Diego Costa retired from professional football, confirming it on a podcast on 26 February 2026. His last competitive match was for Grêmio on 8 December 2024, a home defeat to Corinthians in Porto Alegre. No club statement or farewell game marked the end.
When Did Diego Costa Last Play a Competitive Match?
Costa’s final competitive appearance came on 8 December 2024, for Grêmio against Corinthians at the Arena do Grêmio in Porto Alegre. He was 36 years old.
He had joined the Brazilian club in February 2024 on a free transfer, signed to replace Luis Suárez after Suárez left for Inter Miami. His own contract at Botafogo had been allowed to lapse after four months.
The Grêmio spell produced eight goals and five assists in 27 matches, according to figures reported by OneFootball. His one-year deal ran out at the end of 2024 and he left as a free agent, with no new club announced in 2025 or 2026.
Why the Retirement Only Became Official in February 2026
Costa never issued a retirement statement. He confirmed it in conversation on El camino de Mario, a podcast hosted by his former Atlético Madrid teammate Mario Suárez, on Thursday 26 February 2026 — more than 14 months after he had last played.
“I retired a while ago,” he said on the show, adding that people had contacted him about one offer or another but that his hunger to play had gone. Outlets translated the remark slightly differently; a Spanish report quoted him saying his agent kept looking for something, “but the desire I had is gone”.
The silence before that had been noticed. The Spanish newspaper Diario AS pointed out in October 2025 that Costa had gone ten months without a match and still had not announced a retirement.
What He Was Doing Between the Two Dates
Costa kept playing exhibition and charity football during the gap, which is one reason the question of his status stayed open.
On 11 October 2025 he turned out for Chelsea Legends against Liverpool Legends at Stamford Bridge, in a fixture raising money for the Chelsea FC Foundation and the Chelsea Players’ Trust. He was booked after a confrontation with Martin Skrtel, getting up to square off with the Slovak defender following a hard tackle and later catching him from behind once Skrtel had played the ball.
A Spanish report published at the time of his retirement described him as playing in charity events since Grêmio, well away from competitive football.
Where Is Diego Costa Now?
As of 14 October 2026, Costa is retired from playing and no coaching, club or broadcasting role for him has been publicly announced.
He turned 38 on 7 October 2026. The podcast appearance in February 2026 remains the most recent verified public development in his career; no credible report has placed him at a club, in a dugout or in a studio since.
He has not ruled anything out in public either. What he said on the podcast was narrower than a goodbye to football: the offers were still arriving, and he no longer wanted to take them.
Are You Looking at the Wrong Diego Costa?
Several football databases serve a different, younger Diego Costa, which is why search results about him look contradictory.
That player is Diego Henrique Costa Barbosa, a centre-back born on 21 July 1999 in Campo Grande, Brazil. He is contracted to Krasnodar in Russia and joined PAOK of Greece on loan on 5 September 2026 for the 2026–27 season. A profile showing a 27-year-old defender still under contract is not the striker.
Stale pages add to the confusion. Sky Sports’ profile for the striker still lists him as a Wolverhampton Wanderers player wearing number 29, and the newest article on it is dated 7 October 2022.
What Diego Costa Won Before He Stopped
Costa won seven major trophies across Spain, England and Brazil, and scored 52 Premier League goals for Chelsea in 89 appearances.
| Season | Trophy | Club |
|---|---|---|
| 2013–14 | La Liga | Atlético Madrid |
| 2014–15 | Premier League | Chelsea |
| 2014–15 | League Cup | Chelsea |
| 2016–17 | Premier League | Chelsea |
| 2017–18 | UEFA Europa League | Atlético Madrid |
| 2021 | Campeonato Brasileiro Série A | Atlético Mineiro |
| 2021 | Copa do Brasil | Atlético Mineiro |
He scored 20 league goals in each of Chelsea’s two title seasons, 2014–15 and 2016–17, becoming the third player to record two 20-goal Premier League campaigns for the club after Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Didier Drogba.
Internationally he played two friendlies for Brazil in 2013 before switching allegiance, then won 24 caps and scored 10 goals for Spain between 2014 and 2018. He appeared at both the 2014 and 2018 World Cups and scored three times in Russia, including both Spanish goals in the 3–3 draw with Portugal in Sochi on 15 June 2018.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Did Diego Costa Retire?
He said the desire to play had left him, even though offers were still reaching him through his agent. He was 37 when he confirmed the decision in February 2026.
Is Diego Costa Still Playing Football?
Not at professional level. Since December 2024 his only reported football has been exhibition and charity matches, such as the Chelsea Legends fixture in October 2025.
What Was Diego Costa’s Last Club?
Grêmio of Brazil, where he played from February to December 2024 after arriving on a free transfer from Botafogo.
Did Diego Costa Play for Brazil or Spain?
Both, but competitively only for Spain. He made two friendly appearances for Brazil in 2013, then represented Spain 24 times, scoring 10 goals.
How Many Goals Did Diego Costa Score for Chelsea?
He scored 52 goals in 89 Premier League appearances across three seasons, from 2014 to 2017.
