Villarreal had barely started their summer when it went wrong. On July 19, 2025, in the club's first preseason friendly against FC Basel, Logan Costa went down, and scans later confirmed a complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. The timing was cruel. Villarreal were heading into a Champions League campaign and had built their back line around him.
That one afternoon reshaped everything about Costa's story: his season, his market value, even how much attention he gets. So the real question in 2026 is simple. Is the defender Villarreal paid for still in there?
Costa by the numbers
| Full name | Logan Evans Costa |
|---|---|
| Born | April 1, 2001 (age 25) |
| Birthplace | Saint Denis, France |
| Nationality | French and Cape Verdean |
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) |
| Position | Centre back, right footed |
| Club and shirt | Villarreal CF, number 2 |
| Previous clubs | Stade de Reims, Le Mans (loan), Toulouse FC |
| International team | Cape Verde (senior debut 2022) |
| Fee to Villarreal | Reported at close to 20 million euros (August 2024) |
| Contract runs to | June 2030 |
| Market value | Estimated around 17.5 million euros |
| FC26 rating | 77 overall |
| Net worth | Icon Polls estimate: $3 million to $6 million |
From the Paris suburbs to the Reims academy
Costa was born in Saint Denis, just north of Paris, the commune that is also home to the Stade de France. His family has Cape Verdean roots, and the greater Paris area he grew up in has long been one of the richest sources of football talent in Europe.
His early football came at ASC Val d'Argenteuil and RFC Argenteuil before Stade de Reims brought him into their academy in 2016. He worked his way up through the youth setup and into the first team picture, then went on loan to Le Mans for 2020 to 2021. Useful minutes, not a breakthrough.
He played for France at under 16 and under 17 level. In 2022, he chose Cape Verde for his senior international career, a decision that says plenty about how he sees his heritage.
Toulouse is where it clicked
The permanent move to Toulouse in 2021 changed his trajectory. He was part of the squad that won Ligue 2 in 2021 to 2022, and the following season Toulouse lifted the Coupe de France. By 2023 to 2024 he was widely regarded as one of the best young centre backs in France, and clubs across Europe had noticed.
It's easy to see why. At 1.90 m, he wins headers, he's aggressive in duels and he reads where attacks are going. Those are the traits scouts pay for in a defender.
A big fee and a first season that justified it
Villarreal signed him in August 2024 for a fee reported at close to 20 million euros, one of the club's more expensive recent signings. He repaid them quickly: 34 appearances in all competitions, two goals, and a regular starting place by the end of his first campaign.
That season matters now more than ever. It is the evidence that he can handle La Liga, and it's what Villarreal are hoping to see again.
The knee, and the long way back
Surgery followed on August 5, 2025, at the Olympia Medical Surgical Center in Madrid, carried out by doctors Manuel Leyes and Antonio Maestro with Villarreal's medical staff involved. The initial estimate was around seven months out.
He was back in group training by February 2026, roughly on schedule. The return to matches was modest: a handful of late substitute appearances in La Liga, adding up to around 28 minutes across the season.
Read that two ways. The pessimist sees a lost year. The more sensible reading is that the club eased him back rather than rushing him, and the knee held. For a 25 year old centre back, a patient comeback beats a heroic one that ends in a second tear. The 2026 to 2027 season is the real test, and it is the first chance in over a year to judge him on a proper run of games.
What the injury did to his price
Before the injury, his value was climbing, with a reasonable case that it could have passed 25 million euros. It has since settled at an estimated 17.5 million euros, and Icon Polls places his current worth in the 15 million to 20 million euro range.
Here's the thing, though: Villarreal don't need to sell. His contract runs to June 2030, which gives the club years to let him rebuild form and value. A drop in a valuation website figure costs them nothing unless they cash in, and there is no sign they want to.
Wages and wealth: estimates, clearly labelled
Villarreal have not published Costa's salary. Based on his fee and typical pay for defenders at clubs of Villarreal's standing, Icon Polls estimates he earns somewhere between 1.5 million and 2.5 million euros a year before bonuses. At Toulouse, his pay was likely far lower, probably in the 300,000 to 500,000 euro range, though that is also an estimate.
Icon Polls estimates his net worth at $3 million to $6 million in 2026, accounting for his club wages, the move to Spain, international match fees and any endorsement income. That range is wide on purpose. No official figure exists, and anyone quoting a precise number is guessing.
The FC26 card undersells him
In EA Sports FC 26, Costa has a 77 rated base card at centre back for Villarreal, listed at 190 cm with a 3 star weak foot and 2 star skill moves. He has no real face scan, which fans have pointed out. When this profile was first published his card was trading for around 350 coins, making him starter squad or SBC material rather than someone competitive players build around.
Fair enough for a player who barely featured last season. A strong comeback year should push that rating up in future updates.
A deliberately private life
Costa doesn't talk publicly about his parents, who stay out of the spotlight, and there is no confirmed public information about a wife or girlfriend. He keeps that side of his life off social media and out of interviews. After a year spent rehabbing a knee, the football is clearly the priority.
Where would you rank the great defenders of the game against the attackers? Have your say in our vote for the best football players of all time.
Three things people ask
How old is Logan Costa?
He was born on April 1, 2001, so he is 25 in 2026, right at the age when centre backs usually start entering their best years.
Why does he play for Cape Verde and not France?
He represented France at youth level but switched to Cape Verde, the country of his family's roots, for his senior career in 2022.
What trophies has he won?
With Toulouse he won the Ligue 2 title in 2021 to 2022 and the Coupe de France in 2022 to 2023.
