SC Braga's 19-year-old winger Flinto Costa has been called up by Guinea-Bissau for the first time, adding an international step to a rise that started in Braga B and has moved quickly since his arrival in Minho in 2023 from Olivais e Moscavide.
Braga's use of the winger
Costa's path has been short but busy. He made his first-team debut in Braga's home match against Famalicão, then his Liga debut just three days later in the 3-0 win over Famalicão. His first appearance in European competition came against Aarhus in a 0-0 UEFA Conference League match.
Braga's current season also gives a sense of why a teenager can break through. They are 8th in the Primeira Liga with 17 points from 11 matches, and they have four points from three Conference League games. That is not a side with settled answers everywhere, so a young winger who can offer pace and direct running has a route into the squad.
Braga's long-term protection
The club have also acted like a side that knows what it has. Costa is under contract until 2031, and his release clause is €40 million. That is a strong sign of how Braga view a player who only recently moved from the B team into the first-team frame.
The call-up does not change the basics, but it does add another marker to the same trend. Costa is no longer only a prospect at club level, and Braga's next match is away to Guimaraes in the Taça de Portugal on 2026-11-21.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
