Keylor Navas
Who was Keylor Navas?
Costa Rican goalkeeper who won three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles with Real Madrid (2016-2018) and served as the national team captain.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Keylor Navas (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Keylor Navas, born December 15, 1986, in Cartago, Costa Rica, is one of the top goalkeepers in modern football, known for his success both internationally and with club teams. He started in Costa Rican football and made his way to the top levels in Europe, becoming the best goalkeeper to come from the CONCACAF region.
Navas began his professional career with Saprissa, winning six Liga FPD titles there. His achievements in Costa Rica led to a move to Europe, joining Albacete in Spain in 2010. A year later, he moved to Levante in La Liga, where he was named the LFP's Best Goalkeeper in his final season. This caught the eye of Real Madrid, who signed him for €10 million in 2014.
While at Real Madrid, Navas rose to the peak of his club career as the main goalkeeper during one of the club's most successful periods. He was key in their three straight UEFA Champions League wins from 2016 to 2018. In total, he won twelve titles with Real Madrid, including a La Liga championship. His standout performances earned him the UEFA Best Goalkeeper award for the 2017-18 season and a spot in the UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season.
In 2019, Navas joined Paris Saint-Germain, continuing to play at top levels. In his first season with the French club, he reached his fourth Champions League final, showing he could still perform in big matches. Currently, he plays for Liga MX club UNAM and is the captain of the Costa Rica national team. His international career includes over 120 appearances since his debut in 2008, with participation in three FIFA World Cups (2014, 2018, 2022) and several CONCACAF Gold Cups. He was crucial in Costa Rica's historic quarter-final run in the 2014 World Cup.
Before Fame
Growing up in Cartago, Costa Rica, Navas honed his goalkeeping skills in the youth program at Saprissa, one of the top football clubs in the country. He developed his skills during a time when Costa Rican football was gaining more attention internationally, with the national team starting to become a stronger presence in CONCACAF competitions.
When Navas started his career, moving from Costa Rican domestic football to European leagues wasn't a well-trodden path, making his eventual move to Spanish football especially noteworthy. His success at Saprissa, where he won several domestic titles, laid the groundwork for his later move to Europe and showed that Central American players could compete at the highest levels of world football.
Key Achievements
- Won three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles with Real Madrid (2016-2018)
- Reached the quarter-finals of the 2014 FIFA World Cup with Costa Rica, their best-ever World Cup performance
- Named 2017-18 UEFA Club Football Award winner for best UEFA goalkeeper
- Won twelve titles during his tenure at Real Madrid including one La Liga championship
- Earned over 120 caps for the Costa Rica national team as captain
Did You Know?
- 01.He was named the best male CONCACAF Player of the Decade by the IFFHS
- 02.Navas won the CONCACAF Men's Goalkeeper of the Year award for three consecutive years from 2016 to 2018
- 03.He was named best goalkeeper at the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup when Costa Rica reached the semi-finals
- 04.His transfer fee of €10 million to Real Madrid in 2014 was considered relatively modest for a goalkeeper joining such a prestigious club
- 05.He became the first Costa Rican goalkeeper to win the UEFA Champions League and did so three times consecutively