Cristiano Ronaldo pays tribute on social media as Porto legend Jorge Costa dies

Cristiano Ronaldo has paid tribute to Portuguese football icon Jorge Costa, following the sad news of the former FC Porto captain’s death. Costa, who was working as Porto’s director of football, passed away at the age of 53 after suffering a cardiac arrest at the club’s training center on Tuesday, August 5.

Tributes have poured in from across the football community following the death of the former defender. Portugal national team captain Cristiano Ronaldo expressed his condolences with a touching message posted on his Instagram story. Accompanying a picture of the late defender, Ronaldo wrote:

“Ate Sempre Jorge Costa,” along with a dove emoji.

The phrase translated from Portuguese means:

“Until forever, Jorge Costa.”

Cristiano Ronaldo's tribute message to Jorge Costa

Nicknamed ‘The Tank’ for his physical and aggressive playing style, Jorge Costa was one of the most formidable defenders of his generation in Portuguese football. He rose through the ranks at Porto and spent most of his playing career at the club before leaving for Belgian side Standard Liege in 2006, where he retired the same year. He is fondly remembered for captianing Porto to Champions League glory under manager Jose Mourinho in 2004.

In his 15 years at the club, he made 324 appearances across competitions and won 22 trophies, including eight Primera Liga titles. After retiring, he ventured into football management, coaching various clubs across Portugal, Cyprus, and India. He also managed the Gabon national team for two years.

Did Cristiano Ronaldo and Jorge Costa play together?

Given their shared nationality, some fans may wonder if Jorge Costa and Cristiano Ronaldo ever played together. The short answer is no.

Apart from the fact that Costa is almost 14 years older than Ronaldo, both players started their careers with different Portuguese clubs. Costa began his career with Porto, while the five-time Ballon d’Or winner started his with Sporting CP.

By the time Costa retired in 2006, Ronaldo was already playing in England. As such, they never played together at club level.

What about the Portuguese national team?

Unfortunately, they ddn't share the pitch there either. Jorge Costa earned 50 caps for Portugal, but his final international appearance came in 2002. Cristiano Ronaldo made his debut for the national team in August 2003, in a friendly match against Kazakhstan - after Costa had retired from international duty.

So, did they ever face each other? Yes - but only as opponents. Their first encounter came during the 2002/03 season, when Ronaldo was still at Sporting and Costa was at his Porto. Their second and final meeting was in the 2003/04 UEFA Champions League Round of 16. This time, Ronaldo was at Manchester United. In the two encounters, it was Costa who came out on top, as his Porto side won 1-0 and 2-1, respectively.

Edited by Ezekiel Olamide