Brandon Aguilera

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Aguileraand the second or maternal family name is Zamora.

Brandon Aguilera

Personal information
Full name	Brandon Aguilera Zamora [1]
Date of birth	(2003-06-28) 28 June 2003 (age 22) [1]
Place of birth	Naranjo, Costa Rica
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) [1]
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Rio Ave
Number	16
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2018–2019	Carmelita	4	(1)
2019–2022	Alajuelense	40	(3)
2021–2023	→ Guanacasteca (loan)	28	(6)
2022–2024	Nottingham Forest	1	(0)
2023	→ Estoril (loan)	0	(0)
2024	→ Bristol Rovers (loan)	12	(2)
2024–	Rio Ave	25	(3)
International career‡
2018	Costa Rica U15	1	(0)
2018–2019	Costa Rica U17	4	(0)
2022	Costa Rica U20	5	(0)
2022–	Costa Rica	28	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13:30, 23 April 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:18, 22 June 2025 (UTC)

Brandon Aguilera Zamora (born 28 June 2003) is a Costa Rican professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Primeira Liga club Rio Ave and the Costa Rica national team.

Club career

In July 2022 Premier League side Nottingham Forest announced they had signed Aguilera on a four-year deal from Alajuelense, and would immediately be loaned to fellow Costa Rican side Guanacasteca for six months. ^[2] In January 2023, Aguilera joined Primeira Liga club Estoril on loan until the end of the season. He played with the team's under 23 squad. ^[3]

On 1 February 2024, Aguilera joined League One club Bristol Rovers on loan until the end of the season. ^[4] He made an impressive debut for the club two days after signing, scoring the only goal in a 1–0 victory over Exeter City, smashing the ball into the top corner from twenty yards. ^{[5] [6]} In just his third match of his loan spell however, he picked up a hamstring injury, having to temporarily return to his parent club. ^[7] At the Bristol Rovers end of season awards, he was awarded the club's Goal of the Season for his debut strike. ^[8]

On 2 July 2024, Aguilera signed with Portuguese Primeira Liga side Rio Ave on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee. ^{[9] [10]}

International career

A youth international for Costa Rica since 2018, Aguilera made his senior team debut against the United States on 30 March 2022. ^{[11] [12]} In November 2022 he was named to the 26-man Costa Rica squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. ^[13]

Career statistics

Club

As of 22 April 2025 ^[14]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National Cup		League Cup		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Carmelita	2018–19	Liga FPD	4	1	0	0	—		0	0	0	0	4	1
Alajuelense	2019–20	Liga FPD	2	0	0	0	—		0	0	0	0	2	0
	2020–21	Liga FPD	26	1	0	0	—		3 [a]	0	0	0	29	1
	2021–22	Liga FPD	12	0	1	0	—		1	0	0	0	14	0
	Total		40	1	1	0	—		4	0	0	0	45	1
Nottingham Forest	2022–23	Premier League	0	0	0	0	0	0	—		—		0	0
	2023–24	Premier League	1	0	1	0	1	0	—		—		3	0
	Total		1	0	1	0	1	0	—		—		3	0
Guanacasteca (loan)	2021–22	Liga FPD	18	4	0	0	—		0	0	0	0	18	4
	2022–23	Liga FPD	10	0	0	0	—		0	0	0	0	10	0
	Total		28	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	28	4
Estoril (loan)	2022–23	Primeira Liga	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Nottingham Forest U21	2023–24	—			—		—		—		1 [b]	0	1	0
Bristol Rovers (loan)	2023–24 [15]	League One	12	2	—		—		—		0	0	12	2
Rio Ave	2024–25	Primeira Liga	25	3	4	0	0	0	—		—		29	3
Career total			106	11	6	0	1	0	4	0	1	0	118	11

1. Two appearances in CONCACAF League, one appearance in CONCACAF Champions Cup
2. Appearance in EFL Trophy

International

As of match played 22 June 2025 ^[16]

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Costa Rica	2022	8	0
	2023	4	0
	2024	12	0
	2025	4	0
Total		28	0

Honours

Alajuelense

• Liga FPD: Apertura 2020
• CONCACAF League: 2020

Individual

• Bristol Rovers Goal of the Season: 2023–24 ^[8]

References

1. "FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 – Squad list: Costa Rica (CRC)" (PDF). FIFA. 15 November 2022. p. 7. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
2. "FOREST SECURE COSTA RICA INTERNATIONAL AGUILERA". Nottingham Forest . 17 July 2022.
3. "Agiulera joins Estoril on loan". www.nottinghamforest.co.uk. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
4. "Aguilera loaned to Bristol Rovers". www.nottinghamforest.co.uk. 1 February 2024. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
5. "Exeter City 0–1 Bristol Rovers". BBC Sport. 3 February 2024. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
6. Langstaff, Harry (3 February 2024). "Bristol Rovers player ratings: "mesmeric" and "heroic" 9/10s received in Exeter City victory". Bristol World. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
7. Langstaff, Harry (22 February 2024). "Bristol Rovers confirm loanee returns to Premier League side Nottingham Forest for 'rehab' on injury". Bristol World. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
8. "Rovers celebrate campaign at End Of Season Awards". www.bristolrovers.co.uk. 22 April 2024. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
9. "Brandon Aguilera assina e reforça meio-campo". 2 July 2024.
10. "Aguilera departs". 2 July 2024.
11. "Brandon Aguilera: Nottingham Forest sign Costa Rica midfielder". BBC Sport . 17 July 2022.
12. "Nottingham Forest sign Costa Rica teenager Brandon Aguilera from LD Alajuelense". FourFourTwo . 17 July 2022.
13. FCRF [@fedefutbolcrc] (3 November 2022). "Les dejamos la imagen también" (Tweet). Retrieved 3 November 2022– via Twitter.
14. Brandon Aguilera at Soccerway . Retrieved 27 July 2022.
15. "Games played by Brandon Aguilera in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
16. "Aguilera, Brandon". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 15 April 2024.

External links

• Brandon Aguilera at Athletic updates