This is the story of Anthony Contreras, a Costa Rican footballer whose journey is deeply rooted in the love and support of his close-knit family. His father, Don Anthony Contreras, displayed the depth of this bond when he made the life-changing decision to quit his job and travel to Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup playoff. It was his first time on a plane, but the dream of watching his son fight for their country was too important to miss. That day, everyone in the Contreras family who watched from home was overwhelmed with emotion. After the match, Anthony ran straight to his father, brother, and pastor, pouring out his feelings in an unforgettable moment of triumph and love.
Faith, Family, Football: How Anthony Contreras Became Costa Rica’s Rising Star
Preamble:
Let’s be honest: not many football fans thought Anthony Contreras would emerge as the solution to Costa Rica’s striker shortage. But he has proven everyone wrong with his exceptional talent at both the club and national levels. His rise has surprised the footballing world, making it the perfect time to dive into his incredible story.
Despite his growing fame, there’s been a noticeable lack of detailed coverage about Anthony’s journey. That’s why this biography exists—to fill that gap and give you a complete picture of the San José native. His story captures the essence of Costa Rican football—its passion, determination, and love for the beautiful game. Born to Don Anthony Contreras and Mildred Enríquez, Anthony’s path to success is not just about football; it’s about family, overcoming early challenges, and the strength of unconditional support.
From kicking the ball in the streets of Costa Rica to scoring key goals on the international stage, this biography will uncover the heart of Anthony’s life. It’s a story of staying connected to his roots and pushing forward to achieve the dreams his family has always believed in. Anthony Contreras’s journey is a testament to the power of family, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of excellence.
To whet your appetite for Anthony’s biography, we’ll walk through his life, from his early childhood to the moment he made history for his country. Anthony Contreras has traveled a remarkable road, and his story is one of love, perseverance, and footballing triumph.
The Biography of Anthony Contreras – From his childhood years to the moment he became famous.
Anthony Contreras Childhood Story:
For starters of his Biography, he bears the full name; Anthony Daniel Contreras Enríquez. Anthony Contreras was born on the 29th day of January 2000 to his Mother, Mildred Enríquez and Father, Don Anthony Contreras.
Our research has it that his birthplace is Lomas de Pavas, in San José city, Costa Rica.
Anthony Contreras arrived in the world as one of the two sons of his parents. He is one among two boys (himself and his older brother, Rubén) born to the blissful marital union between their Dad and Mum.
Now, let’s introduce you to Anthony Contreras’ Parents. Don Anthony Contreras and Mildred Enríquez never gave their son riches but the spirit of reverence.
Meet Anthony Contreras’ Parents. His mother’s name is Mildred Enríquez. The Costa Rican Striker shares the same name as his Dad (Don Anthony Contreras).
Growing-Up:
Anthony Contreras spent his childhood years in Metrópoli tres, in the poor neighbourhood of Pavas, San José, Costa Rica.
Contreras boyhood years weren’t enjoyed alone but with the company of his brother. Rubén Contreras is Anthony’s older brother.
As a little boy, Anthony and his little dog were once inseparable. Also to note, the future Costa Rican football star was an easy-going kid who made many friends.
Behold, the Costa Rican footballer in his growing up years.
The Early Football Life of Anthony Contreras:
As a child, he found so much joy playing the beautiful game in the dusty fields of Pavas. Anthony started playing football with his brother, Rubén Contreras, who is four years older than him.
Moving on from enjoying soccer with his brother, he began featuring in intensive games with his neighbours, who were mostly Rubén’s age mates.
Aside from being the youngest on the field, little Anthony was the one who stood out the most. His talent was very clear to Rubén and the rest of the older boys. Anthony Contreras’ style of play was different from others.
He was restless, filled with so much speed, energy, and much strength in his legs.
The speed and strength in his legs (his biggest asset) helped him juggle the ball against taller boys who were five years older than him. Rubén, his brother, once told ESPN;
Anthony was very short, so smaller than me. He didn’t have the height to compete for aerial balls with the bigger boys, but he still messed with them.
People saw that he was difficult to catch when he ran with the ball. Anthony has always had that fire that you see him have right now. We notice that suddenly, he began to grow and he has now become taller than me.
Anthony Contreras Family Background:
To start with, the Lomas de Pavas footballer wasn’t born to rich parents. Regarding his Dad’s occupation, Don Anthony Contreras once worked in a company that had a contract with the maintenance department of Escazú’s municipality.
His Dad’s occupation is situated in San José Province, Costa Rica. On the other hand, Mildred Enríquez (the Mother of Anthony Contreras) is a cook and homemaker.
Further research about Anthony Contreras’ Family background reveals his Dad was once a footballer.
Don Anthony Contreras was very talented with the ball during his short-lived career. A similar case goes to Anthony Contreras’ brother, Rubén.
Unfortunately, neither father nor first son made it to the professional level. Only Anthony did, and his whole family are proud to see their breadwinner reaping the fruits of his labour.
Meet Anthony Contreras’ Family members. From left to right, we have his brother (Rubén), his Dad (Don Anthony Contreras), his Mum (Mildred Enríquez) and Anthony himself.
Anthony Contreras Family Origin:
In getting to know him and where he comes from, the first thing to know is the fact that Anthony is a Costa Rican.
By virtue of his birth and parents’ origin, his nationality is Costa Rica. Lomas de Pavas, a village in San José, Costa Rica, is where Anthony Contreras’ family comes from. To give more clarity on his family origins, here are maps that portray his village and country.
This map shows Costa Rica, his country of origin, and Lomas de Pavas – where Anthony Contreras’ family comes from.
It is pertinent to note that Lomas de Pavas (where Anthony Contreras’ parents raised him) is a slum riddled with crime and poverty. On the flip side, this town is blessed with hidden football talents, like the Costa Rican sensation whom this Biography is all about.
From a distance, the Costa Rican slum where he spent his childhood appears colourful. This is because the homes are improvised, mostly made of wood, tin, and other scrap materials.
A view of the slum of Lomas de Pavas, in San José, Costa Rica – where Anthony Contreras’ parents raised him.
Anthony Contreras Ethnicity:
The Costa Rican Striker identifies with an ethnic group known as White/Mixed. By identification, Anthony Contreras is a mixed European-Indigenous Costa Rican.
His family identifies with the White/Mixed people, which is the majority ethnic group in the country. This ethnic division of Costa Rica accounts for about 83.6% of the country’s population, which is approximately 3.6 million people.
Anthony Contreras Education:
Rincón Grande de Pavas school, in San José, Costa Rica, is the institution Anthony Contreras attended. Similar to these footballers – Taiwo Awoniyi, Eric Choupo Moting and Moses Simon, Contreras found the love of his life (his wife-to-be) during his schooling days.
The love story between Ashley Martínez and Anthony Contreras began in the classrooms of the Rincón Grande de Pavas school. You’ll get to read more of this as you progress with Contreras’ Biography.
Career Buildup:
It is on record that Anthony began playing football at the tender age of 7 while at school. Back then, he was the best footballer at his school championships.
Because of how well he played, everyone began calling him Lara – after the character of Francisco Lara, from the popular Colombian telenovela, La hija del Mariachi.
The future of Costa Rican Football was so good, and he never backed out of any opportunity to play football.
Anthony Contreras Biography – Untold Football Story:
The career journey of the Athlete began at the seedbed of the Esperanza Center in Pavas. This is a social welfare project which has a football branch, and it operates in the neighbourhood where Anthony Contreras’ Family lived.
The Center (at that time) served more than 500 children and 198 households. It aims to help children from low-income families with education and basic needs, including participation in soccer. Little Anthony Contreras benefitted from its soccer programme.
Centro de Esperanza (the project) was part of a church meeting the needs of underserved San José communities. Following its establishment, Anthony Contreras’ parents got a part-time job role in the project.
The company which hosted the project announced that Anthony Contreras, father (a man with football experience) would be part of the project’s soccer management team. Anthony Contreras’ Dad contributed his football knowledge to the Esperanza Centre’s soccer academy, which had his son in it.
Anthony Contreras’ mother got employed to join the kitchen staff of the project. Mildred Enríquez was in charge of the project’s dining room, and she helped cook food that fed more than 500 children daily.
Anthony Contreras’ Brother, Ruben, was among the kids who benefitted from the programme. The football department of the Esperanza Center helped lay a befitting career foundation for little Anthony.
Road to Fame Story:
While with the soccer project, the youngster stood out from his peers thanks to his speed, energy and power in his legs. Luckily for Anthony, some scouts found him playing football at a biblical centre and then decided to get him a ‘football godfather’ who adopted him.
The essence of a football godfather was to help him move forward. It was to give Anthony Contreras a bigger challenge in the form of trials at a recognized soccer academy.
Anthony Contreras was taken to Deportivo Saprissa. This is a Costa Rican sports club based in San Juan de Tibás, San José. Unfortunately for the young talent, he was rejected. But as one door closed, another opened for Contreras.
He got accepted by Zapote, a local football club in the San José province of Costa Rica. Anthony played football with Zaporte until the age of 15. At that time, he pushed to get into a club that plays in the Primera División of Costa Rica.
Before his 16th birthday, Contreras successfully joined C.S. Herediano. A scout spotted him after he excelled in a tournament with Zapote. Before he got called for trials, he made sure that his Deportivo Saprissa failings didn’t come to haunt him.
Anthony did his best, passed trials and joined the club permanently. Before he began featuring in his country’s league first division as a professional, young Anthony Contreras won this title – at the U-17 level.
Young Anthony (at his youth level) is pictured celebrating his trophy and medal.
Rubén (Anthony’s brother) 2017 saw something different in his brother that nobody had in the country. That gave him the belief to say that Anthony would make it to the country’s national team.
It didn’t end there; Rubén also prophesied that his little brother would make it to the next FIFA World Cup (Qatar 2022). At that time, his little brother played for the Herediano U-17 team. The truth is, Rubén Contreras’ daring prophesies came to pass.
Anthony Contreras Bio – Success Stories:
Before joining Herediano, the youngster had never experienced the pressure of being in a top-tier team. Judging by his tough nature, Anthony Contreras withstood all pressure, and he saw himself transforming into a proper forward.
The youngster’s debut came in 2018, which saw him feature for the first time in the first division of the Costa Rica League. For his first match, Young Anthony helped his team to a (3-1) win against Santos de Guápiles.
Like many other academy graduates, Contreras was sent out on loan. Within two seasons, his loan move saw him go through three clubs (La U, Grecia and Guadalupe), where he scored 17 goals.
At Guanacasteca, his fourth loan club, Anthony Contreras found a great goal-scoring form. With this kind of goal, the boy from San José instantly got national recognition.
Before the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Anthony Contreras’ senior football life didn’t come without a trophy reward. The fast-rising Costa Rican Footballer, who was already seen as hope for his country, won these trophies at the club level.
A year before this 2022 Super Copa trophy (pictured right), he had begun doing wonders for the Costa Rican national team.
The Journey to the FIFA World Cup:
To the joy of Anthony Contreras’ family, their beloved member made his debut in the Costa Rican national team in 2021.
With the way he played, many football lovers compared Anthony Contreras to Álvaro Saborío, who is one of Costa Rican’s Soccer Legend. Anthony took the most of every opportunity that came his way, a feat that led him to score goals for his dear country.
Speaking of his goals, there is one he and his family will never forget (his first goal). In March 2022, Anthony Contreras scored his first goal for the national team against El Salvador during a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier.
In the quest for a place at the FIFA World Cup, Anthony Contreras helped Costa Rica defeat a Canadian side that had big names like Jonathan David (CF), Stephen Eustáquio (CM), Cyle Larin (CF), etc. Next, he led the attack and scored a goal in another big World Cup qualifier win.
This game was against a USA side that also had some big names – like Tim Weah (son of George Weah), Ricardo Pepi, Christian Pulisic, etc. As Teletica says, he is the “unknown” who became hungry for goals.
Alongside Joel Campbell and Keylor Navas, Anthony Contreras’ Costa Rican team powered their way through the World Cup Qualification and Inter-Confederation Playoffs.
Finally, Anthony Contreras’ childhood dreams came true after a memorable win against Chris Wood‘s New Zealand side. On the 14th of June 2022, Costa Rica qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup after defeating New Zealand.
No doubt, the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar would be the biggest global stage for Anthony Contreras to show himself. A stage he needs to use in announcing his name to the World.
Just like Michael Estrada, he hopes to use the 2022 FIFA World to get himself a transfer opportunity to one of Europe’s top giants. The rest of Anthony Contreras’ Biography, as we say, is now history.
About Ashley Martínez – Anthony Contreras Girlfriend:
While discussing his educational background, we mentioned the fact that he fell in love with a girl while in school. This lady is Ashley Martínez, and she is Anthony Contreras’ wife in the making.
Both lovers (as pictured below) have been dating since their childhood days at Rincón Grande de Pavas school in San José, Costa Rica.
Like other members of Anthony Contreras’ Family, Ashley Martínez is a soccer fan who always accompanies her boyfriend to his games.
The love between Anthony Contreras and his girlfriend (Ashley Martínez) was born in the classrooms of the Rincón Grande de Pavas school in San José.
Ashley Martínez’s only Birthday gift:
The World Cup play-off time, which saw Costa Rica fighting to qualify for the tournament, happened to be the time of his girlfriend’s birthday. Usually, Anthony would get Ashley Martínez birthday gifts and take her to nice places.
But this time, Ashley Martínez wanted something else. Anthony Contreras’ Girlfriend’s birthday gift came in the form of a request. In her words,
“My only birthday gift is that Anthony makes it to the World Cup.”
Upon getting this request, Contreras promised not to let his girlfriend down. He assured her of a World Cup qualification as a birthday gift, which he achieved in the playoff win against New Zealand at the Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium.
Ashley Martínez watched the match in the family home of her beloved boyfriend. On that day, she got anxiety, nerves, worry, happiness – and a little bit of everything.
Whenever Anthony touches the ball, a smile does not stop appearing on her face. That was a sign of how proud she felt about what Anthony had so far achieved in the sport.
Who is Ashley Martínez?
Anthony Contreras’ Wife goes by the full name – Ashley Altamirano Martínez. She (at the time of writing this biography) is a student in systems engineering. Ashley Martínez works with the customer service department of Universidad Latina (Latin University of Costa Rica).
That unconditional support from Ashley Martínez is essential for Contreras, who has been dating her since their secondary schooling days.
Ashley Martínez views Anthony as an excellent boyfriend who is attentive, affectionate and not jealous. In her words,
Anthony is always there to listen to me. He is a person who enjoys my company, a great son of his parents, and all those qualities made me fall in love with him. Anthony calls me my princess, my pretty. In return, I call him my cuchurrumín or baby,… Ashley revealed with a laugh.
Personal Life:
Who is Anthony Contreras?
We’ll lean on the words Ashley Martínez used to define him to explain his personality. First things first, Anthony Contreras is a likeable figure. Since his childhood years, he has shown the ability to make and stay true to his friends.
Anthony could be shy at times, but he always brings out his true personality. Put simply, Anthony Contreras’ Lifestyle is typical of his Aquarius zodiac sign. Notable footballers who are Aquarius include Liam Delap and Adam Idah.
The personality of the Costa Rican Forward – Explained.
As of 2022, Contreras does not fancy the idea of using his football salary to live a luxurious life. As most top footballers do, there is no such thing as displaying expensive cars or showcasing mansions (big houses).
At the time of writing this Bio (August 2022), the Costa Rican footballer has a net worth of approximately $500,000.
Anthony Contreras Workout Routine:
The Los Ticos Superstar is known to be someone who works hard in the gym in addition to the football training he receives. Anthony Contreras’ workouts are usually split between his cardiovascular training and weight lifting (as observed here).
For the Athlete, this is a perfect way to build his muscles and stay fit.
Anthony Contreras Religion:
Together with his girlfriend (Ashley Martínez) and family, the Forward attends El Pesebre church in San José, Costa Rica. Anthony Contreras’ parents raised him and his brother as devoted Christians.
As earlier stated in this Biography, Centro de Esperanza (the football project that helped his childhood) was part of a church initiative for the San José community.
Anthony Contreras Family Life:
The hope of Costa Rican Football no longer rests on the shoulders of Keylor Navas and Joel Campbell. As many would say, Anthony is the next beautiful promise as far as football in his country is concerned.
His family members always feel pride whenever they put on his Contreras shirt. We’ll use this section of Anthony Contreras’ Biography to explain his family life.
There is always a feeling of pride when Anthony’s family members put on the Contreras shirt.
Anthony Contreras Father:
The World got to know Don Anthony Contreras for his heroic acts during The World Cup inter‑confederation play-off.
To start with, Anthony Contreras holds the honour of going the extra mile for his son’s sake. It is on record that Don Anthony Contreras decided to quit his job so he could travel to Qatar to watch his son.
For Anthony Contreras’ Dad, getting approval for an eleven-day leave from his workplace was impossible. So the proud Dad decided to resign in order to live this magical World Cup qualification experience at the stadium in Qatar.
It is important to note that Contreras’ Dad resigned from a company that provides services to the Municipality of San José. By implication, it means that Don Anthony Contreras is not an employee of the city’s municipality.
Anthony Contreras’ Dad, through a travel agent, journeyed from San Jose in Costa Rica to the Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium In Qatar. The aim was to watch the match that decided if Costa Rica would go to the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In the words of Anthony Contreras’ Father;
I came to see Costa Rica win and my son score a goal. Indeed, I am very happy to come here. I had to resign because, otherwise I could not come.
On that day, there was no greater source of motivation for Anthony Contreras than seeing his Dad’s presence at the stadium. He is the proud Dad who gave his son extra motivation in his June 14th 2022 duels against the New Zealanders.
Whatever occasion Anthony Contreras’ football influence takes him to, he never fails to appreciate his family, including carrying his Dad along.
This man, Don Anthony Contreras, never gave his son the riches of the world but only positive parenting.
He would forever be remembered as the Dad who had to quit his job to see his son fight for Costa Rica and help the country qualify for the World Cup.
Don Anthony Contreras is a fulfilled father.
Anthony Contreras Mother:
Mildred Enríquez is like the typical emotional Mums of footballers who get very nervous when their son battles opponents on the pitch.
When Anthony Contreras scored the bicycle kick goal against El Salvador, it was reported that Mildred Enríquez almost fainted while her husband and relatives cried that day. For Mildred, it was an indescribable feeling to see her little boy as a hero of the country.
Anthony Contreras Brother:
Apart from his Dad (Don Anthony Contreras), Rubén and a man of God also travelled to Qatar to watch Anthony battle New Zealand on the 14th of June 2022.
This man of God (Mr Fabián) is the pastor of the community church where the striker (who fills his family with pride) regularly attends. Here is a photo of Rubén, his Dad and celebrity brother, after the great match.
Don Anthony Contreras is a fulfilled father.
Anthony Contreras Relatives:
On that day, they once gathered at the family home to watch his first Costa Rica game; there were hugs, tears, euphoria and total madness. Upon seeing their breadwinner scoring a bicycle kick, like Cristiano Ronaldo, they just couldn’t believe their eyes.
As you may have noticed, the Contreras are a very united family. About 20 people gathered to watch the game of their breadwinner.
According to Anthony Contreras’ Dad, these persons include his wife, Mildred, a family member (Gabriel), his sons Rubén, and their girlfriends. Also in that house were Contreras’ nephews, brother-in-law and Mr Fabián, the pastor of the church the family attends.
Summary EndNote:
Anthony Contreras was born on the 29th day of January 2000 to his Parents – his Mum, Mildred Enríquez and his Dad, Don Anthony Contreras. The Costa Rican Footballer spent his childhood days at his birthplace of Lomas de Pavas, in San José City, Costa Rica.
Anthony Contreras was born to working-class parents. While his Mum is a cook, his Dad works with a company that provides maintenance services to the Municipality of San José.
Rubén Contreras is Anthony’s brother (who is four years his senior), whom he grew up with. Both brothers enjoyed football in their childhood, together with their neighbours, who were mostly Rubén’s agemates.
Anthony Contreras attended Rincón Grande de Pavas school, the educational institution he met and fell in love with Ashley Martínez, his girlfriend and wife-to-be.
Because of how exciting and good he was as a young footballer, people began calling him Lara – after the character of Francisco Lara – from La hija del Mariachi, the Colombian telenovela.
In his early teenage years, young Contreras became part of a football project and social welfare project of the Esperanza Center in Pavas.
Because he stood out, the Costa Rican Striker was found worthy in the eyes of Scouts. After a failed trial with Deportivo Saprissa, Anthony got accepted by Zapote.
Anthony Contreras joined Herediano in 2015, a club that projected him to a national team call. Taking every opportunity that came his way, Anthony’s stats improved, and he began scoring goals that would see his country qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Anthony Contreras’ childhood dreams became a reality as he helped Costa Rica beat New Zealand for a place in the FIFA World Cup.
Appreciation Note:
The quality time you have taken to read our version of Anthony Contreras’ Biography is very much appreciated.
We care about accuracy and fairness in our quest to deliver you the History of North and South American footballers. The Contreras Bio is a product of our Costa Rican Football Stories.
Kindly reach out to us (via comments) if you notice anything that doesn’t look right in the memoir about the Costa Rican Rising Star. Also, stay tuned for more related soccer stories as displayed on this page.
The Childhood Soccer Stories of Hirving Lozano, Antonio Valencia and Fernandinho would interest you. Finally, please let us know (via comment) on what you think about Anthony Contreras, the Football Gem who founded Costa Rica.
