Official! Centre-back leaves Benfica for free, joins Galatasaray | OneFootball

It is official: Carole Costa has signed for Galatasaray. The Portugal international was unveiled by the Turkish club this Monday, bringing to an end a six-season spell at Benfica, a club she represented in 188 matches, scored 35 goals for, and won 11 titles with, despite having a renewal offer on the table.

At 36, the experienced defender begins a new chapter in her career and will share the dressing room with fellow Portuguese players Jéssica Silva, who left Al Hilal, and Patrícia Morais, who arrived from Braga. At Galatasaray, she will also reunite with Cristina Martín-Prieto, her former teammate at Luz.

In her first comments, Carole Costa did not hide her excitement about the new challenge: "I’m very happy to be at Galatasaray, a huge club. I’ve come here to help the team and win many titles. I will always give my best to live up to expectations, and I hope our fans support us in large numbers, because I believe we will give them plenty of joy," she said.

The Portugal international leaves Luz after a season in which she once again played a leading role. In 2025/26, she featured in 26 matches, scored 11 goals and provided one assist, confirming the importance she has maintained over the past few years.

Carole Costa was one of the standout figures in the most successful period in the history of Benfica women’s football, achieved between the 2020/21 and 2025/26 seasons. Her departure marks the end of a hugely successful era.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.