesyri headed the only goal of the game.[71] Despite a difficult World Cup, Costa retained his place under new managerRoberto Martínez, on theUEFA Euro 2024qualifiers, helping Portugal keep a clean sheet in the 9–0 home defeat ofLuxembourg during the same phase on 11 September 2023, their biggest win in international history.[72] He finished the qualifying campaign, keeping nine clean sheets out of ten matches, only conceding two goals againstSlovakia in a 3–2 home win on 13 October, with Portugal topping their qualifying group, and setting a new national team record of 10 consecutive wins.[73]
On 21 May 2024, he was selected in the 26-man squad for theUEFA Euro 2024.[74] In the round of 16 match againstSlovenia, he was awarded player of the match, as he cleared a one-to-one chance fromBenjamin Šeško in the extra time, before saving all three penalties in the shootout, becoming the first ever goalkeeper in theEuropean Championship to do so, securing his country's qualification to the quarter-finals.[75][76] Costa recalled the match by saying it was "the best match of my life, the match in which I managed to help my team the most. I had to follow my instinct, that's what I felt. I'm very happy and very excited to help the team so much".[77][78] Portugal were eliminated in the quarter-finals toFrance after losing 5–3 in another penalty shootout, with Costa failing to save any penalty.[79]
On 20 May 2025, Costa was selected for Portugal's2025 UEFA Nations League Finalssquad.[80] He and his team would go on to win the tournament5–3 in a penalty shootout over rivalsSpain, in which he had a crucial role by saving a penalty fromÁlvaro Morata.[81]
Described as a "sweeper-keeper" because of his playing style, Costa is a goalkeeper distinguished by his technical skills and tactical intelligence. He possesses exceptional reflexes and reaction times, enabling him to execute difficult saves in one-on-one situations and against point-blank shots. Costa also excels in penalty situations, displaying composure and a strong sense of positioning. His effectiveness in collecting crosses further highlights his decision-making abilities and overall goalkeeping prowess.[82][83][84]
Tactically, Costa is a goalkeeper who is comfortable with the ball at his feet, facilitating play from the back and aiding in ball distribution. His precise short and long passes help initiate attacks and maintain possession for his team. Additionally, Costa has strong game awareness and positioning, allowing him to anticipate plays and effectively intercept crosses and aerial threats. His leadership qualities are evident on the field; he communicates well with his defensive teammates, showcasing maturity and confidence in organizing the defensive line to ensure team compactness.[82][83][84] Pedro Pereira, a goalkeeping coach who worked with Costa inPorto's youth system andB team, described him as "a very calm goalkeeper, one with real presence", and stated that "he has clarity in key moments and controls his emotions very well. He exudes security in everything he does, and that transmits a sense of serenity to the team."[82]
Costa and his wife Catarina Machado have a son born in November 2022, named Tomás Costa.[85]
| Club | Season | League | Taça de Portugal | Taça da Liga | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Porto B | 2017–18 | LigaPro | 32 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 34 | 0 | ||||
| 2018–19 | 17 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 18 | 0 | ||||||
| 2020–21 | Liga Portugal 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 51 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 51 | 0 | ||||||
| Porto | 2019–20 | Primeira Liga | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 15 | 0 | |
| 2020–21 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | ||
| 2021–22 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10[b] | 0 | — | 43 | 0 | |||
| 2022–23 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8[a] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24 | 33 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8[a] | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | 45 | 0 | ||
| 2024–25 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10[d] | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | 43 | 0 | ||
| 2025–26 | 21 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8[d] | 0 | — | 31 | 0 | |||
| Total | 156 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 45 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 228 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 207 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 45 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 279 | 0 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal | 2021 | 1 | 0 |
| 2022 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 13 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 10 | 0 | |
| Total | 42 | 0 | |
Porto Youth
Porto
Portugal U17
Portugal U19
Portugal U21
Portugal
Individual
Orders
Medal of theOrder of Merit[106]
Portugal squads | |||||||
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