📸 Diego Costa, Spain footballer: Photo Gallery (Photo: 10)

📄 Summary

Diego Costa

Spain

7 October 1988

striker

7.8M @diego.costa Diego Costa Instagram

Diego Costa is a professional footballer who most recently played as a striker for Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Grêmio.

Costa began his career in his native Brazil before joining Braga in Portugal in 2006, aged 17. He never played for the club but spent time on loan at Penafiel, and signed with La Liga club Atlético Madrid the following year. Over the next two seasons, he had loan periods with Braga, Celta Vigo, and Albacete. His form earned him a move to fellow La Liga club Real Valladolid in 2009, where he spent one season, finishing as their top goalscorer, before returning to Atlético Madrid. Costa struggled to maintain a regular starting role with Atlético, and spent more time on loan, this time at Rayo Vallecano, where he finished as the club's highest scorer that season.

In 2011, Costa returned to Atlético with a greater role. He blossomed as a goalscorer, and helped the team win a La Liga title, a Copa del Rey title, and a UEFA Super Cup, as well as reaching the 2014 UEFA Champions League final. In 2014, he was signed by Premier League club Chelsea in a deal worth €35 million (£32 million). In London, Costa won three trophies, including two Premier League titles and a League Cup. In 2018, following a rift with head coach Antonio Conte, Costa returned to Atlético Madrid in a club record transfer worth an initial €56 million, where he won a UEFA Europa League title and another UEFA Super Cup.

Costa is a dual citizen of Brazil and Spain. He played twice for Brazil in 2013, before declaring his desire to represent Spain, having been granted Spanish citizenship in September that year. He made his debut for Spain in March 2014 and has since won 24 caps and scored 10 goals, and has represented them at the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups.

Known for his fiery temperament, Costa has been criticised and punished for several confrontations with opponents.

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📋 Profile & Career

: Costa with Spain at the 2018 FIFA World Cup

⚽ Personal information:
Full name: Diego da Silva Costa
Date of birth: (1988-10-07) 7 October 1988 (age 36)
Place of birth: Lagarto, Sergipe, Brazil
Height: 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s): Striker

⚽ Youth career:
2004–2006: Barcelona de Capela

⚽ Senior career*:
Years: Team Apps (Gls)
2006: Braga 0 (0)
2006: → Penafiel (loan) 13 (5)
2007–2009: Atlético Madrid 0 (0)
2007: → Braga (loan) 6 (0)
2007–2008: → Celta (loan) 30 (6)
2008–2009: → Albacete (loan) 35 (10)
2009–2010: Valladolid 34 (8)
2010–2014: Atlético Madrid 94 (43)
2012: → Rayo Vallecano (loan) 16 (10)
2014–2017: Chelsea 89 (52)
2017–2020: Atlético Madrid 61 (12)
2021–2022: Atlético Mineiro 15 (4)
2022–2023: Wolverhampton Wanderers 23 (1)
2023: Botafogo 12 (3)
2024: Grêmio 20 (7)

⚽ International career:
2013: Brazil 2 (0)
2014–2018: Spain 24 (10)
: * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 22:43, 8 December 2024 (UTC)