Rui Costa (footballer, born 1996)

Not to be confused with Rui Costa.

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Silvaand the second or paternal family name is Costa.

Rui Costa

Personal information
Full name	Rui Pedro Silva Costa [1]
Date of birth	(1996-02-20) 20 February 1996 (age 28) [1]
Place of birth	Famalicão, Portugal [1]
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10+1⁄2 in) [1]
Position(s)	Forward
Team information
Current team	Tobol
Number	20
Youth career
2005–2013	Famalicão
2013–2014	Vitória Guimarães
2014–2015	Varzim
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2015–2016	Varzim B	43	(8)
2016–2017	Varzim	41	(14)
2017–2018	Portimonense	1	(0)
2017–2018	→ Famalicão (loan)	17	(10)
2018–2020	Porto B	20	(3)
2019–2020	→ Alcorcón (loan)	22	(3)
2020–2021	Deportivo La Coruña	7	(0)
2021–2022	Santa Clara	49	(9)
2022–2024	Farense	50	(12)
2024–	Tobol	12	(4)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16 November 2024

Rui Pedro Silva Costa (born 20 February 1996) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Kazakhstan Premier League club Tobol.

Club career

Varzim

Born in Vila Nova de Famalicão, Braga District, Costa played youth football for three clubs, including local F.C. Famalicão from ages 9 to 17. He made his senior debut in February 2015, with Varzim SC's reserves.

Promoted to the latter's first team for the 2016–17 season in the Segunda Liga, Costa's first match in the competition took place on 6 August 2016, when he played 62 minutes in a 1–0 away loss against Gil Vicente FC. ^[2] He went on to score 14 goals, helping his team to the ninth position and being voted Best Newcomer of the Year in that level. ^[3]

Portimonense

Costa was loaned by Primeira Liga side Portimonense S.C. to Famalicão in August 2017. ^[4] In October/November of that year, he netted three consecutive braces in the league in as many wins. ^{[5] [6] [7]}

In January 2018, Costa had everything arranged to join FC Porto B. However, after it was discovered that he had been registered by Varzim five days prior to signing with Portimonense – thus representing three clubs in the same season – the move was declared void. ^[8] He made his debut in the Portuguese top flight on 31 March, coming on as a 75th-minute substitute in a 4–3 home victory over Moreirense FC. ^[9]

Porto and Deportivo

In July 2018, Costa was finally made a part of Porto B's setup. ^[10] A year later, he moved abroad for the first time in his career after agreeing to a one-year loan deal with AD Alcorcón in the Spanish Segunda División. ^[11] He continued in the country in September 2020, signing a two-year contract with Deportivo de La Coruña who had just been relegated from the same league; Porto remained entitled to 50% of any future transfer. ^[12]

Santa Clara

Costa joined C.D. Santa Clara on a two-and-a-half-year deal on 1 February 2021. ^[13] He scored his first top-tier goal on 5 March to equalise in a 2–1 loss at eventual champions Sporting CP, ^[14] and netted two more in a 5–1 home defeat of C.D. Nacional on 11 April, ^[15] as the Azorean club finished a best-ever sixth and qualified for the UEFA Europa Conference League. ^[16]

On 12 August 2021, Costa scored the only goal as Santa Clara won away at NK Olimpija Ljubljana in the second leg of their European third qualifying round. ^[17] The following 26 January, in the team's first-ever Taça da Liga semi-final, he was sent off for handball, conceding a penalty kick from which Pablo Sarabia scored in Sporting's 2–1 victory in Leiria. ^[18]

Later career

Costa moved to second-tier S.C. Farense on 1 September 2022. ^[19] Even though mainly a substitute, he scored nine times in his debut campaign, helping to promotion as runners-up. ^{[20] [21]}

On 27 June 2024, Costa signed for Kazakhstan Premier League side FC Tobol. ^[22]

References

1. "Rui Costa" (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
2. "Gil Vicente-Varzim, 1–0: Autogolo de Delmiro define vencedor" [Gil Vicente-Varzim, 1–0: Delfino own goal defines winner]. Record (in Portuguese). 6 August 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
3. "Rui Costa eleito o jogador revelação da II Liga" [Rui Costa voted II League's best newcomer]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 7 July 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
4. "Portimonense: Rui Costa emprestado ao Famalicão" [Portimonense: Rui Costa loaned to Famalicão] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 11 August 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
5. "V. Guimarães B-Famalicão, 1–2: Forasteiros operam reviravolta com bis de Rui Costa" [V. Guimarães B-Famalicão, 1–2: Outsiders come from behind with Rui Costa brace]. Record (in Portuguese). 28 October 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
6. "COMENTÁRIO: Famalicão vence em Barcelos com reviravolta no marcador" [COMMENT: Famalicão win in Barcelos with score reversal]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 5 November 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
7. "COMENTÁRIO: Famalicão vence Cova da Piedade e 'cola-se' aos primeiros" [COMMENT: Famalicão beat Cova da Piedade and 'get glued' to top of table]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 12 November 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
8. "Rui Costa não pode ser inscrito pelo FC Porto" [Rui Costa cannot be registered by FC Porto] (in Portuguese). Rádio Renascença. 22 January 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
9. "Portimonense faz reviravolta e vence Moreirense nos descontos" [Portimonense come from behind and beat Moreirense in injury time]. A Voz do Algarve (in Portuguese). 31 March 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
10. Alves, Armando; Monteiro, André (7 June 2018). "Rui Costa já é reforço do FC Porto" [Rui Costa is already a FC Porto addition]. Record (in Portuguese). Retrieved 31 July 2019.
11. "Rui Costa, gol portugués para la delantera alfarera" [Rui Costa, Portuguese goal for the alfarera forward line] (in Spanish). AD Alcorcón. 6 July 2019. Retrieved 6 July 2019.
12. De la Cruz, Luis (18 September 2020). "El delantero Rui Costa firma hasta 2022 por el Deportivo" [Forward Rui Costa signs for Deportivo until 2022]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 September 2020.
13. "Oficial: Rui Costa" [Official: Rui Costa] (in Portuguese). C.D. Santa Clara. 1 February 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
14. Marques, David (5 March 2021). "Sporting-Santa Clara, 2–1 (crónica)" [Sporting-Santa Clara, 2–1 (report)] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
15. "Santa Clara goleia Nacional e complica situação dos madeirenses na I Liga" [Santa Clara thrash Nacional and complicate the Madeirans' situation in I League] (in Portuguese). Antena Minho. 11 April 2021. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
16. "Treinador Daniel Ramos renova por uma época com o Santa Clara" [Coach Daniel Ramos renews for one season with Santa Clara]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 30 May 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
17. "Olimpija Ljubljana-Santa Clara, 0–1". Record (in Portuguese). 12 August 2021. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
18. Kundert, Tom (26 January 2022). "Portuguese League Cup semi-finals: Benfica and Sporting book a Taça da Liga blockbuster". PortuGOAL. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
19. "Rui Costa reforça ataque do Farense a título definitivo" [Rui Costa bolsters Farense attack in permanent deal]. Record (in Portuguese). 1 September 2022. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
20. "Farense festeja subida à I Liga pelas ruas de Faro" [Farense take streets of Faro to celebrate promotion to I League] (in Portuguese). Algarve Primeiro. 21 May 2023. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
21. Anjinho, Jorge (31 October 2023). "Farense: Rui Costa quando sai do banco é para 'matar'" [Farense: When Rui Costa comes from the bench he 'kills them']. A Bola (in Portuguese). Retrieved 24 July 2024.
22. "Rui Costa oficializado no FC Tobol. O avançado de 28 anos deixa o SC Farense" [Rui Costa confirmed at FC Tobol. The 28-year-old forward leaves SC Farense.] (in Portuguese). Twitter. 27 June 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2024.

External links

• Rui Costa at ForaDeJogo (archived)
• Portuguese League profile (in Portuguese)
• Rui Costa at BDFutbol
• Rui Costa at Soccerway