*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 06:15, 20 August 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17:00, 23 March 2023 (UTC)
Costa represented Portugal from under-16 all the way through to the senior side, for whom he scored on his only appearance in 2018. In 2021, he scored on his debut for Angola.
His first professional goal came on 23 August 2013, in a 3–0 home win over Portimonense, one of eight that season including on 23 November in a 4–3 triumph against Oliveirense in which he was also sent off.[4]
On 10 July 2015, Costa joined Ligue 1 club Monaco on a one-year loan. He was signed alongside Benfica teammates Cavaleiro and Silva.[9] He scored his first goal in a Ligue 1 match on 8 November, opening a 3–1 loss away to Bordeaux.[10] He also provided the assist for Kylian Mbappé's first-ever league goal for Monaco in a 3–1 victory against Troyes on 26 February 2016.[11]
Costa played 28 times and scored 5 goals in all competitions for Monaco during the 2015–16 season, facing competition out wide from the likes of Silva, Thomas Lemar and Mbappé.
On 30 January 2017, Wolves purchased Costa outright for a £13 million transfer fee, at the time the highest-ever transfer fee paid by the club. Following payment, he signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with the club.[17] After scoring 12 goals and eight assists in all competitions in his first season, at the annual end of season awards, he won the 2016–17 Wolves Player of the Season Award,[18] also receiving the Players' Player of the Year Award and winning Goal of the Season for a goal he scored against Cardiff City.[19]
On 22 November 2017, Costa scored his first goal of the 2017–18 season in a 4–1 win against Leeds United.[20] He received a winner's medal during the 2017–18 EFL Championship, contributing five goals and six assists in the league over the course of the season.[21]
Costa made his first Premier League appearance on 11 August 2018 in Wolves' opening match of the league season in a 2–2 draw against Everton.[22] On 29 December, in a 3–1 win against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley Stadium, he scored his first Premier League goal.[23] In total during the 2018–19 season, Costa made 30 appearances for Wolves in all competitions as he helped the side to a seventh-place finish, sufficient for qualification to the 2019–20 UEFA Europa League.[22]
Leeds United
On 3 July 2019, Costa joined Championship club Leeds United on loan for the 2019–20 season.[24] As part of the deal, Costa was to join Leeds outright in July 2020 on a four-year contract for an approximate £15 million transfer fee.[25][26] He was given the number 17 shirt, making him the first player since 2014 to wear it, after the shirt was brought out of retirement.[26][27] He made his debut on 4 August in Leeds' Championship opening day 3–1 victory against Bristol City,[28] and his first start nine days later in the EFL Cup against Salford City, contributing two assists.[29]
Costa scored his first goal for the club on 27 August in an EFL Cup match against Stoke City, the equaliser that sent the tie to a penalty shootout after a 2–2 draw in normal time, with him also scoring his penalty in the 4–5 defeat.
[30] On 30 November, in a 4–0 victory against Middlesbrough, he scored his first league goal.[31]
On 7 July 2020, Costa joined Leeds outright on a four-year contract.[32] Days later, Leeds earned promotion to the Premier League as EFL champions.[33] Costa made his Premier League debut for Leeds in the first match of the season against reigning champions Liverpool on 12 September 2020, assisting Mateusz Klich's goal in a 4–3 defeat away from home[34][35] and scored a brace a week later in Leeds's first home league win of the season, a 4–3 victory over Fulham.[36]
In October 2023, Costa left Leeds by mutual consent.[37]
In August 2022, Costa signed a loan deal with Al-Ittihad for the duration of the 2022–23 season. Costa reunited with former Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Nuno Espírito Santo. Costa scored his first goal for Al-Ittihad against Al Taawoun on 26 December 2022.
Estoril
On July 30, 2024, Helder Costa successfully completed his medical at Estoril.[39] On August 1, the deal was made official, with Costa on a one year contract.[40]
International career
Portugal
Born in Angola, Costa started his international career in representing Portugal. He played for Portugal at the 2013 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship,[41] and although he did not score in the team's run to the semi-finals, he was named in the Team of the Tournament.[42]