Francisco Calvo facts for kids
Calvo with Minnesota United in 2019
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Francisco Javier Calvo Quesada | ||
| Date of birth | 8 July 1992 | ||
| Place of birth | San José, Costa Rica | ||
| Height | 1.80 m | ||
| Playing position | Centre-back | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Hatayspor | ||
| Number | 4 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2005–2010 | Saprissa | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2011–2012 | Herediano | 23 | (1) |
| 2012 | Pérez Zeledón | 21 | (5) |
| 2013 | Nordsjælland | 3 | (0) |
| 2013–2015 | Herediano | 49 | (6) |
| 2015 | → Santos (loan) | 21 | (5) |
| 2015–2016 | Saprissa | 63 | (14) |
| 2017–2019 | Minnesota United | 60 | (5) |
| 2019–2021 | Chicago Fire | 62 | (5) |
| 2022 | San Jose Earthquakes | 13 | (2) |
| 2022–2023 | Konyaspor | 48 | (3) |
| 2024 | Juárez | 17 | (1) |
| 2024– | Hatayspor | 13 | (1) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2011 | Costa Rica U20 | 4 | (1) |
| 2011– | Costa Rica | 102 | (14) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
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Francisco Javier Calvo Quesada, born on July 8, 1992, is a professional football player from Costa Rica. He plays as a central defender for the Turkish club Hatayspor. Francisco also proudly captains the Costa Rica national team.
Contents
Early Life and College Football
Francisco Calvo started his football journey early. From 2005 to 2010, he played as a young player for Deportivo Saprissa in Costa Rica. After that, he moved to the United States. He received a scholarship to study at San Jacinto College. During his time there, he also played college-level football.
Club Career Highlights
Francisco Calvo has played for many football clubs around the world. He has shown his skills as a strong defender who can also score goals.
Starting in Costa Rica and Denmark
In 2011, Francisco returned to Costa Rica. He joined Herediano. Later, he played for Pérez Zeledón. There, he scored 5 goals in 21 games, which is impressive for a defender. In January 2013, he moved to Denmark to play for Nordsjælland. They were the Danish champions at the time. However, he returned to Herediano in the summer of 2013. In 2015, he played for Santos de Guápiles on loan.
Success with Saprissa
Later in 2015, Francisco joined Saprissa. This was the club where he started as a youth player. In his first season, he played in 39 matches and scored five goals. The next season, he became known for scoring from set-pieces. He scored 9 goals in 24 matches, which is a lot for a defender!
Playing in Major League Soccer (MLS)
On December 27, 2016, Francisco moved to the United States. He joined Major League Soccer club Minnesota United FC. In 2018, he was chosen as an MLS All-Star. This was a big honor, as he was the first player from Minnesota United to achieve this.
In May 2019, Francisco was traded to Chicago Fire. He played for them until the end of the 2021 season. On January 26, 2022, he signed with San Jose Earthquakes. On March 5, 2022, he scored two important goals. These goals helped his team get a 3–3 draw against the Columbus Crew. Because of this great performance, he was named in the MLS Team of the Week.
Moving to Turkey and Mexico
After his time in the MLS, Francisco moved to Turkey. He joined Konyaspor in the Turkish Süper Lig. In January 2024, he signed with Juárez in Mexico. On March 31, 2024, he scored his first goal for Juárez. It was a header that helped his team win 2-1 against Santos Laguna. Currently, he plays for Hatayspor in Turkey.
International Career with Costa Rica
Francisco Calvo has also had a very successful career playing for his home country, Costa Rica.
Early International Appearances
He made his first appearance for the Costa Rica senior team on May 29, 2011. This was in a friendly game against Nigeria. He also played for the Costa Rica Under-20 team in the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Francisco was also a reserve player for Costa Rica at the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup. His skills impressed the coach, Ricardo La Volpe. This led to him being called up for the 2011 Copa América squad. He played in games against Colombia and Bolivia.
Playing in the FIFA World Cup
In May 2018, Francisco was chosen for Costa Rica’s 23-man squad. This team played in the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. He also played a similar role in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. This shows how important he is to his national team.
Honours and Awards
Francisco Calvo has won several awards and championships throughout his career.
CS Herediano
- Liga FPD: Clausura 2012 (This means they won the league championship in the second half of the 2011-2012 season.)
Deportivo Saprissa
- Liga FPD: Apertura 2015, Apertura 2016 (They won the league championship in the first half of the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 seasons.)
Individual Awards
- MLS All-Star: 2018 (He was chosen as one of the best players in the MLS.)
- CONCACAF Nations League Finals Best XI: 2021 (He was named one of the top 11 players in the CONCACAF Nations League tournament.)
See also
In Spanish: Francisco Calvo Quesada para niños
