Centre-back who refused Benfica renewal set for Saudi Arabia | OneFootball

Carole Costa is no longer a Benfica women’s football player and is preparing to take a new step in her career by moving to Saudi Arabian football, in a transfer that marks the end of a long and highly successful cycle at the club from Luz.

According to the newspaper Record, the Portuguese international is set to leave European football, although her new club has not yet been officially disclosed. The 36-year-old centre-back already had international experience before joining Benfica, having played in Germany for clubs such as Essen, Duisburg and Cloppenburg.

In 2017, she returned to Portugal to represent Sporting, before signing for the Eagles in 2020. Since then, she has become one of the most important figures in Benfica’s women’s football project, taking on a leadership role on and off the pitch.

In the 2025/26 season, Carole Costa played 26 matches, scored 11 goals and provided one assist, ending her spell at Luz as one of the leading figures of the club’s most successful era. Part of the captains’ group, she was also one of the players involved in all six consecutive national league titles won by Benfica between 2020/21 and 2025/26.

In its farewell message, Benfica highlighted the player’s “strong competitive character and spirit of sporting ambition”, underlining the defender’s impact on the consolidation of the women’s football project. The club also said that “the professional link with Glorioso comes to an end, but a remarkable shared history remains”, closing the tribute with a simple message: “Thank you, Carole!”

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