Costinha

Lore & Background

Costinha was born in Lisbon to an Angolan father. He began his career in the third division with Clube Oriental de Lisboa, A.D. Machico and C.D. Nacional. He played for clubs in Portugal, France, Russia, Spain and Italy, winning eight trophies with Porto including the 2004 Champions League. He played more than 50 times for Portugal, appearing in one World Cup and two European Championships, and was part of the squad that reached the Euro 2004 final. After retiring, he worked as a manager for Beira-Mar, Paços Ferreira, Académica and Nacional.

In Their Own Story

The floodlights at the Estádio da Luz hummed with a low, electric buzz. Fourth minute of the second half, Euro 2004, and the Greek back line had just absorbed another Portuguese attack. Costinha, already drenched in sweat, jogged back to his marker, eyes scanning the channel. Then the ball dropped to him near the halfway line. One touch to control, a second to set his run, and he was gone — a blur of red and green sprinting down the right touchline. The Greek full-back turned, saw him coming, and hesitated. That half-second was all Costinha needed. He cut inside, whipped the ball into the near post with a curl that seemed to bend around the defender's head, and then simply jogged back, chest heaving, already resetting for the next phase. The crowd roared. The striker had headed it wide, yes, but for three seconds the entire stadium had believed. Costinha wiped his brow, nodded to the assistant, and was already sprinting forward again. That was the job. That was always the job.

Reader's Guide

Costinha is best known for his tackling and positioning, as well as his athleticism, stamina and workrate. He played as a defensive midfielder. He scored a crucial goal against Manchester United in the 2004 Champions League round of 16. He was sent off in the Battle of Nuremberg during the 2006 World Cup. As a manager, he led Nacional to promotion as LigaPro champions in 2017–18.

Did You Know?

• Costinha was a childhood Sporting CP fan but never played for the club.
• He scored an injury-time header against Romania at Euro 2000.
• He was one of four players sent off in Portugal's 1–0 win over the Netherlands at the 2006 World Cup.
• He won the UEFA Champions League with Porto in 2004, beating his former club Monaco in the final.