Have you ever seen a goalkeeper rise so quickly to secure the number one spot for both his club and country by the age of 22? That’s Diogo Costa in a nutshell. He’s celebrated not just for being a starter at such a young age, but also for winning five domestic trophies before turning 23. This remarkable achievement makes him one of the brightest goalkeeping prospects in the world as of 2022.
Interestingly, not many football fans know that Diogo Costa was born in Switzerland to Portuguese parents, Armanda Meireles and Francisco da Costa. Diogo’s goalkeeping journey began with a shared dream with his cousin, Vítor Mota. The two boys, inseparable from their soccer ball, loved standing behind the goalpost, aspiring to become goalkeepers. They honed their skills together with other neighborhood kids on the streets of Vila das Aves, where they grew up, ultimately achieving their goalkeeping dreams together. Now, let’s dive into Diogo Costa’s story.
The Rapid Rise of Diogo Costa: A Goalkeeper with Swiss Roots
Our Diogo Costa Biography tells you Facts about his Childhood Story, Early Life, Parents – Armanda Meireles (Mother), Francisco da Costa (Father), Family Background, Wife (Catarina Machado), Cousin (Vítor Mota), etc. This Bio also portrays Diogo Costa’s Family Origin, Religion, Ethnicity, Parents’ Origin, etc.
Not forgetting, we’ll unveil the Portuguese Goalkeeper’s Lifestyle, Net Worth, Personal Life, Agent and Salary Breakdown – up to what he makes every second with FC Porto.
In a nutshell, our article breaks down the Full History of Diogo Costa. This is the story of a Portuguese Goalkeeper born in Switzerland.
A boy who, at age 7, left his small Swiss village of Rothrist to chase his Goalkeeping dreams in Vila das Aves (his Portuguese hometown).
Preamble:
This version of Diogo Costa’s Biography begins by telling you notable events of his boyhood years and Early Life.
Next, we will explain his early career journey with Benfica and Porto, including how he conquered Europe in his youth. Then finally, we’ll reveal how the Super-Goalie rose to become his country’s Number 1.
We hope to whet your autobiography appetite as we engage you in reading Diogo Costa’s Bio. To begin right away, let’s show you a gallery of the Portuguese Goalkeeper’s journey.
The Biography of Diogo Costa – From his Childhood Years to the moment he found Fame.
From his boyhood days in Santo Tirso to the moment he found fame, Diogo has truly come a long way. In the course of researching Portuguese Goalkeepers, we found a knowledge gap. The truth is, not many Football lovers have read an in-depth version of Diogo Costa’s Biography.
So, we have prepared his story, and it will be very exciting for you. Without further ado, let’s begin.
Diogo Costa Childhood Story:
For Biography starters, he bears the nickname ‘The Good Giant’ and Full Name – Diogo Meireles da Costa ComM.
Diogo Costa was born on the 19th day of September 1999 to his Mother, Armanda Meireles, and Father, Francisco da Costa, in Rothrist, Switzerland.
The Portuguese Goalkeeper arrived in the world as the only child of a blissful marital union between his Dad and Mum.
Have you seen a picture of Diogo Costa’s Parents?… Now, let’s introduce you to Francisco da Costa and Armanda Meireles. They never gave their son the riches of the world, but that spirit of fighting for success.
Meet Diogo Costa’s Parents. His Dad’s name is Francisco da Costa, and his Mum is Armanda Meireles.
Growing-Up:
Diogo Costa spent his childhood years in Rothrist. His birthplace (where his parents initially raised him) is a small Swiss village with a population of around seven thousand people.
The village of Rothrist was where the youngster had his first kick of the soccer ball, and his stay there was limited.
When he got to the age of seven (in the year 2006), Diogo Costa’s parents decided to relocate.
The Portuguese couple emigrated from the Swiss village of Rothrist to Santo Tirso, a Portuguese town in the north of the Porto Metropolitan Area. In this town, the goalkeeping journey of Portugal’s number one began.
Diogo Costa’s Early Life:
His Parent’s relocation from Switzerland to Portugal gave him the opportunity to bond with extended family members.
As a child, the future Portuguese Goalkeeper and his cousin, Vítor Mota, were inseparable. Both Lads (as pictured here) loved the act of goalkeeping, and they both aspired to become professionals.
Diogo Costa spent the best part of his childhood years alongside his cousin, Vítor Mota.
In the streets of Vila das Aves (where they grew up), the soccer ball was their inseparable companion.
Back then, both cousins could spend their whole day playing football in the main square of the village. Vítor and Diogo were FC Porto fans, and they had the same Idol, which is the Legendary Vítor Baía.
The great friendship between the cousins also extends to non-football activities like family parties. It is pertinent to note that Diogo Costa’s cousin, Vítor Mota, is a year older than him.
Both, who had the same DNA and passion for gloves, at last, actualized their dreams of becoming professional goalkeepers with clubs Bairro FC and FC Porto.
For the cousins, achieving their dreams didn’t become a reality through magic but with determination, sweat and hard work.
Diogo Costa Family Background:
Armanda Meireles and her husband, Francisco, operated a middle-class home. When they lived in Switzerland, their income could only afford houses in the peripheral environment of Rothrist (which is the far outskirts of Zurich).
The same applies to Santo Tirso, the small town in Portugal where the family could afford to live following their relocation in 2006.
Work commitment in Switzerland made Diogo Costa’s Dad shuttle back to the country. His wife (Armanda) and son (Diogo) stayed behind. Francisco da Costa continued travelling back to the country of his son’s birth for many years.
Even though work took him travelling back to Switzerland, Diogo’s Dad still met the threshold of family commitment.
He ensured a strong bond was maintained between him and his son. Both Diogo and his Dad, Francisco da Costa, to this day, never get tired of each other.
Since his childhood, Diogo Costa and his Dad have built a strong bond together.
Because of his Dad’s continued absence (which was mostly work-related), Diogo grew up more under his mother’s guardianship. Francisco and Armanda Meireles raised their son in adherence to Catholic religious teachings.
We have a rare photo of Diogo Costa’s Mum and himself on what he describes as his First Communion day. Here, the future Portugal Goalkeeper was always at the hands of his mother, Armanda Meireles.
On this day, the future FC Porto Shot stopper was prepared to receive his first Eucharist.
Diogo Costa Family Origin:
Although he was born in Switzerland, it is important to note that Armanda and Francisco (his parents) have their roots in Portugal.
By virtue of his birth and parents’ origin, Diogo Costa holds two nationalities which are; Switzerland and Portugal.
If you ask Diogo Costa about his family origins, he would mention the name Vila das Aves.
This is a small industrial town and civil parish in northern Portugal, with a population of 8,458. Vila das Aves is 25 km from central Porto. This map aims at helping you understand Diogo Costa’s origins.
Here is Vila das Aves in Northern Portugal, where the Goalkeeper’s family have their roots.
Diogo Costa Ethnicity:
Portugal, where his parents come from is regarded as the first culturally unified state in Western Europe.
Because of a lack of ethnic variety, Diogo Costa, who is a Swiss Portuguese, identifies himself more with the Portuguese people. As confirmed, this is the ethnic group indigenous to Portuguese people.
Diogo Costa Education:
Like most Swiss children, he took his first formal schooling steps (kindergarten) at the age of four at his birthplace of Rothrist, Switzerland.
In the first year of his primary education, Diogo Costa’s parents had him continue his education elsewhere. That year, 2006, saw their relation to Santo Tirso in Portugal.
Diogo Costa Biography – Football Story:
The future Portuguese Goalkeeper took his first career steps at the time he enrolled with a local academy named AMCH Ringe. This is a very small club where Vítor Machado Ferreira, nicknamed, Vitinha, also moulded his career foundation.
Diogo and Vitinha became great friends as soon as they joined the very small club in Vila das Aves. Both Superstars, who later became international teammates, later proceeded to Academia do Benfica in Vila do Prado.
Despite having lots of success in tournaments, there came an issue. This issue was a delay caused by this Benfica outlet to move their kids into the main Benfica academy.
Because of that, most of them who are pictured below (including Diogo and Vitinha, etc.) left the academy for greener pastures.
In 2011, FC Porto got interested in Diogo. Because the youngster was always at the hands of his mother, Armanda Meireles, the club did the needful to approach her for approval.
She and Diogo Costa’s Dad (who worked in Switzerland then) gave their consent for their son to join their family club, FC Porto.
When he played for Casa do Benfica team in Póvoa de Lanhoso, Diogo had always wished to be with his beloved FC Porto. So, he didn’t even hesitate when the opportunity came knocking at his doorstep.
Do you know?… João Félix was the FC Porto youth captain when the 12-year-old Goalkeeper joined the academy.
He joined an FC Porto team that had João Félix as captain. Please note that Felix is a Benfica academy who stayed at Porto from 2008–2015.
Diogo Costa Bio – Journey to Fame:
The years between 2011 to 2016 became a great transition phase for the Goalkeeper. Diogo knew that to achieve success; he must have more focus, speed, agility, alertness, strength and bravery.
The youngster strived for these qualities, which set him apart from other goalkeepers.
Diogo made lots of sacrifices in other to have Key attributes to be a successful Goalkeeper.
Just within three years of joining FC Porto, the joys of Diogo Costa’s parents knew no bounds.
What happened?… Their precious son got called to represent his Portugal U16. His success followed immediately at the U17 level.
At this level, Diogo exploded in confidence as he helped Portugal win the 2016 UEFA European Under-17 Championship.
Here, the youngster and his teammates celebrate their winning of the 2016 UEFA European Under-17 Championship.
Do you know?… The Portuguese team that won the above Championship had top stars you might not know about. They include the likes of Rafael Leao, Diogo Jota, Diego Dalot, Florentino Luis, Gedson Fernandes etc. That final was won against a Spain side which had Brahim Diaz as their biggest talent. Now, watch the thrilling final here.
Continued Youth Success:
Costa’s success with Portuguese youth football didn’t end with the victory in the Under-17 Championship.
Coming through Porto’s youth system, the fast-rising goalkeeper helped FC Porto to win the UEFA Youth League in 2019. Behold the celebration of Portugal’s young heroes.
During his academy days, he helped FC Porto win the 2018 UEFA Youth League.
Again, Diogo Costa won the above championship alongside some famous teammates who are now professionals.
Two of those worthy of mentioning include Fabio Vieira and Fabio Silva, etc. Not many fans know that FC Porto became the first club in Portugal to win the UEFA Youth League.
The thrilling final of the 2019 UEFA Youth League was played against a powerful Chelsea FC youth team.
This was a Blues team that had top-rated stars like Marc Guehi, Tarik Lamptey, Billy Gilmore, Conor Gallagher, etc. Now, watch the highlight of the match that gave so much fame to the Goalkeeper.
Diogo Costa Biography – Rise to Global Fame:
July 2018 was another great turning point period for his career. Diogo, this time again, helped Portugal (for the first time) to win the UEFA European Under-19 Championship trophy in Finland.
Indeed, adding this honour to his name made him one of Europe’s most successful youth goalkeepers.
Having won these trophies, he became one of the world’s most decorated youth Goalkeepers.
To show how good he was, Diogo (at the age of 16) was already called by José Peseiro to begin training with the first team of FC Porto.
At the start of the 2020–21 season, his request to inherit the 99 shirt of his hero, Vítor Baía (the FC Porto’s Legend), was granted.
Diogo Costa found himself in a Conceição-led Porto team that had great stars. In his early seasons, he played alongside top players like Vincent Aboubakar, Otávio, Danilo Pereira, Pepe, etc. Following Iker Casillas’ retirement, Diogo rose to become FC Porto’s number one.
Within three seasons with FC Porto’s senior team, the Golden Dragon Athlete helped them win five major trophies.
As of 2022, Diogo Costa is the proud winner of the Taça de Portugal (two times), Primeira Liga (two times) and the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira. Behold a photo gallery that shows the Steep Rise of Portugal’s Keeper.
National Team Rise:
Upon Portugal’s UEFA Euro 2020 round of 16 elimination at the hands of Belgium, Coach Fernando Santos decided to drop Rui Patrício.
The exit of Portugal’s number 1 goalkeeper gave Diogo Costa the opportunity to prove his worth.
The Young Goalkeeper was called up to the senior team on 26 August 2021 after the Euro 2020 tournament. Judging by these exceptional performances, he (in no time) got chosen as Portugal’s first-choice Goalie.
At the time of writing Diogo Costa’s Biography, he is set to help Portugal achieve victory at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
As many would say, he is arguably the best young goalkeeper in the world (as of 2022). This is a young Athlete with more individual, club and country honours than any other goalkeeper (before age 23). The rest, we say, is now history.
The Goalkeeper from Rothrist had these individual honours at the young age of 22.
Introducing Catarina Machado – Diogo Costa’s Girlfriend:
It gladdens us to say that the boy born in Rothrist, a small Swiss village, has tasted true love. There is a saying that behind every successful Portuguese football player comes a glamorous WAG.
In the case of this Goalkeeper, there is a woman of enamoured natural beauty who goes by the name Catarina Machado.
Now, let’s introduce you to Diogo Costa’s Girlfriend.
Who is Catarina Machado?
To start with, Diogo Costa’s girlfriend is a fashion designer who does her business in Porto.
Our research shows that Catarina Machado and her boyfriend have been dating since 2016. At that time, her Goalkeeper lover had just won his UEFA European Under-17 trophy.
Since Diogo and Catarina began dating, there has been no public scrutiny of their love life. This is because the two, as seen here, have, over the years, enjoyed absolute trust, respect and open communication with each other.
Now, let’s introduce you to Diogo Costa’s Girlfriend.
Diogo Costa’s Child with Catarina Machado:
As I write her partner’s Bio, the Fashion Designer describes herself as a Mom to be.
Around June of 2021, Diogo Costa announced on his Instagram that he and Catarina Machado were expecting a baby boy. Here are the Goalkeeper’s words;
Catarina and Diogo pose with an ultrasound. The 22-year-old will be the father of a boy.
“Our biggest dream starts now; the family will increase,”
Personal Life:
Who is Diogo Costa?
First things first, we have a piece of video evidence that shows the Goalkeeper would be a great Dad. When Diogo Costa and his partner, Catarina Machado, surprised social media followers with having their first child, what followed next was a celebration.
Here, Diogo Costa’s son (his first child), who is yet to arrive in the world, is being celebrated.
Diogo Costa Workout:
Like many other top Goalkeepers (David De Gea, Thibaut Courtois) etc., he does Burpees, push-ups and Bicep curls.
This video shows a glimpse of the Goalkeeper’s workout and fitness secrets. No wonder the 23-year-old bears the nickname; ‘The Good Giant’.
Diogo Costa Lifestyle:
Together with his partner, Catarina Machado, they always create time for holidays, whether in the desert, at the beachside or on water.
There is no better avenue for Diogo to profess his love to Catarina (his current girlfriend and wife-to-be) than in these emotional holiday moments.
Here, the Athlete and his partner enjoy a never-ending summer vacation.
Do you know Diogo and Catarina’s favorite holiday destinations? Our research reveals two places. The first is Mirador Del Castell Benidorm, located on the southeastern coast of Spain. The second is the Maldives, situated in the Indian Ocean.
Both lovers have enjoyed great Vacations at the Mirador Del Castel Benidorm and the Maldives.
Diogo Costa Car:
From what we’ve gathered, it is obvious that the FC Porto Goalkeeper loves luxurious automobiles.
The closest we have seen of Diogo Costa’s car spec is the BWM. The X5 top model, as seen here, costs around 116,748.78 Euros and runs at a top speed of 230 to 243 kmph.
The Goalkeeper joins the likes of Cody Gakpo and Didier Deschamps, who are big fans of the BMW.
Diogo Costa Family Life:
The Good Giant (his nickname) knows the importance of having a close-knit nuclear and extended household.
This Biographical section provides more facts about Diogo Costa’s family members (extended and nuclear). Without further ado, let’s begin.
Diogo Costa’s Cousin:
Vítor Mota was born on the 26th day of March 1998. From our calculation, he is one year and six months older than his cousin.
Vítor Mota is a native of Vila das Aves, Santo Tirso.
The 24-year-old Goalkeeper was responsible for giving Diogo the nickname ‘The Good Giant’.
Vítor Mota is the second most famous goalkeeper in the family.
From the beginning, both cousins shared many good memories, including painful ones. In Vítor Mota’s words;
I remember once in my house when Diogo and I were playing shots. We were ten or 11 years old. I remember him kicking the ball at me so hard, and it made me cry. We have always been very close, even to this day.
Vitor Mota once said that Diogo is quieter than him. Sadly, in their journey to fame, Vitor made lots of goalkeeping blunders, which didn’t fetch him a big team.
Aside from playing at a small district club, Diogo’s cousin does a part-time job in a factory. His slow career was halted for two years because of injuries. That made Vitor’s dreams of joining and excelling at a big club more difficult.
Diogo Costa’s Mother:
Armanda Meireles sacrificed a lot by driving her son to train during his youth career days.
To ensure Diogo gets the best of his schedules, his Mum approved him to spend a few days sleeping at Lar do Dragão. Today, Armanda Meireles reaps the dividends of her son’s success.
Diogo Costa Father:
Together with his wife, Armanda Meireles, Francisco da Costa works with Gestifute to ensure his son’s career interest is well represented.
For many who don’t know, Diogo’s agent works with Gestifute. This company handles the careers of top Porgugues stars like Bernardo Silva, Rúben Dias and João Cancelo.
Untold Facts:
In the final section of Diogo Costa’s Biography, we’ll unveil information you might not know about him. So, without further ado, let’s begin.
Diogo Costa Salary:
The contract he has with FC Porto in 2022 sees him pocketing the sum of €846,404 annually.
How rich is Diogo Costa?
According to Statista, the average salary in Portugal makes is around 19,212 euros per year. Do you know?… the person living in the country would need 44 years to make Diogo’s annual wage with FC Porto. Wow.. that much!
Diogo Costa FIFA:
Although he might not be at the level of Manuel Neuer and Alisson Becker, however, one thing is confirmed. Diogo dominates the transfer list of scouts and career-mode lovers. Here is proof of his amazing FIFA stats.
A huge FIFA potential and Goalkeeping Reflexes are his most valuable assets.
Diogo Costa Religion:
As noticed earlier in this Bio, the son of Armanda Meireles and Francisco is a devout Catholic. Diogo Costa joins approximately 85% of the Portuguese population who identify with the Christian religious faith.
EndNote:
Diogo Costa’s parents are Armanda Meireles (his Mum) and Francisco da Costa (his Dad). Nicknamed ‘The Good Giant’, he was born on the 19th day of September 1999 in the small village of Rothrist, Switzerland.
In 2006, Diogo Costa’s parents relocated from Rothrist, their small Swiss village, to Vila das Aves, their Portuguese hometown. While there, he began kicking the soccer ball, including forming a great friendship with an extended family member.
Vítor Mota and Diogo are cousins and were inseparable during their early years. In the streets of Vila das Aves, they honed their goalkeeping skills.
Again, both were FC Porto fans and had the club’s Legend, Vítor Baía, as their idol. Vitor his cousin (whom this Biography is all about), had similar DNA and passion for the gloves.
Diogo Costa and Vitinha went from little Ringe to a Casa do Benfica team before earning a deserved transfer to their boyhood club, FC Porto. Sustained growth and goalkeeping lessons he learned from Iker Casillas shaped his youth and early career with FC Porto. When Casillas had a heart problem, Diogo showed he had enough ability to replace the Legend.
The young Goalie broke into Sérgio Conceição’s FC Porto lineup in 2021. Within three seasons, he has helped his team win five domestic trophies. As of 2022, many soccer pundits agree that Diogo has earned a reputation as the most promising young goalkeeper in the world.
At the time he achieved so much success with FC Porto’s youth, the Goalkeeper met Catarina Machado.
She is Diogo Costa’s wife in the making. As I write this memoir, both lovers are just about to become parents of a child, their son.
Appreciation Note:
Thank you for taking the time to read our version of Diogo Costa’s Biography. We care about fairness and accuracy in our quest to deliver European Football Stories. Diogo Costa’s Bio is part of our Portuguese Collection of Soccer Biographies.
Kindly reach us (via comments) if you find anything that doesn’t look right in this memoir about the FC Porto Goalkeeper. Also, tell us what you think about the career of the Swiss-born Shot stopper, including the impressive story we’ve written about him.
Aside from Diogo Costa’s Bio, we’ve got other interesting stories for your reading pleasure. Surely, the Life History of Nuno Mendes and Amadou Onana will interest you.
