As he embraces his new role as an Under Armour apparel ambassador, we check in with the Brazilian superstar and Sydney FC winger to talk all things football and living his best life in the Harbour City…
Douglas Costa was looking for a change. It was mid-2024 and the Brazilian had already spent more than half his time on earth playing top-flight football. The lightning-fast winger’s illustrious 16-year career spans clubs on four continents, including stints at Bayern Munich, Juventus, LA Galaxy and Gremio. He’s also had 31 caps for Brazil, most famously as part of the star-studded 2018 World Cup squad alongside fellow South American stars like Neymar and Thiago Silva.
Now into his 30s and a new husband and father, Costa took the somewhat surprising step of signing with A-League side Sydney FC and moving halfway across the world. He arrived in Sydney to massive fanfare in September as easily the A-League’s biggest signing since Italian Alessandro Del Piero in 2012. The Brazilian’s decision to play in Australia raised a few eyebrows – after all, most marquee players typically spend their twilight years earning more than the GDP of some small countries playing in the Middle East.
Fast forward four months and Costa is now comfortably settled in Sydney’s eastern suburbs with his wife Nathalia Felix and their daughter. “It’s pretty good so far, it’s an amazing place to be at the moment in my life and my career and my family really enjoy being here,” he tells MAXIM. “The security is amazing, and the weather is similar [to Brazil] so it’s not hard to adapt.”
We’re sitting in a conference room at Sydney FC’s shiny new training centre “Sky Park” on the grounds of Macquarie University to talk to Costa about his new role as an ambassador for Under Armour (UA). It’s an unseasonably rainy day and he is rugged up in a hoodie and wool beanie. The Under Armour deal makes Costa one of the brand’s main faces for the Australian market.
For Fernando Reani, managing director of Under Armour in Australia and New Zealand, the chance to partner with one of the biggest names in international football was a no-brainer. “Douglas’ influence has the potential to elevate the beautiful game in Australia, motivating kids and athletes across all ages to dream big, work hard and embrace the transformative power of sport,” he explains to MAXIM.
Douglas’ fast feet will also take part in the upcoming UA Shadow Elite 3.0 campaign, spotlighting Under Armour’s cutting-edge football boots. “I’m excited to join the Under Armour family,” says Costa. “I’m deeply passionate about giving back to fans and supporting emerging players, and Under Armour provides the perfect platform to make this impact.”
It’s unavoidable to point out the fact that Costa, who has six million Instagram followers, dwarfs any other player in the A-League in global recognition. On the way in, it was also not hard to clock Costa’s shiny new Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid among a sea of Toyotas. Nevertheless, the Brazilian is generous with his admiration for his teammates and disagreed with the suggestion that perhaps the quality of play is lower in the A-League.
“To challenge myself is what I was looking for,” he said of his decision to play in Australia. “I don’t like to compare [to European clubs] because it’s a different way to play, but it surprised me a lot, there’s a lot of nice young players.”
Ex-Premier League player Joe Lolley is probably the closest contemporary to Costa at the Sky Blues and the Brazilian heaps praise on his British teammate. “We have a lot of good players here, Joe Lolley is one of them that I like to see. I really enjoy playing in this championship, it’s a championship that’s going to continue to grow up year by year,” he explains.
The marquee signing says he is enjoying the relaxed pace of life in Australia after years under the microscope in Europe, where football eclipses almost all other sports and players’ lives are constant tabloid fodder. “In other countries when I was playing for the big clubs, I didn’t have this kind of life that you can just walk into a shopping mall – there’s always people annoying you,” he says frankly. “Here people just say, ‘hello, nice to see you’ and the treatment here is totally different than the other countries I’ve been. We can go to the beach and enjoy a normal life.”
Although Costa is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury, Sydney FC remains hopeful he’ll be back on the pitch within weeks. In the meantime, he is focused on training with the team and soaking up the Aussie sun [weather permitting]. “My days are always the same, I go to Tamarama [beach], I like to take my acai and just do casual things,” he explains. “After a long-time playing football this is what we, as a family, were looking for.”
Shop Under Armour at www.underarmour.com.au
Interview by REILLY SULLIVAN
For the full article grab the February 2025 issue of MAXIM Australia from newsagents and convenience locations. Subscribe here.
