Ricardo Costa (footballer, born 1981)

Ricardo Costa

Costa playing for Portugal in 2013
Personal information
Full name	Ricardo Miguel Moreira da Costa[1]
Date of birth	(1981-05-16) 16 May 1981 (age 43)[1]
Place of birth	Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal[1]
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Position(s)	Defender
Youth career
1989–1992	Valadares Gaia
1992–2000	Boavista
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2000–2003	Porto B	66	(12)
2002–2007	Porto	75	(3)
2007–2010	VfL Wolfsburg	42	(6)
2010	→ Lille (loan)	10	(0)
2010–2014	Valencia	87	(7)
2014–2015	Al-Sailiya	15	(1)
2015–2016	PAOK	26	(0)
2016	Granada	14	(1)
2016–2017	Luzern	33	(1)
2017–2019	Tondela	59	(3)
2019–2020	Boavista	31	(1)
Total		458	(35)
International career
1999	Portugal U18	7	(0)
2001–2002	Portugal U20	13	(2)
2001–2004	Portugal U21	23	(0)
2005–2014	Portugal	22	(1)
Medal record Men's football Representing  Portugal UEFA European Championship 2012 Poland-Ukraine UEFA European Under-21 Championship 2004 Germany
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Ricardo Miguel Moreira da Costa (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʁiˈkaɾðu ˈkɔʃtɐ]; born 16 May 1981) is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played mainly as a central defender but occasionally as a full-back.

After making his senior debut with Porto (where he was only a reserve) he went on to play in Germany, France, Spain, Qatar, Greece and Switzerland mainly spending several years with Valencia in the third country. Over ten seasons, he amassed Primeira Liga totals of 165 matches and seven goals.

A Portugal international since 2005, Costa represented the nation in three World Cups and Euro 2012.