Penalty-saving king Diogo Costa: 'It's instinct, having the nose for it, feeling what a player is going to do'

Porto, Portugal – When the clock struck 100 minutes and Sporting CP were awarded a penalty that could tilt the Primeira Liga title race, Estádio do Dragão turned its collective gaze toward one man: Diogo Costa. No water bottle covered in scribbled notes, no last-minute flick through mental video reels. Just the 26-year-old goalkeeper, eyes locked on Luis Suárez, sniffing for intention. Costa guessed correctly, diving low to his left, but the rebound fell kindly for Suárez to tap in and salvage a 1-1 draw. The ricochet was cruel, yet the moment encapsulated why Costa has become Europe’s most feared penalty stopper.

The near-miss was the 14th penalty Costa has kept out of 50 faced in normal time, a 28% success rate that borders on the absurd. Last year he became the first Champions League keeper to save three spot-kicks in succession—four if you count the original and retake against Club Brugge. Months later he replicated the feat for Portugal, denying three Slovenian penalties in the same European Championship shoot-out. In June his stoppage-time save from Álvaro Morata clinched the Nations League title over Spain.

Despite the highlight reel, Costa insists his edge is not forged on the training ground. “I used to train for them when I was 18, 19, 20, but today I don’t like to work on them,” he told The Athletic. “It’s about instinct, about reading how your opponent approaches the ball… feeling what a player is going to do.” Video analysis, he argues, can blind as often as it informs: players know they’re being studied and adapt. “I prefer to have nothing… I like to feel the game, to feel what my opponent is saying with his body language. A lot of the time I choose a side based on his eyes.”

That old-school approach belies the modern numbers behind Porto’s season. Opta credits Costa with preventing 5.4 goals from the quality of chances faced, second-best in the league even though he has seen only 43 shots. Porto have conceded seven goals in 23 league matches—the stingiest record among Europe’s top 20 divisions—and carry a four-point lead at the summit.

Costa’s résumé already bulges: 230 club appearances, 42 caps, two league titles, three Taças de Portugal, three Portuguese Super Cups and three Primeira Liga Goalkeeper of the Year awards. A fourth gong feels inevitable. Signed to a new deal in December that runs until 2030, he became Porto’s top earner even as his release clause dipped from €75 million to €60 million—an inviting figure for Premier League suitors. “If I had to stay here for the rest of my career, I would be extremely happy every day,” he said, while acknowledging English football’s allure. “If you asked every player in the world if they would like to play in the Premier League, I don’t think a single one would say no.”

Porto’s current project is overseen by head coach Francesco Farioli, himself a former goalkeeping coach. Farioli’s build-up philosophy demands a keeper comfortable as an 11th outfielder, a requirement Costa relishes. “Against certain teams the goalkeeper is the free man and receives the ball a lot… you have to read the game, interpret it.” Distribution drills date back to his academy days under mentor Wil Coort, yet Costa stresses shot-stopping remains paramount. “Above all, we are goalkeepers. Our biggest concern should always be the goal.”

Leadership now comes naturally too. The armband sits on Costa’s arm, and veteran defender Thiago Silva, 41, has become another sounding board. “It’s up to me to take the best of what he can teach me about leadership,” Costa said. Farioli has married Silva’s polish with Porto’s working-class ethos—pressing opponents before slicing through midfield lines. “We’re running three, four, five, six kilometres more than our opponents… talent alone is not enough to bring success. You have to want it more than everyone else.”

Costa’s next quest is the World Cup in June, likely Cristiano Ronaldo’s last and perhaps the final chance for Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes to propel Portugal beyond the quarter-finals. Motivation will be laced with emotion: the squad still mourns the loss of Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva, who died in a car crash last summer. “We really want to honour him by winning this trophy,” Costa said. “He will be with us in the dressing room. I hope he will be guiding us from up above.”

Whether saving penalties or carrying the hopes of a nation, Diogo Costa continues to trust the instincts honed since boyhood. No cape, no cheat sheet—just a goalkeeper who believes the ball will tell its story if you watch closely enough.