Goalkeeping as a role has evolved over decades of football, from being just a safety net to rectify defensive mistakes to becoming a key tactical part in their team's ball progression and defensive structure. Modern-day goalkeepers are required to be proactive in their approach to the game, reacting just as a defender would in their stead, thereby justifying their longstanding title as the last defender.
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Diogo Costa: Bio, Salary, Net worth, Lifestyle, Club, and International Career

Manuel Neuer is considered as the golden standard for comparing goalkeepers, and thus it would certainly be a testament to any player's ability to be considered as an option to replace him. There have been rumours circulating currently regarding Diogo Costa being the chosen one to replace the titan at the back for Bundesliga giant Bayern Munich. This isn't just coming out of thin air, as Diogo Costa has been performing at a top level since his early days at Porto, developing his image as a generational talent worldwide.
Diogo Costa Bio
Diogo Costa was born on 19 September 1999, in Rothrist, Switzerland. He currently plays at FC Porto and captains his team in the capacity of a goalkeeper after joining their academy in 2011 at the age of just 12. Diogo owes his successful Porto career to his father Francisco Costa, whose fateful change in career prospects from Switzerland to Santo Tirso in Portugal has led to his successful career within the Portugal footballing system and further in the Portuguese National team. The 25-year-old has been playing football since the early age of 7, while idealizing the legendary Portuguese goalkeeper Victor Baia since his early days.
Name | Diogo Meireles da Costa |
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DOB | 19 September 1999 |
Place Of Birth | Rothrist, Switzerland |
Country | Portugal |
Position | Goalkeeper |
Current Club | Porto FC |
National Team | Portugal National Team |
Jersey No. | 99 |
Age | 25 years |
Parents | Armanda Meireles, the mother and Francisco Costa, the father |
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Diogo Costa Family and Early Life
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Young Diogo Costa started playing football, trying to emulate the heroics of his idol Victor Baia. He enrolled himself in a local academy while starting his career in football-crazed Portugal, subsequently participating in few Benfica in training sessions. This led to his transfer to their feeder club Póvoa de Lanhoso, where he stayed for two years, featuring alongside his future teammate Vitinha. It was FC Porto that provided him with his first youth breakthrough by integrating him into their academy's dynamics in 2011. After improving his game in the academy through 7 years of dedicated training, Porto finally found Costa to be eligible for a debut in their reserve team in 2017. The premier game of his youth career ended in a 2-1 defeat for FC Porto against Gil Vicente in the LigaPro.
The season ended with Diogo Costa having made 31 appearances, guiding his team to a 7th-place finish, and he was thus rewarded with a contract renewal until 2022. His subsequent rise was rapid, as he was named the Newcomer of the Year in his first season for Porto, while also garnering flattering praise from Ilker Casillas, who played for Porto's first team during that time and later went on to becoming the legendary keeper at Real Madrid, declared the young prospect his successor. Post the stamp of approval from the goalkeeping legend he came into the limelight for the club where he had been considered a prodigy since his childhood. He capitalized on his growing stardom at the opportune moment by winning the 2018–19 UEFA Youth League with Porto, defeating Chelsea 3–1 in the final in Nyon, Switzerland, on 29 April. He ended the season with three appearances on the bench as a reserve goalkeeper for the senior team, following a sudden deterioration in Ilker Casillas' health.
Playing Style and Strengths
Diogo Costa is a goalkeeper who has mastered the tricks of his trade from an early age, thanks to his diligence and knack for picking up essential skills in any situation he is put in. Diogo Costa stands at a decent 186 cm in height, which, along with his long, flexible and surprisingly muscular limbs, helps him maintain a great reach inside his goalposts. Diogo Costa is proactive, which allows him to react to opponents' intentions rather than making instinctive saves after the opponent has executed their vision. Under the guidance of Ilker Casillas at Porto and his thorough analysis of his idol Victor Baia's play style, he has obtained great technical ability as a goalkeeper, which has, in turn, galvanized his nerves with steel even under intense pressure.
This can be verified from his passing statistics, as his average length of goal kicks per 90 is only 37.1 yards with a 23.3% launch percentage, which is quite low; however, this is a required criteria for possession heavy sides, that prefer short passes and game development, instead of the frantic chasing under the transitional play style associated with long balls. He has received 39.84 touches per 90, which clearly shows how important he is in Porto's build-up from the back, despite Porto being quite dominant in the Primera Liga, which further reduces the opportunities for a back pass, thus any move to a bigger club could result in him increasing his touches which won't be a problem as he looks extremely comfortable and purposeful in receiving with his first touch, and in finding valid solutions to break lines through the opponent's press. Diego Costa also stands out in terms of his sweeping actions, as he has an innate confidence in his abilities, which translates well in his strolls up the field. He records 1.59 defensive actions per 90 outside his penalty area, along with 6.1 crosses claimed per 90, which clearly shows us he is not afraid to come out of his line to bail his team out in times of need, releasing significant pressure from the defense.
Now, coming to the most essential aspect of any goalkeeper's game, Diogo Costa is a keeper with excellent body orientation and instinct when making saves from inside the box, and subsequently handles the ball very maturely when faced with shots from outside, deflecting pinpoint attempts and claiming pretentious attempts with confidence. He boasts a 50 percent clean sheet percentage, along with 0.84 goals against per 90, which puts him amongst the top goalkeepers worldwide. For context, he is closer to Allison than to Onana in these key statistics, who are both known for their perceptive skills, but while the latter is underperforming, Costa, who is touted as his inevitable replacement, has recorded unreal numbers with 28.6% saves for penalties and 74.1% saves from open play per 90. Now, although there is still uncertainty about the seamlessness of his transfer to a bigger club with higher stakes, it can be noted that the future for the Porto captain looks bright, perhaps even generational, considering his current career progression.
Diogo Costa Net Worth
Diogo Costa has experienced early success in his career due to his hard work, which, along with the accolades, has also brought in significant monetary benefits for the Portuguese goalkeeper. Diogo Costa net worth is calculated through a compilation of various aspects, such as salary, endorsements, sponsorship bonuses, Instagram page, among other business ventures. Diogo Costa has 3 years and €4,320,000 Estimated Gross Salary remaining on his contract with Porto (Primeira Liga), expiring on Jun 30, 2027. Diogo Costa, who is 25 years old, will earn an Estimated Base Salary of €1,440,000 for the 2024-2025 Season, or €27,692 gross per week, excluding bonuses. The Porto captain earns a significant amount through his sponsorship deal with Adidas, which also sponsors other stars like Messi and Asensio. He is currently valued at 40 million Euros, increasing his valuation each passing year since his debut.
Diogo Costa Salary
Diogo Costa has been a part of Porto's Youth team dynamics since an early age, playing for its U-15, U-17 and U-19 teams before making the inevitable switch to the Porto main team. He made his first senior team appearance for Porto as recently as 2021, after which he has seen an unwavering ascent in stature through the squad, currently holding the title of the club's captain and has been suitably rewarded for his part in the club's dominance. Diogo Costa weekly salary is €27,692 and his yearly salary is €1,440,000, with his contract running until June 2027. He renewed his contract with the club, making the switch from the youth team to the senior team with a contract extension for 5 years signed on 16 October 2021, grossing a total salary of €650,000. His brilliant performance in the first season with the first team led to him receiving another extension at better terms, corresponding to his stellar performances, which runs until 2027, through which he earns a total gross of €7,200,000.
Year | Weekly Salary | Annual Salary |
---|---|---|
2024-2025 | €27,692 | €1,440,000 |
2023-2024 | €27,692 | €1,440,000 |
2022-2023 | €27,692 | €1,440,000 |
2021-2022 | €2,500 | €130,000 |
Diogo Costa Wife
Diogo Costa is a dedicated personality both on and off the pitch, who nurtures his surroundings through his careful, considerate and healthy interactions with them. Similar to his loyalty towards Porto, culminating in a long-term symbiotic partnership, Diogo Costa started dating his current wife a long time before understanding each other and then taking the step towards an inevitable, affable marriage. Costa has been in a six-year relationship with his wife Catarino Machado, getting married recently in 2023. Although the Goalkeeper, prone to his protective nature, likes to save the best private moments of his life for himself alone, and thus isn't excessively active on any social media platform. The scant updates Digoo provides. involve the revelation of his marriage, shortly after announcing the birth of his child in 2022. This comes at an opportune moment for the keeper, who is excelling both in his personal and professional life; these blessings, however, are undoubtedly the fruit of his hard work.
Diogo Costa Career
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Diogo Costa has been the moon of the eyes of the Portuguese club Porto since his inception in the team's youth squad. His performances were carefully observed and appreciated, even under the watchful eyes of his club and national team, who were looking for the next Victor Baia to emerge from their ranks. He was introduced to the team dynamics through the reserve team in 2017, initially, where he played 31 matches and guided the team to a well-deserved 7th place finish. Three factors catalyzed his growth through the Porto setup, namely, his name being announced as the Newcomer of the year, winning the UEFA Youth League and unfortunate injuries to both Iker Casillas and Marchesín, forcing the club authorities to notice the shining diamond. Upon his inclusion in the senior team, he chose to honour his idol, Victor Baia's iconic 99 jersey number, by adopting it for himself.
Club Career
Diogo Costa made his first-team debut on 25 September 2019, which came after spending a lot of time on the bench waiting for an opportunity to rise up and showcase his talent. In the 2021-2022 season, his performances led him to be named Goalkeeper of the month 4 times, which includes a consecutive win for 4 months by helping Porto maintain a streak of 16 unbeaten matches with 8 clean sheets. He subsequently helped his team win the domestic double that season by obtaining the Primera Liga and Taça de Portugal, cementing his spot as the number 1 goalkeeper. Diogo Costa's career took another remarkable turn when he became the first player to save 3 consecutive penalties in a Champions League campaign, while also maintaining a clean sheet and winning all the matches.
The heroics of Costa encouraged various top clubs to try for his signature at the start of the 2023 season, while Porto remained adamant about either keeping him or receiving a hefty compensation of more than 70 million Euros. Throughout Diogo Costa's career trajectory, he has grown in stature with every passing season, becoming the youngest Club captain and keeping his 100th career clean sheet, at just the age of 25, in his 161st appearance for the club. Although it appears that Porto may soon lose out on their most reliable keeper since Baia, the home talent has certainly proved his worth for the club of his heart.
Year | Club | Appearances | Clean Sheets |
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2024/2025 | Porto | 52 | 20 |
2023/2024 | Porto | 53 | 20 |
2022/2023 | Porto | 50 | 23 |
2021/2022 | Porto | 45 | 18 |
International Career
Portugal has had many revolutionary goalkeepers who have significantly helped them in their ascension to their current power ranking. Diogo Costa comes as a breath of fresh air for them, when their struggles with Jose Sa and Rui Patricio have intensified. A testament to the confidence put in the young goalkeeper came when he was selected to start every game at the 2024 Euro Cup. This was, however, foreseen when he became the youngest goalkeeper to participate in a World Cup Qualifier for Portugal.
He had a startling display at the Euros, which was capped by one of his most significant displays in the Portuguese red shirt. In the round of sixteen qualifiers against Slovenia, he cleared a 1v1 opportunity for Benjamin Sesko to win the game in extra time, subsequently taking the game to penalties, where Costa made three penalty saves, becoming the first goalkeeper to do so in a European Championship and taking his country to the quarterfinals.
Although the Euros resulted in a heartbreak for the resilient Portuguese side in a penalty shootout against France, due to Costa failing to save any penalty. The Portuguese prodigy redeemed himself recently in the 2025 Nations League final against Spain, where he saved a crucial penalty from the veteran Alvaro Morata, to award his team their second Nations League title of the previous decade.
Year | Appearances | Goals Conceded | Clean Sheets |
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2024-2025 | 9 | 10 | 1 |
2023-2024 | 8 | 7 | 4 |
2022-2023 | 9 | 7 | 3 |
2021-2022 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Diogo Costa Awards and Achievements
Diogo Costa is a highly decorated individual at the beginning of his career, which he has achieved through his hard work and determination. Costa has played a significant role for both his National and Club sides, helping them succeed and develop stability at the back. His recent heroics in the UEFA Nations League have brought joy to millions of Portuguese hearts, as, along with a significant trophy, it also means that Portugal has developed a strong backline to fight for the 2026 World Cup. On the Club front, his career with Porto might be coming to an end, but bigger and more glorious pastures await the trepidation of the Goalkeepers resounding feet, with top Clubs dealing with an insecurity in their backline lining up for a chance to swoop Diogo Costa.
Award Name | Year (Team) |
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2x Portuguese Champion | 2021/2022, 2019/2020 (Porto FC) |
4x Portuguese Cup Winner | 2024,2023,2022,2020 (Porto FC) |
Portuguese League Cup Winner | 2022/2023 (Porto FC) |
2x Portuguese Super Cup Winner | 2025, 2021 (Porto FC) |
UEFA Nations League Winner | 2025 (Portugal) |
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FAQs
How old is Diogo Costa?
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How old is Diogo Costa?
Diogo Costa is 25 years old.
In which position does Diogo Costa play?
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In which position does Diogo Costa play?
Diogo Costa plays as a Goalkeeper.
Diogo Costa plays for which country?
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Diogo Costa plays for which country?
Diogo Costa plays for the National Portugal Team.
Where was Diogo Costa born?
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Where was Diogo Costa born?
Diogo Costa was born in Rothrist, Switzerland.
Does Diogo Costa have a girlfriend?
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Does Diogo Costa have a girlfriend?
Yes, Diogo Costa is married to his longtime girlfriend, Catarino Machado.
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