Celso Borges facts for kids
Borges with Costa Rica at the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Celso Borges Mora | ||
| Date of birth | 27 May 1988 | ||
| Place of birth | San José, Costa Rica | ||
| Height | 1.82 m | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Alajuelense | ||
| Number | 5 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Saprissa | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2006–2009 | Saprissa | 86 | (7) |
| 2009–2012 | Fredrikstad FK | 76 | (34) |
| 2012–2015 | AIK | 79 | (26) |
| 2015 | → Deportivo La Coruña (loan) | 17 | (4) |
| 2015–2018 | Deportivo La Coruña | 90 | (12) |
| 2018–2020 | Göztepe | 53 | (2) |
| 2020–2021 | Deportivo La Coruña | 20 | (2) |
| 2021– | Alajuelense | 74 | (4) |
| National team | |||
| 2005 | Costa Rica U17 | 4 | (1) |
| 2007 | Costa Rica U20 | 3 | (0) |
| 2008–2023 | Costa Rica | 163 | (27) |
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Celso Borges Mora (born on May 27, 1988) is a professional footballer from Costa Rica. He plays as a central midfielder for the club Alajuelense in Liga FPD. Celso is a very important player for his country. He has played for the Costa Rica team 163 times. This makes him the player with the most international appearances in Costa Rica's history!
Contents
Celso Borges: Early Life
Celso was born in San José, the capital city of Costa Rica. His father is Alexandre Guimarães, a famous former footballer and coach. Alexandre was born in Brazil but grew up in Costa Rica. Celso went to Saint Clare High School, where he also played on the school's football team. His football training and playing often meant he had to travel outside the country. This sometimes made it hard to keep up with his school studies.
Club Football Journey
Celso Borges has played for several football clubs around the world. He started his professional career in Costa Rica. Then, he moved to play in Europe before returning home.
Starting Strong at Saprissa
Celso began his professional football journey at the age of 18. He made his first official appearance for Deportivo Saprissa on January 15, 2006. During his time with Saprissa, Celso helped his team win five national championships. This was a great start to his career!
Adventures in Norway with Fredrikstad
In 2009, Celso moved to Norway to play for Fredrikstad FK. He joined the team on July 1, 2009. Fredrikstad was so keen to have him that they paid Saprissa a fee so he could join them sooner. Celso quickly became a key player for Fredrikstad. By March 2011, he decided he would move on after the 2011 season.
Playing in Sweden for AIK
On January 1, 2012, Celso became a free agent. This meant he could sign with any club he wanted without a transfer fee. He chose to sign a three-year contract with the Swedish football club AIK Stockholm. At AIK, he was given the special number 10 jersey. This number is often worn by the team's most creative or important player.
Celso played his first match for AIK on April 1, 2012. He scored his first goal for the club in the very next game. This goal was the winning goal against Kalmar FF. At first, his coach used him as a striker. But later, he moved back to play as a central midfielder. He became the team's top choice in that position. Celso even ended the season as the team's best goalscorer!
Time in Spain with Deportivo La Coruña
On January 14, 2015, Celso joined Deportivo de La Coruña in Spain. He signed a contract until the end of the season. There was also an option to extend it for two more years. Celso had an amazing start with his new team. In his first official game, he scored two goals! This helped his team win 2-1 against Rayo Vallecano. This match was also his first time playing in La Liga, which is Spain's top football league.
Representing Costa Rica
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Celso Borges holds the record for the most appearances for the Costa Rica national football team. He has played in 163 games and scored 27 goals for his country. He has played in many important matches, including over 50 FIFA World Cup qualification games.
He has also played in three FIFA World Cup tournaments: 2014, 2018, and 2022 FIFA World Cup. These are the biggest football tournaments in the world! Celso also played in many other big competitions. These include the CONCACAF Gold Cup several times and the Copa América Centenario.
Celso played in the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship when he was younger. He scored a goal and was seen as one of the best young players. He also played in the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
He made his debut for the senior Costa Rican team in June 2008. This was a World Cup qualification match against Grenada. In September of the same year, he scored his first international goal against Suriname.
In the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Celso was a key player. In the Round of 16, Costa Rica played against Greece. The game went to a penalty shootout. Celso was the first Costa Rican player to score his penalty kick. This helped his team win 5-3 and move forward in the tournament! In May 2018, he was chosen to be in Costa Rica's 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Celso's Life Off the Field
Celso Borges is known for being one of the most educated players on the Costa Rica national team. He is very smart and speaks several languages. Besides his native Spanish, he can also speak English, Portuguese, and Swedish!
He is also a big fan of heavy metal music. Some of his favorite bands include Slipknot, Metallica, Dream Theater, and Killswitch Engage. Celso even plays the drums! He once covered the song "Toxicity" by System of a Down with a Peruvian musician named Kurt Dyer.
Achievements and Awards
Celso Borges has won many awards and championships throughout his career.
Deportivo Saprissa
- Primera División de Costa Rica: He won the championship seven times with Saprissa from 2005 to 2008.
Alajuelense
- CONCACAF Central American Cup: He won this cup in 2023.
Costa Rica National Team
- Copa Centroamericana: He helped Costa Rica win this cup in 2013 and 2014.
Individual Awards
- CONCACAF Gold Cup All-Tournament Team: He was chosen as one of the best players in the tournament in 2009 and 2021.
See also
In Spanish: Celso Borges para niños
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
