Chelsea have seen many strikers pass through Stamford Bridge in this century. Few left a mark quite like Diego Costa, who has now officially announced his retirement at the age of 37.

The former Blues forward confirmed the decision in an interview with the podcast El camino de Mario, hosted by his former teammate Mario Suárez. “It has been a while since I retired. My agent was looking for something here and there, but my desire to keep playing ended,” he said.

Brazilian outlet Globo Esporte reported that story and recalled Costa had not played a competitive match since December 2024, when he featured for Grêmio in Brazil. However, for Chelsea supporters, his story is firmly tied to the club’s most dominant recent era.

Premier League winner with bite

Chelsea signed Costa from Atlético Madrid in 2014. In his first season, he scored 20 Premier League goals and helped the club win the title under José Mourinho. He followed that with another league triumph in 2016-17, this time under Antonio Conte, again finishing as a key attacking figure.

Costa’s style divided opinion across England. He was confrontational, physical and relentless. Yet he was decisive. He scored crucial goals in...