Rui Costa facts for kids

This page is about the Portuguese international footballer. For other people, see Rui Costa (disambiguation).

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

Quick facts for kids

Rui Costa

Costa in 2019

34th President of Benfica

Incumbent

Assumed office
10 October 2021

Preceded by

Luís Filipe Vieira

Personal details

Born

Rui Manuel César Costa

29 March 1972 (age 53)
Amadora, Portugal

Height

1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)

Occupation

Footballer

Rui Costa

Personal information

Playing position

Attacking midfielder

Youth career

1977–1990

Benfica

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps^†

(Gls)^†

1990–1994

Benfica

(13)

1990–1991

→ Fafe (loan)

(6)

1994–2001

Fiorentina

215

(38)

2001–2006

AC Milan

124

(4)

2006–2008

Benfica

(5)

Total

498

(66)

National team

1990

Portugal U18

(1)

1991

Portugal U20

(1)

1992–1994

Portugal U21

(7)

1993–2004

Portugal

(26)

Honours

Men's football

Representing Portugal
UEFA European Championship
	2004 Portugal
Bronze	2000 Belgium-Netherlands
FIFA U-20 World Cup
Winner	1991 Portugal
UEFA European Under-21 Championship
	1994 France

Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

† Appearances (Goals).

Rui Manuel César Costa (born 29 March 1972) is a Portuguese former professional footballer. He is now the 34th president of the sports club S.L. Benfica. He also leads the club's board of directors.

Rui Costa spent most of his football career playing for Benfica in Portugal. He also played for Fiorentina and AC Milan in Italy. Over 17 years, he won many trophies. These include a Primeira Liga title, a Taça de Portugal, a Serie A title, three Coppa Italia, a UEFA Champions League, and a UEFA Super Cup.

He played for the Portuguese national team 94 times. He scored 26 goals for his country. He played in three UEFA European Championships and one FIFA World Cup.

Rui Costa usually played as an attacking midfielder. He was known for his great technique and ability to create chances. He was also good at scoring goals from midfield. Many people think he is one of the best midfielders ever. He is also considered one of Portugal's greatest players. In 2004, the famous footballer Pelé named him one of the 125 greatest living football players in the FIFA 100 list.

Club Career Highlights

Starting at Benfica

Rui Costa started playing football at age five. He joined a local indoor football team. Soon after, he tried out for Benfica. The legendary Portuguese player Eusébio was watching. He was very impressed with Rui Costa's skills. Rui Costa played for Benfica's youth teams until 1990.

In his first professional season, he was loaned to A.D. Fafe. He played there for one year.

In 1991, Rui Costa returned to Benfica. This was after Portugal won the Under-21 World Cup. Rui Costa scored the winning penalty kick in that final. He became a regular player for Benfica. In the next two seasons, he helped Benfica win two trophies. He formed a strong midfield team with João Vieira Pinto. During his first time at Benfica, he won the Taça de Portugal in 1993. He also won the Portuguese First Division title in 1993–94. This was Benfica's last league title for ten years.

Time at Fiorentina

After his third season with Benfica, Fiorentina in Italy wanted to sign him. He was 21 years old.

Many clubs wanted to sign Rui Costa from Fiorentina. But he stayed there for many years. He left Fiorentina just one season before the club faced financial problems. With Fiorentina, Rui Costa won the Coppa Italia twice. He also won a Supercoppa Italiana. In 2001, Fiorentina agreed to sell Rui Costa to AC Milan.

Playing for AC Milan

Fatih Terim was Rui Costa's coach at Fiorentina. When Terim moved to AC Milan, he brought Rui Costa with him. Rui Costa became Milan's most expensive player ever at that time.

On 27 September 2001, Rui Costa scored his first goal for Milan. It was in a UEFA Cup match. He scored more goals in that competition. He helped Milan reach the semi-finals. He had some injuries that season. His performance was not always consistent. When he played against his old club Fiorentina, he cried. This made some Milan fans upset when he returned.

In his second season at Milan, Rui Costa had to compete with a new player, Rivaldo. But Rui Costa still earned a starting spot. On 24 September 2002, he set up three goals in a UEFA Champions League game. A commentator even said he was better than Zinedine Zidane. He scored his first goal in Italy's domestic cup in December. In May, Milan won the Coppa Italia final. Rui Costa played as a substitute in that game. He was rested for the 2003 UEFA Champions League Final against Juventus. Milan won that final on penalties. On 29 August, he played in the 2003 UEFA Super Cup. Milan won 1–0 against Porto. Rui Costa crossed the ball for the only goal.

From 2003–04, Rui Costa played less often. This was because a younger Brazilian player, Kaká, became very good. Rui Costa still scored three league goals that season. Milan won the Serie A title that year.

Coming Back to Benfica

Costa with Benfica in 2007

On 25 May 2006, it was announced that Rui Costa would return to Benfica. He left AC Milan to fulfill his dream of playing for Benfica again. He started playing for Benfica in a Champions League qualifier in August 2006. He scored a goal in his first home game back. He played regularly for Benfica. However, he had several injuries that season.

Before the end of that season, Rui Costa said the next season would be his last as a professional player. Benfica qualified for the Champions League group stage. Rui Costa scored two goals in the qualifying matches. Benfica was drawn against his former club, Milan. He played one last time at the San Siro stadium in Milan. Rui Costa continued to play well. He won the SJPF Player of the Month award in September 2007. He also won Benfica's Player of the Year award for 2007.

Rui Costa played his last match on 11 May 2008. It was at Benfica's home stadium. He was substituted near the end of the game. The fans gave him a standing ovation. Both his last season and the one before it ended without winning any trophies.

International Career

Youth and Euro 96

Rui Costa was part of the Portugal under-20 team. They won the 1991 FIFA World Youth Championship in Portugal. The final was against Brazil. It ended in a tie. Rui Costa scored the winning penalty kick.

On 31 March 1993, Rui Costa played his first game for the senior national team. It was a World Cup qualifier against Switzerland. On 19 June, he scored his first goal for Portugal. It was in a 4–0 win against Malta. He played in UEFA Euro 1996 in England. Portugal was knocked out in the quarter-finals by the Czech Republic.

Euro 2000

Rui Costa was sent off (given a red card) only once in his career. This happened on 6 September 1997, in a World Cup qualifier against Germany. He was leaving the field slowly when he was shown the red card. Portugal then could not bring on a new player. Germany scored soon after. This meant Germany went to the World Cup, not Portugal.

In the Euro 2000 qualifiers, Rui Costa scored six goals. At the main tournament in Belgium and the Netherlands, he helped Portugal win against England. He set up two goals in a 3–2 comeback win. Portugal reached the semi-finals.

2002 World Cup and Euro 2004

Portugal did not do well in the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Japan and South Korea. They were eliminated in the group stage. Rui Costa did not start the first game. But he came on as a substitute in the next game. He scored a goal in a 4–0 win against Poland.

Before UEFA Euro 2004 in Portugal, Rui Costa and Luís Figo were not happy. The coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari, chose Deco to play. Deco played in the same position as Rui Costa. Rui Costa was substituted at half-time in the first game. Portugal lost to Greece. Rui Costa was then replaced by Deco in the next match. But he came off the bench and scored a goal against Russia. Portugal won 2–0. In the quarter-finals against England, he came on as a substitute again. He scored a long-range goal in extra time. The game ended 2–2 and went to penalties. Rui Costa missed his penalty, but Portugal won the shootout.

Rui Costa stopped playing for the national team after Euro 2004. Portugal lost to Greece again in the final. He scored 26 goals in 94 games for Portugal.

How Rui Costa Played

Rui Costa is seen as one of the best midfielders of his time. He is also one of Portugal's greatest players ever. He was known as a classic number 10. This means he played as an attacking midfielder behind the main strikers. He could also play deeper in midfield or as a second striker.

He was a fast, skillful, and elegant player. He was famous for his amazing dribbling skills. He had great control of the ball. He moved smartly and had excellent vision. His passes were very accurate. This made him great at setting up goals for his teammates. He could also create space for others. He was good at starting his team's attacks. Even though he was known for helping others score, he could also score goals himself. He was good at shooting with both feet, especially from outside the penalty area. He was also good at free kicks and penalty kicks.

Rui Costa in Media

Rui Costa was sponsored by the sports company Nike. He appeared in Nike commercials. In 1996, he was in a Nike commercial called "Good vs Evil." It showed a football game in a Roman arena. He played alongside other famous footballers like Ronaldo and Paolo Maldini. They defended "The Beautiful Game" against evil warriors.

Rui Costa is also in the FIFA football video game series. He was included in the Ultimate Team Legends in FIFA 16.

After Playing Football

Sporting Director

The day after his last professional match, Rui Costa became the director of football at Benfica. In 2008, he helped bring in new players and a new coach. The next summer, he signed more players to make the team stronger. Benfica then won the 2009–10 Primeira Liga title. This was their first league title since 2004–05. They also won the Taça da Liga that season.

Club President

On 14 May 2008, Rui Costa became an administrator for Benfica. In 2021, he became a vice-president of the club's board. He then became the interim president of the club in July 2021. This happened after the previous president stepped down. On 9 October, Rui Costa was elected the 34th president of Benfica. He won with a large number of votes.

During his election campaign, Rui Costa made many promises. He promised to check the club's finances. He also promised to be open about player transfers. He wanted to keep young players who came from Benfica's youth academy. He also wanted to improve the Estádio da Luz stadium.

In his first year as president (including his interim role), the men's football team did not win any trophies. In January 2022, Rui Costa said he was not involved in any wrongdoing related to player contracts. In January 2023, he promised not to let a player leave unless his full transfer fee was paid. However, the player still left through negotiations. After hiring Roger Schmidt as coach, Benfica won the 2022–23 Primeira Liga title. This ended a four-year wait for a trophy. Benfica won the Portuguese Super Cup the next season. But they did not win any other trophies, even after spending a lot of money on new players.

Personal Life

Rui Costa was married to Rute from 1994 to 2013. They have two sons. His older son, Filipe, works for a football agency. His younger son, Hugo, is a footballer.

Career Statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			National cup		Europe		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Fafe (loan)	1990–91	Segunda Divisão	38	6	0	0	—		—		38	6
Benfica	1991–92	Primeira Liga	21	4	3	0	7	0	1	0	32	4
	1992–93		23	4	4	1	4	0	1	0	32	5
	1993–94		34	5	3	1	8	4	2	0	47	10
	Total		78	13	10	2	19	4	4	0	111	19
Fiorentina	1994–95	Serie A	31	9	4	0	—		—		35	9
	1995–96		34	4	7	2	—		—		41	6
	1996–97		28	2	1	0	8	0	1	0	38	2
	1997–98		32	3	5	2	—		—		37	5
	1998–99		31	10	7	4	1	0	—		39	14
	1999–2000		30	4	4	0	14	2	—		48	6
	2000–01		29	6	7	2	2	0	—		38	8
	Total		215	38	35	10	25	2	1	0	276	50
AC Milan	2001–02	Serie A	22	0	1	0	10	3	—		33	3
	2002–03		25	0	5	1	18	0	—		48	1
	2003–04		28	3	4	0	6	0	3	0	41	3
	2004–05		24	1	4	0	9	0	1	0	38	1
	2005–06		25	0	3	3	4	0	—		32	3
	Total		124	4	17	4	47	3	4	0	192	11
Benfica	2006–07	Primeira Liga	14	0	3	0	5	1	—		22	1
	2007–08	Primeira Liga	29	5	4	3	12	2	0	0	45	10
	Total		43	5	7	3	17	3	0	0	67	11
Career total			498	66	69	19	108	12	9	0	684	97

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Portugal	1993	7	2
	1994	5	1
	1995	7	3
	1996	11	2
	1997	4	0
	1998	5	3
	1999	9	6
	2000	13	3
	2001	6	0
	2002	7	2
	2003	11	1
	2004	9	3
Total		94	26

Scores and results list Portugal's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Costa goal.

List of international goals scored by Rui Costa
No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	19 June 1993	Estádio do Bessa, Porto, Portugal	Malta	2–0	4–0	World Cup 1994 Qualifying
2	5 September 1993	Kadrioru Stadium, Tallinn, Estonia	Estonia	1–0	2–0	World Cup 1994 Qualifying
3	7 September 1994	Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland	Northern Ireland	1–0	2–1	Euro 1996 Qualifying
4	15 August 1995	Sportpark Eschen-Mauren, Eschen, Liechtenstein	Liechtenstein	3–0	7–0	Euro 1996 Qualifying
5	15 August 1995	Sportpark Eschen-Mauren, Eschen, Liechtenstein	Liechtenstein	6–0	7–0	Euro 1996 Qualifying
6	15 September 1995	Estádio da Luz (1954), Lisbon, Portugal	Republic of Ireland	1–0	3–0	Euro 1996 Qualifying
7	24 January 1996	Parc des Princes, Paris, France	France	2–1	2–3	Friendly
8	9 October 1996	Qemal Stafa Stadium, Tirana, Albania	Albania	3–0	3–0	World Cup 1998 Qualifying
9	19 August 1998	Estádio de São Miguel (Ponta Delgada), Ponta Delgada, Portugal	Mozambique	1–0	2–1	Friendly
10	19 August 1998		Mozambique	2–0	2–1	Friendly
11	6 September 1998	Puskás Ferenc Stadium, Budapest, Hungary	Hungary	3–1	3–1	Euro 2000 Qualifying
12	31 March 1999	Sportpark Eschen-Mauren, Eschen, Liechtenstein	Liechtenstein	1–0	5–0	Euro 2000 Qualifying
13	31 March 1999	Sportpark Eschen-Mauren, Eschen, Liechtenstein	Liechtenstein	5–0	5–0	Euro 2000 Qualifying
14	9 June 1999	Estádio Cidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal	Liechtenstein	7–0	8–0	Euro 2000 Qualifying
15	9 June 1999	Estádio Cidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal	Liechtenstein	8–0	8–0	Euro 2000 Qualifying
16	18 August 1999	Estádio Nacional, Lisbon, Portugal	Andorra	1–0	4–0	Friendly
17	9 October 1999	Estádio da Luz (1954), Lisbon, Portugal	Hungary	1–0	3–0	Euro 2000 Qualifying
18	29 March 2000	Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa, Leiria, Portugal	Denmark	1–1	2–1	Friendly
19	16 August 2000	Estádio do Fontelo, Viseu, Portugal	Lithuania	3–1	5–1	Friendly
20	3 September 2000	Kadrioru Stadium, Tallinn, Estonia	Estonia	1–0	3–1	2002 World Cup Qualifying
21	10 June 2002	Jeonju World Cup Stadium, Jeonju, South Korea	Poland	4–0	4–0	2002 World Cup
22	16 October 2002	Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden	Sweden	3–2	3–2	Friendly
23	11 October 2003	Estádio do Restelo, Lisbon, Portugal	Albania	3–2	5–3	Friendly
24	29 May 2004	Estádio Municipal de Águeda, Águeda, Portugal	Luxembourg	3–0	3–0	Friendly
25	16 June 2004	Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal	Russia	2–0	2–0	Euro 2004
26	24 June 2004	Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal	England	2–1	2–2	Euro 2004