Celso Borges

Celso Borges Mora (American Spanish: [ˈselso ˈβoɾxes]; born 27 May 1988) is a Costa Rican professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for the Turkish Süper Lig club Göztepe and the Costa Rica national team.

Celso Borges
Borges with AIK in 2015
Personal information
Full name Celso Borges Mora
Date of birth (1988-05-27) 27 May 1988
Place of birth San José, Costa Rica
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Playing position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Göztepe
Number 6
Youth career
Saprissa
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2006–2009 Saprissa 86 (7)
2009–2012 Fredrikstad FK 76 (29)
2012–2015 AIK 79 (22)
2015 → Deportivo La Coruña (loan) 17 (3)
2015–2018 Deportivo La Coruña 93 (15)
2018– Göztepe 38 (1)
National team‡
2005 Costa Rica U17 4 (1)
2007 Costa Rica U20 3 (0)
2008– Costa Rica 130 (23)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 16 January 2020
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 7 September 2019
This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Borges and the second or maternal family name is Mora.

Early years

His father is Alexandre Guimarães,[2]Brazilian-born, Costa Rican-raised ex-footballer and coach. He was born in Costa Rica's capital city San José and during his highschool years he attended Sistema Educativo Saint Clare Highschool, where he also took part in the school's team and was taught everything about soccer by Costa Rican football legend don Juan Varela. His studies were often interrupted by his football training and playing outside the country.

Club career

Saprissa

At the age of 18, Borges made his professional debut for Saprissa on 15 January 2006.[3] He won five national championships with Saprissa.

Fredrikstad FK

On 18 January 2009, Fredrikstad FK sporting director Tor-Kristian Karlsen confirmed that Borges had signed for them, joining on 1 July when Borges's contract with Saprissa expired. Fredrikstad later agreed to pay 1 million kroner (125,000 €) to Deportivo Saprissa so Borges could join the team immediately and play for Fredrikstad, when the season started on 14 April, against the former league champion Stabæk.[4] In March 2011, Borges stated he would leave Fredrikstad during or after the 2011 season.[5]

AIK

On 1 January 2012, it was confirmed that Borges, as a free agent, was to leave Fredrikstad FK signing a three-year contract with the Swedish football club AIK Stockholm.[6]

He received the vacant number 10 jersey, last worn by Martin Kayongo-Mutumba.

On 1 April 2012, Borges made his first match for AIK, in a match against Mjällby AIF. He got his first goal for the club in the next game, scoring the game-winning goal against Kalmar FF. During the first half of the season he was used as a striker by manager Andreas Alm. But after the summer vacation he dropped down and started playing as a central midfielder and subsequently was the team's first choice in central midfield. He finished the season ending up as the team's best goalscorer.

Deportivo La Coruña

On 14 January 2015, Borges joined Deportivo de La Coruña, signing with them until the end of the season, with an option of a two-year extension.[7] He scored twice in his first official appearance for Dépor, having started in a 1–2 away win against Rayo Vallecano on 30 January which also marked his La Liga debut.[8]

International career

Borges has earned a total of 130 caps for the Costa Rica national football team, scoring 23 goals.[9] He has represented his country in 35 FIFA World Cup qualification matches[10] and at the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals. He has also played at the 2011[11] and 2013 Copa Centroamericana[12] as well as at the 2009,[13] 2011[14] and 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cups.[15]

Borges played in the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship held in Peru, in which he scored a goal and was considered among the best players of the tournament. After the tournament he was picked as one of ten players to watch out for in the future.[10] Borges also participated in the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup held in Canada.[10]

He made his debut for the Costa Rican senior team in a June 2008 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Grenada[9] and, in September of the same year, scored his first international goal against Suriname.

After featuring prominently during the team's unsuccessful 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign, Borges helped Los Ticos reach the 2014 finals by finishing second in the CONCACAF qualifying zone.[9]

In June 2014, Borges was named in Costa Rica's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.[16] During the round of 16, Borges was the first of five Costa Rican players to successfully convert his kick in a 5–3 penalty shootout win over Greece.[17]

In May 2018 he was named in Costa Rica's 23 man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[18]

Personal life

Borges is usually considered one of the most educated players of the Costa Rica national football team. El País' Diego Torres described him as "the brain of Costa Rica" and "a gleaned midfielder with elegant diction", while La Nación's Antonio Alfaro called him "the exemplary Costa Rican player."[19][20] Aside from his native Spanish, Borges can also speak English, Portuguese and Swedish.[21]

Borges is a heavy metal fan, citing Slipknot, Metallica, Dream Theater and Killswitch Engage as his favorite bands.[22] Having learned to play drums as a pastime, he covered System of a Down's "Toxicity" alongside Peruvian musician Kurt Dyer.[23]

Career statistics

Club
As of 16 January 2020[24]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Saprissa 2005–06 Costa Rican Primera División 20——20
2006–07 352——352
2007–08 250—61311
2008–09 245—51296
Total 86700112979
Fredrikstad FK 2009 Tippeligaen 2272111259
2010 Adeccoligaen 291421—3115
2011 Tippeligaen 25857—3015
Total 762999118639
AIK 2012 Allsvenskan 298—121419
2013 24830—278
2014 266–30296
Total 7922301519723
Deportivo La Coruña 2015 La Liga 173—173
2015–16 24300—243
2016–17 34640—386
2017–18 18300—183
Total 931540009715
Göztepe 2018-19 Süper Lig 32131-352
2019-20 6040-100
Total 3817100452
Career total 37274231027442288

International
As of 17 November 2019[25]
Costa Rica
YearAppsGoals
200872
2009155
201030
2011101
201251
2013205
2014135
2015140
2016112
2017100
2018100
2019122
Total13023

International goals
Scores and results list Costa Rica's goal tally first (includes unofficials goals scored).[25]
NoDateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.6 September 2008Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá, San José, Costa Rica Suriname5–07–02010 FIFA World Cup qualification
2.11 October 2008André Kamperveen Stadion, Paramaribo, Suriname2–04–1
3.3 June 2009Estádio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá, San José, Costa Rica United States2–03–12010 FIFA World Cup qualification
4.6 June 2009Dwight Yorke Stadium, Bacolet, Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago2–13–2
5.3–2
6.7 July 2009Mapfre Stadium, Columbus, United States Jamaica1–01–02009 CONCACAF Gold Cup
7.19 July 2009AT&T Stadium, Arlington, United States Guadeloupe1–05–12009 CONCACAF Gold Cup
8.21 January 2011Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama Panama1–01–12011 Copa Centroamericana
9.16 October 2012Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica Guyana6–07–02014 FIFA World Cup qualification
10.20 January 2013 Nicaragua2–02–02013 Copa Centroamericana
11.19 June 2013 Panama2–02–02014 FIFA World Cup qualification
12.14 August 2013Estadio Quisqueya, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Dominican Republic1–04–0Friendly
13.2–0
14.6 September 2013Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica United States2–03–12014 FIFA World Cup qualification
15.6 June 2014PPL Park, Chester, United States Republic of Ireland1–11–1Friendly
16.3 September 2014Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Washington D.C., United States Nicaragua1–03–02014 Copa Centroamericana
17.7 September 2014Cotton Bowl, Dallas, United States Panama1–22–2
18.14 October 2014Seoul World Cup Stadium, Seoul, South Korea South Korea1–03–1Friendly
19.2–1
20.29 March 2016Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica Jamaica1–03–02018 FIFA World Cup qualification
21.11 June 2016NRG Stadium, Houston, United States Colombia3–13–2Copa América Centenario
22.16 June 2019Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica Nicaragua2–04–02019 CONCACAF Gold Cup
23.6 September 2019 Uruguay1–11–2Friendly

Honours

Deportivo Saprissa

References
  1. "2018 FIFA World Cup Russia – List of Players" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 4 June 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  2. "Celso Borges, new Tico idol". FIFA.com. 10 February 2009. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
  3. "Celso Borges". Saprissa. Archived from the original on 22 August 2008. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
  4. "Fredrikstad sign "young ballack"" (in Norwegian). VG.no. 18 January 2009. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
  5. "Borges to leave FFK" (in Norwegian). TV2.no. 14 March 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
  6. "Bekräftat: AIK värvar landslagsstjärna" (in Swedish). aftonbladet.se. 1 January 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  7. "Celso Borges nuevo jugador del Deportivo" [Celso Borges new player of Deportivo] (in Spanish). Deportivo's official website. 14 January 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  8. "Celso Borges da pura vida al Dépor en Vallecas (1-2)" [Celso Borges gives pure life to Depor in Vallecas (1-2)] (in Spanish). Deportivo's official website. 30 January 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  9. "Celso BORGES". FIFA. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  10. Celso Borges – FIFA competition record
  11. Copa Centroamericana 2011 (UNCAF Nations Cup) Archived 5 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine - RSSSF
  12. Copa Centroamericana 2013 (UNCAF Nations Cup) - RSSSF
  13. CONCACAF Championship, Gold Cup 2009 - Full Details Archived 26 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine - RSSSF
  14. CONCACAF Championship, Gold Cup 2011 - Full Details - RSSSF
  15. CONCACAF Championship, Gold Cup 2013 - Full Details - RSSSF
  16. "Costa Rica World Cup 2014 squad". The Telegraph. 2 June 2014. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  17. "Costa Rica 1-1 Greece". BBC. 29 June 2014. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  18. https://www.goal.com/en/amp/news/costa-rica-names-23-man-world-cup-squad-featuring-keylor/1bw2iz8pkma5614bzushqyyo7g
  19. Torres, Diego (28 June 2014). "La fuerza de la educación". El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 August 2017.
  20. Alfaro, Antonio (1 July 2016). "Celso Borges: 'Yo estaba decaído en espíritu y mis papás me hablaron'". La Nación (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 August 2017.
  21. Fonseca, Alejandro (15 June 2017). "Celso con acento español: 'No soy un juega de vivo'". Diario Extra (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 August 2017.
  22. Solano, Gabriela (27 January 2013). "Celso Borges: "Me atrae Scarlett Johansson"". Al Día (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 16 August 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
  23. "El talento oculto de Celso Borges". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 19 June 2017. Retrieved 15 August 2017.
  24. "C. Borges". Soccerway. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  25. "Celso Borges". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmerman. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
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