FC Porto's Costa: 'Shame I never played with Ronaldo' after first Portugal call-up
FC Porto defender Alberto Costa, 23, received his first senior Portugal call-up this week—just days after Cristiano Ronaldo announced his international retirement. Costa arrived at the national team's Cidade do Futebol training base in Oeiras on Tuesday, preparing for Saturday's UEFA Nations League clash against Denmark in Braga.
At a pre-match press conference, Costa called it "a shame" he never shared a dressing room with Ronaldo, revealing that working with the Al-Nassr forward had been one of his "career goals." The Porto right-back now joins a Portugal squad transitioning into a post-Ronaldo era under coach Roberto Martínez.
For Nigerian fans who've followed Ronaldo's two-decade international career—five World Cups, a Euro 2016 title, and 135 goals—this marks the definitive end of an era. Costa's disappointment mirrors a generation of young players worldwide who grew up idolising CR7.
Portugal face Denmark in Braga on Saturday, November 14, with kickoff at 8:45 PM WAT. The match offers first glimpse of Portugal's new-look attack without their all-time leading scorer.
Will the next generation of Portuguese talent—Costa, João Neves, Geovany Quenda—carry the weight of expectation, or does Ronaldo's shadow linger longer than the squad admits?