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Bruno Costa (footballer, born 1997)

Portuguese footballer From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bruno Xavier Almeida Costa (born 19 April 1997) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays mainly as a midfielder but also as a right-back for Liga I club CFR Cluj.

Full name Bruno Xavier Almeida Costa[1]
Date of birth (1997-04-19) 19 April 1997 (age 29)[1]
Place of birth Oliveira de Azeméis, Portugal
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)[1]
Quick facts Personal information, Full name ...
Bruno Costa
Personal information
Full name Bruno Xavier Almeida Costa[1]
Date of birth (1997-04-19) 19 April 1997 (age 29)[1]
Place of birth Oliveira de Azeméis, Portugal
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)[1]
Position Midfielder
Team information
Current team
CFR Cluj
Number 28
Youth career
2005–2009 Feirense
2009–2016 Porto
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2019 Porto B 50 (4)
2018–2020 Porto 4 (0)
2020–2021 Portimonense 17 (0)
2020–2021Paços Ferreira (loan) 31 (4)
2021–2023 Porto 18 (0)
2023 Porto B 15 (3)
2023–2024 Valenciennes 10 (0)
2024 Vizela 8 (0)
2024–2025 Nacional 18 (2)
2025–2026 Gyeongnam 17 (2)
2026 Gimhae 13 (1)
2026– CFR Cluj 2 (0)
International career
2012 Portugal U15 2 (0)
2012–2013 Portugal U16 6 (0)
2013 Portugal U17 2 (1)
2016 Portugal U19 4 (1)
2016–2017 Portugal U20 9 (1)
2018 Portugal U21 3 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 2 August 2026
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Club career

Porto

Born in Oliveira de Azeméis, Aveiro District, Costa joined FC Porto in 2009 at the age of 12, from C.D. Feirense.[2] On 14 August 2016, he made his professional debut with the former's reserves in a 1–0 home win against Académico de Viseu F.C. in the LigaPro where he played 35 minutes.[3] He scored his first goal in the competition on 22 October 2017, helping the hosts to defeat Varzim S.C. by 3–0.[4]

Costa appeared in his first competitive match with the first team on 6 March 2018 in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League away to Liverpool, a goalless draw in the second leg following a 5–0 loss at the Estádio do Dragão.[5][6] His Primeira Liga bow took place on 13 April 2019, in a 3–0 away victory over Portimonense S.C. in which he was an 82nd-minute substitute for Yacine Brahimi.[7][8]

Portimonense

It was reported on 8 January 2020 that Costa had signed for Portimonense also of the top division on loan for the rest of the season.[9] Two days later, the Algarvean club's president confirmed this was instead an 18-month transfer.[10] He made his debut on 11 January in a goalless home game with F.C. Paços de Ferreira, replacing Fernando Medeiros at half-time.[11]

Costa joined Paços de Ferreira on 17 August 2020, on a season-long loan.[12] He scored his first goal in the Portuguese top flight on 30 October, from a penalty in a 3–2 home defeat of former side Porto.[13]

Return to Porto

Costa returned to Porto on 6 July 2021, agreeing to a three-year deal.[14] In January 2022, following successive injuries to Wilson Manafá and João Mário, he was used by manager Sérgio Conceição as an emergency right-back.[15] He scored his only competitive goal on 16 October that year, closing the 6–0 away win over Anadia F.C. in the third round of the Taça de Portugal.[16]

In January 2023, Costa was relegated to the B team after reportedly falling out with Conceição due to a lack of effort in practice.[17] On 4 February, he equalised an eventual 1–2 home loss against B-SAD through a Panenka-style penalty.[18]

Valenciennes

On 2 September 2023, Costa signed a one-year contract with French Ligue 2 club Valenciennes FC.[19][20] He left by mutual consent in January 2024.[21]

Later career

Costa returned to Portugal and its top tier shortly after leaving Valenciennes, joining F.C. Vizela on a five-month deal.[22][23] On 28 July 2024, he agreed to a two-year contract at C.D. Nacional in the same league.[24]

On 29 December 2024, Costa scored his first goal for the Madeirans, but in a 2–1 loss at Rio Ave FC.[25] The following round, he provided an assist for Zé Vitor as the hosts beat his former employers Porto 2–0.[26]

Costa signed for K League 2 club Gyeongnam FC on 24 June 2025.[27] He scored on his debut on 5 July, a 1–1 home draw against Ansan Greeners FC, and dedicated the goal to Diogo Jota and André Silva, Portuguese brothers killed in a car crash in Spain two days earlier.[28]

Ahead of the 2026 season, Costa moved to Gimhae FC 2008 also in the Korean second division.[29] He moved to Romanian Liga I's CFR Cluj on 21 July that year, rejoining his compatriot manager António Folha who had already coached him at Porto B and Portimonense.[30]

International career

Costa earned the first of his three caps for Portugal at under-21 level on 25 May 2018, playing 45 minutes in the 3–2 friendly win over Italy in Estoril.[31]

Career statistics

As of match played 2 August 2026[32]
More information Club, Season ...
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Porto B 2016–17 LigaPro 6 0 6 0
2017–18 LigaPro 31 3 31 3
2018–19 LigaPro 13 1 13 1
Total 50 4 50 4
Porto 2017–18 Primeira Liga 0 0 0 0 0 0 1[c] 0 1 0
2018–19 Primeira Liga 2 0 0 0 2 0 2[c] 0 0 0 6 0
2019–20 Primeira Liga 2 0 1 0 2 0 1[d] 0 6 0
Total 4 0 1 0 4 0 4 0 0 0 13 0
Portimonense 2019–20 Primeira Liga 17 0 17 0
Paços Ferreira (loan) 2020–21 Primeira Liga 31 4 2 0 0 0 33 4
Porto 2021–22 Primeira Liga 12 0 3 0 2 0 4[e] 0 21 0
2022–23 Primeira Liga 6 0 2 1 1 0 3[c] 0 1[f] 0 13 1
Total 18 0 5 1 3 0 7 0 1 0 34 1
Porto B 2022–23 Liga Portugal 2 15 3 15 3
Valenciennes 2023–24 Ligue 2 10 0 1 0 11 0
Vizela 2023–24 Primeira Liga 8 0 1 0 9 0
Nacional 2024–25 Primeira Liga 18 2 1 0 0 0 19 2
Gyeongnam 2025 K League 2 17 2 17 2
Gimhae 2026 K League 2 13 1 0 0 13 1
CFR Cluj 2026–27 Liga I 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Career total 203 16 11 1 7 0 11 0 1 0 232 17
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  1. Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  2. One appearance in UEFA Champions League, three appearances in UEFA Europa League

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