Logan Costa Back With the Ball at His Feet — and a World Cup Dream in Sight
Villarreal defender Logan Costa is touching the ball again seven months after his ACL injury, with Cape Verde's World Cup debut keeping him motivated.
Seven months on from one of the cruellest moments in a footballer’s calendar, Logan Costa is finally back doing what he loves — and he’s got a very special carrot dangling in front of him.
From the Physio Table to the Rondo Circle
Costa ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament during a pre-season friendly against Basel back on 19 July — the sort of injury that makes your stomach drop just reading about it. But the Cape Verde-born centre-back has now taken a genuinely significant step forward in his recovery, joining in with the first rondos alongside his Villarreal teammates.
It might sound modest, but anyone who knows their football understands what that moment means. You’re back in the group. You’re a footballer again, not just a bloke in a bib doing laps.
The World Cup Motivation
What’s giving Costa that extra bit of fire? Cape Verde’s first-ever World Cup, that’s what. The Yellow Submarine defender is desperate to be fit and firing in time to represent his nation at the tournament — and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
- Cape Verde qualified for the World Cup in stunning fashion, one of the great surprises of the entire qualifying campaign
- Their debut match? Only against Spain, on 15 June at the stadium in Atlanta
- For any player, a World Cup is circled in red. For a Cape Verde international, this one is practically tattooed on the brain
The plan at Villarreal is to take things steady — no rushing, no setbacks. The priority is getting Costa fully recovered and then, ideally, giving him some minutes before the season’s out so he arrives at the World Cup with some match sharpness in his legs.
Villarreal’s Defensive Nightmare Season
Costa’s injury is, unfortunately, just one chapter in what’s been a proper horror story at the back for Villarreal this term. Have a butcher’s at this lot:
- Willy Kambwala — also hasn’t played a single minute this season, injured since August
- Juan Foyth — suffered a serious Achilles tendon injury in December and won’t feature again this campaign
Three senior centre-backs, three long-term injuries. The coaching staff have had to be seriously creative with their defensive options, and it’s fair to say the squad’s depth has been tested to its absolute limit.
What Comes Next
For Costa specifically, the road back is still a long one — nobody’s pretending he’ll be back on the pitch next week. But the sight of him in a rondo, touching the ball, competing with teammates again? That’s the kind of progress that genuinely matters.
With Spain waiting on 15 June in Atlanta, he’s got all the motivation in the world. You’d back him to do everything in his power to be there.