Introduction
Samuel "Samu" de Almeida Costa — known simply as Samu Costa — is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for RCD Mallorca in Spain's La Liga and for the Portugal national team. His name surged in searches around the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where he was included in Portugal's squad, and again as the summer transfer window linked him with a move away from Mallorca.
Born on 27 November 2000 in Aveiro, Portugal, Samu Costa is 1.85 m tall, left-footed, and built for the unglamorous work in front of a defense. His rise has been steady rather than spectacular: youth football in Portugal, a breakthrough in Spain's second division, promotion to La Liga, then a regular starting role at Mallorca and a place in Portugal's midfield rotation.
Career Path: From Aveiro to La Liga
Costa came through several academies in the Aveiro and Braga area — Beira-Mar, Gafanha, Palmeiras FC de Braga and finally SC Braga — before debuting for Braga's B team in November 2019. He made one first-team league appearance for Braga in July 2020, against Porto, but his real opportunity came on loan.
In September 2020 he joined UD Almería, then in the Segunda División, on a season-long loan. He became a regular almost immediately, and Almería bought him outright in June 2021 on a five-year contract. The following season he helped the club win the Segunda División title and promotion to La Liga, making his top-flight debut in August 2022 against Real Madrid.
On 10 August 2023, Costa signed a five-year contract with RCD Mallorca, keeping him on the Balearic island until 2028. He passed 100 league appearances for the club during the 2025–26 season — a campaign in which he also found a scoring touch, netting seven league goals and winning La Liga's Goal of the Month award for October 2025. Wearing the number 12 shirt, he has been a near ever-present in Mallorca's midfield.
Playing Style and Role
Costa is a classic ball-winning midfielder. He screens the back line, presses aggressively, and covers large distances to break up opposition attacks. Coaches value his left foot for building play from deep areas, his tackling, and his willingness to do repeated defensive running without losing positional discipline.
What changed in 2025–26 was his output in the final third. Long known for intensity rather than goals, he began timing late runs into the box and shooting from distance, finishing the league season with around seven goals — a remarkable return for a player whose career league tally had been in single digits. Analysts described him that season as one of La Liga's more reliable engine-room midfielders.
He is not a playmaker in the mold of Portugal's more creative midfielders; his game is about control through work rate, second balls, and simple, fast distribution to more attack-minded teammates. That profile makes him useful both as a single pivot in a 4-2-3-1 and as one of two holders in a double pivot.
Portugal, the 2026 World Cup, and Transfer Talk
Costa's senior Portugal debut came on 12 October 2024, as a substitute for Bernardo Silva in a 2–1 UEFA Nations League win over Poland. He stayed in the squad conversation through the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, and on 19 May 2026 coach Roberto Martínez named him in Portugal's 26-man World Cup squad — presented as a "27+1" list honoring the late Diogo Jota.
At the tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, Portugal were drawn in Group K with the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uzbekistan and Colombia, playing group matches in Houston and Miami. Costa went into the finals as a squad midfielder behind established names such as Rúben Neves, Vitinha and João Neves, offering Martínez a defensive option late in games. Several of his Portugal teammates play their club football in Saudi Arabia — Rúben Neves at Al-Hilal, João Félix and Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr — which is one reason fans in the Kingdom follow Portuguese internationals closely; see how Cristiano Ronaldo changed Saudi football and how Arab teams fared at World Cup 2026.
His World Cup inclusion and strong Mallorca season inevitably fed transfer speculation. Spanish and German reports in mid-2026 linked him with RB Leipzig, while Mallorca were reported to value him in the tens of millions of euros given his contract runs to 2028. As of mid-July 2026 he remains a Mallorca player; treat any specific transfer claim as rumor until the clubs confirm it. For the bigger picture of the league Saudi fans watch him alongside, read about Saudi football's global rise, and if you are planning a football trip to the Kingdom, our guides to Riyadh Season and Saudi National Day cover the atmosphere around the game.
Sources
- LaLiga — official player profile: club, position, and season statistics.
- RCD Mallorca — the player's club; official squad and announcement pages.
- Wikipedia — Samú Costa — career history, statistics, and international record.
- Football España — reporting on Costa's 2025 injury and Premier League transfer interest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Samu Costa?
Samuel de Almeida Costa is a Portuguese defensive midfielder born on 27 November 2000 in Aveiro. He plays for RCD Mallorca in La Liga and for the Portugal national team.
Which club does Samu Costa play for in 2026?
As of July 2026 he plays for RCD Mallorca, where he is under contract until 2028. Mid-2026 reports linked him with RB Leipzig, but no transfer had been confirmed.
What position does Samu Costa play?
He is a defensive or central midfielder: a ball-winner who shields the defense, presses, and distributes simply. In the 2025–26 season he added goals, scoring around seven in La Liga.
Is Samu Costa in Portugal's 2026 World Cup squad?
Yes. Roberto Martínez named him in the 26-man squad on 19 May 2026. Portugal were drawn in Group K with DR Congo, Uzbekistan and Colombia.
Why is Samu Costa trending?
A mix of the 2026 World Cup, where he made Portugal's squad, and summer transfer reports linking the Mallorca midfielder with clubs such as RB Leipzig.