Portuguese · Fafe, Portugal · Born 29 March 1972Fiorentina and AC Milan's visionary Portuguese playmaker — one of the most technically gifted attacking midfielders of the 1990s.
Rui Manuel César Costa was born on 29 March 1972 in Amadora, a densely populated municipality just northwest of Lisbon, Portugal. He joined Benfica's academy at just five years old, having been spotted by club legend Eusébio himself, and spent 13 years developing through the club's youth ranks before a season-long loan to AD Fafe prepared him for first-team football back in the Portuguese capital. Costa first announced himself on the international stage in 1991, scoring the decisive penalty as Portugal won the FIFA World Youth Championship, becoming part of the celebrated "Golden Generation" of Portuguese talent that also included Luís Figo. Renowned for his elegant, unhurried passing range and ability to dictate play from midfield, Costa earned the nickname "the Maestro" for a style that combined technical polish with genuine creative vision. Costa moved to Italy's Fiorentina in 1994, spending seven seasons as the club's talismanic playmaker and forming a celebrated partnership with Gabriel Batistuta, before Fiorentina's bankruptcy in 2002 forced his departure. He joined AC Milan under manager Fatih Terim for a then club-record fee, and won the Champions League and Serie A during five years in Milan, though the emergence of a young Kaká gradually limited his playing time in his final seasons. Costa earned 94 caps for Portugal, playing a starring role as the country reached the final of Euro 2004 on home soil, a match Portugal surprisingly lost to Greece — his final international appearance. He returned to Benfica in 2006 to finish his playing career, and in October 2021 became the club's 34th president, extending a lifelong association with the team that first spotted his talent as a five-year-old.
Exceptional playmaking ability and vision at Fiorentina and AC Milan
He is now President of Benfica — the club where he began his career.
Did You Know?How They Played
Creative attacking midfielder with exceptional passing range, vision and technical ability
Lasting Impact
One of Portugal's greatest ever players and finest playmakers of his generation
Career Honours
- Champions League 2003 (Milan)
- Serie A 2x
- 94 Portugal caps
- Champions League 2007
- Serie A 2004
- Coppa Italia 2003
| Club | Period | Fee | Apps | Goals | Shirt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benfica | 1990–1994 | — | 78 | 13 | #10 |
| Fafe | 1990–1991 | loan | 38 | 6 | — |
| Fiorentina | 1994–2001 | — | 215 | 38 | — |
| AC Milan | 2001–2006 | — | 124 | 4 | — |
| Benfica | 2006–2008 | — | 43 | 5 | #10 |
 Portugal | — | — | 94 | 26 | — |
Portuguese Athletes