Kenneth Vargas

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Kenneth Vargas
Personal information
Full name Kenneth Gerardo Vargas Vargas [1]
Date of birth (2002-04-17) 17 April 2002 (age 23)
Place of birth San José, Costa Rica
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position Forward
Team information
Current team
 Heart of Midlothian
Number 77
Youth career
–2020 Herediano
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2020–2024 Herediano 55 (12)
2020–2022 → Municipal Grecia (loan) 28 (5)
2023–2024 → Heart of Midlothian (loan) 33 (6)
2024– Heart of Midlothian 29 (4)
2025– → Herediano (loan) 5 (0)
International career‡
2023– Costa Rica U23 11 (5)
2023– Costa Rica 21 (3)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 26 October 2025
‡ National team caps and goals as of 18 November 2025

Kenneth Gerardo Vargas Vargas (born 17 April 2002) is a Costa Rican professional footballer who plays as a forward for Herediano, on loan from Scottish Premiership club Heart of Midlothian [2] and the Costa Rica national team. [3]

Contents

Club career

Herediano and Grecia loan

Vargas played for Municipal Grecia on loan from C.S. Herediano. After returning to Herediano, he scored on his senior league debut for the club, against Grecia, on 15 January 2022. [4] He went on to score 10 goals in 41 appearances in the Liga FPD, the Costa Rican first division, in 2022. [5]

Heart of Midlothian

On 7 August 2023, Vargas joined Scottish Premiership club Heart of Midlothian on a season-long loan deal from Herediano, with an option to purchase outright. [6]

Vargas was permanently signed by Hearts on 26 March 2024 on a five-season contract. [7]

On 17 September 2025, Vargas returned to Herediano on loan until January 2026. Heredia was willing to pay only 6% of his salary loan from Scottish Premiership club Heart of Midlothian. Due to the disagreement on his salary and personal growth, Vargas decided signed with Liga Deportiva Alajuelense, since the club was able to afford 100% of his salary and growth opportunities with the club's training camp CAR. [8]

International career

Capped at under-23 level, [9] Vargas received his first call-up to the Costa Rica senior national team in 2021. [10] In October 2022 he was again called up to the national team set-up but didn't make an appearance from the substitute bench. [11]

Personal life

His father, also called Kenneth Vargas and nicknamed “Huevo”, was a professional footballer in Costa Rica who played as a striker. Kenneth Vargas Jnr is subsequently nicknamed “Huevito”. [12]

Career statistics

Club

As of 26 October 2025 [3]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational cupContinentalOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Grecia (loan) 2020–21 Liga FPD 11200——112
2021–22Liga FPD17300——173
Total285000000285
Herediano 2021–22Liga FPD12200—2 [a] 0142
2022–23Liga FPD3310823 [b] 08 [a] 05212
2023–24Liga FPD0000—1 [c] 010
Total451282301106714
Heart of Midlothian (loan) 2023–24 Scottish Premiership 336432 [d] 03 [e] 0429
Heart of Midlothian 2024–25 Scottish Premiership294308 [f] 01 [e] 0414
Herediano 2025–26 Liga FPD500000—50
Career total1402714413015018231
  1. 1 2 Appearance in the Liga FPD play-offs
  2. ↑ Appearances in the CONCACAF League
  3. ↑ Appearance in the Costa Rican Super Cup
  4. ↑ Appearances in the UEFA Europa Conference League
  5. 1 2 Appearances in the Scottish League Cup
  6. ↑ Appearances in the UEFA Europa League

International

As of match played 18 November 2025
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Costa Rica 202330
202471
2025112
Total213

Scores and results list Costa Rica's goal tally first.

List of international goals scored by Kenneth Vargas
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
115 October 2024 Estadio Nacional, San José, Costa RicaFlag of Guatemala.svg  Guatemala 2–03–0 2024–25 CONCACAF Nations League A
221 March 2025 FFB Stadium, Belmopan, BelizeFlag of Belize.svg  Belize 3–07–0 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup qualification
39 September 2025Estadio Nacional, San José, Costa RicaFlag of Haiti.svg  Haiti 1–03–3 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification

References

  1. ↑ "Player profile".
  2. ↑ "Hearts announce Kenneth Vargas exit as forward returns join to former club". Hearts Standard. 17 September 2025. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
  3. 1 2 "Kenneth Vargas". Soccerway. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  4. ↑ Masis, Florela (15 January 2022). "Kenneth Vargas gives value to his signing from the first game with Herediano". nacion.com. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  5. ↑ Anderson, Barry (27 July 2023). "Hearts in talks to sign Costa Rican striker Kenneth Vargas". Edinburugh News. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  6. ↑ "Welcome Kenneth Vargas! – Hearts". www.heartsfc.co.uk. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  7. ↑ "Vargas signs permanent deal – Hearts". www.heartsfc.co.uk. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  8. ↑ "Vargas returns to Costa Rica on loan – Hearts". www.heartsfc.co.uk. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
  9. ↑ Anderson, Mark (27 July 2023). "Hearts working on deal for Costa Rican starlet Kenneth Vargas as talks continue over six-figure fee". Scotsman. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  10. ↑ "Kenneth Vargas se quedó sin habla al enterarse de su convocatoria". Everardoherrera.com. 27 August 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  11. ↑ Castillo, Luis Felipe (21 October 2022). "Kenneth Vargas works in search of scoring points to go to the World Cup with La Sele". Amprensa.com. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  12. ↑ Arraya, Fernando José (29 March 2021). "Kenneth Vargas joins the group of fathers and sons who scored in Primera". Teletica.com. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
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