Costa Rica Captain Joins Saudi Pro League to Face Stars Like Ronaldo and Benzema

As reported by La Nación in Costa Rica, national team captain Francisco Calvo has signed with Ettifaq FC of the Saudi Pro League, marking a new chapter in his international career. The experienced center-back joins the Saudi side after a season with Turkish club Hatayspor, which was relegated earlier this year.

Calvo arrives at a team that already includes high-profile names such as Dutch midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum, former PSG star; Portuguese forward João Costa, once of Roma; and French striker Moussa Dembélé, who previously played for Atlético Madrid and Lyon.

Ettifaq is a storied club in Saudi football history, having won the AFC Champions League in 1984 and gone undefeated in the domestic league that same year.

In the Saudi league, Calvo will face off against global icons like Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr) and Karim Benzema (Al-Ittihad), adding a layer of elite competition ahead of Costa Rica’s final round of World Cup qualifiers, which begins in a month.

Having already played in the MLS, Denmark’s Superliga, and Mexico’s Liga MX, Calvo now aims to reach his third consecutive World Cup, after representing Costa Rica in Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022.