Carlo Costly


Carlo Yaír Costly Molina is a Honduran professional footballer who plays as a striker for Liga Nacional team Platense F.C.
He was a member of the Honduran national football team until after the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Prior to coming to Europe, he played with Platense where he was the top scorer of the Honduras Apertura in 2006–07.

Club career

Carlo Costly is the son of Anthony Costly. Despite being Honduran, he has close links to Mexico. His parents separated and his mother, soon after, married a Mexican. Costly moved to Mexico City when he was 14 years old and lived there for the following 11 years where he kicked off his football career. He had spells in the Mexican league with the reserve teams of Atlético Celaya, Monarcas Morelia, Atlas and Pumas UNAM.
He moved back to Honduras where the path to international success began. Despite leaving Mexico, Costly still keeps a house in the state of Nayarit. His big chance was given to him by Club Deportivo Platense and, with them, he became the top scorer of the Honduras Apertura 2006–07, scoring 10 goals in 19 games.
His early success earned him a chance with Polish club GKS Bełchatów, who loaned him for half a season. Having impressed, the club spent a record €500,000 on signing him.
After a while he became unsettled in Poland, and was linked in the press with a move to Football League Championship side Plymouth Argyle, and supposedly linked with League One side Leeds United, before being reported to be on trial with Premier League side Birmingham City. Costly remained at GKS Bełchatów for the time being.
In January 2009, Costly joined Birmingham City of the Football League Championship on loan until the end of the 2008–09 season. He made his debut for the club on 7 February 2009, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 1–1 draw with Burnley. The loan was not made permanent at the end of the season.
On 24 January 2010, Costly was bought by SC Vaslui, signing a 3.5 year contract. He was injured and treated in Italy where they told him he would recover before 2010 FIFA World Cup, but he was unable to rejoin the Honduran national football team due to FIFA rules. He then went on to sign for Atlas Club in Mexico, once he recovered from his injury.
Costly spent the latter part of the 2011 Major League Soccer season on loan with Houston Dynamo. In September 2012, Veria F.C. announced Carlos Costly's transfer.
Costly joined China League One side Guizhou Zhicheng on 24 July 2013. On 4 August, he scored 2 goals in his debut against Yanbian Baekdu Tigers.
Costly signed with Real España on 2 January 2014. After the 2014 World Cup, he stated he would not return to the national team. He joined Gaziantepspor at the beginning of the 2014/15 season which was his first club since retiring from international duty.
On the 15 of August he returned to Greece to play for Aris F.C.
In 2015 he joined Olimpia.
In 2019 he ended his stage at Olimpia, signing contract with Marathón.

Club statistics

International career

Since scoring on his debut against Trinidad and Tobago in 2007, Costly has been a standout performer for the Honduras national football team helping the Catrachos reach the semi-finals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2009 and 2011. He is the Honduran national team's second-top goalscorer of all-time in Gold Cup matches, scoring eight goals, including a hat-trick against Grenada in the 2011 tournament.
He was an important member of the Honduran team that qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup but was unable to play at the tournament finals due to injury.
Costly scored seven goals in 13 appearances in 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification, including a hat-trick against Canada. In June 2014, he was named in the Honduran squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Costly made his FIFA World Cup debut in a 3–0 defeat against France on 15 June. In the next match, he scored his country's first World Cup goal in 32 years as the team lost 2–1 to Ecuador. Costly started the final Honduras game of the 2014 FIFA World Cup but limped off injured in the 39th minute. Immediately after the match, Costly announced his retirement from the national team stating that "we have to give opportunities to the young players."

International goals

NoDateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.2 June 2007Estadio Francisco Morazán, San Pedro Sula, Honduras3–13–1Friendly
2.8 June 2007Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, United States2–32–32007 CONCACAF Gold Cup
3.10 June 2007Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, United States1–12–12007 CONCACAF Gold Cup
4.10 June 2007Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, United States2–12–12007 CONCACAF Gold Cup
5.6 February 2008Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano, San Pedro Sula, Honduras2–02–0Friendly
6.11 October 2008Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano, San Pedro Sula, Honduras2–13–12010 FIFA World Cup qualification
7.1 April 2009Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano, San Pedro Sula, Honduras1–03–12010 FIFA World Cup qualification
8.1 April 2009Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano, San Pedro Sula, Honduras3–03–12010 FIFA World Cup qualification
9.6 June 2009Soldier Field, Chicago, United States1–01–22010 FIFA World Cup qualification
10.4 July 2009Qwest Field, Seattle, United States1–01–02009 CONCACAF Gold Cup
11.11 July 2009Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, United States4–04–02009 CONCACAF Gold Cup
12.12 August 2009Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano, San Pedro Sula, Honduras1–04–02010 FIFA World Cup qualification
13.12 August 2009Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano, San Pedro Sula, Honduras4–04–02010 FIFA World Cup qualification
14.14 November 2009Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino, Tegucigalpa, Honduras1–02–1Friendly
15.29 May 2011Robertson Stadium, Houston, United States1–02–2Friendly
16.10 June 2011FIU Stadium, Miami, United States2–17–12011 CONCACAF Gold Cup
17.10 June 2011FIU Stadium, Miami, United States4–17–12011 CONCACAF Gold Cup
18.10 June 2011FIU Stadium, Miami, United States5–17–12011 CONCACAF Gold Cup
19.10 August 2011Lockhart Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, United States1–02–0Friendly
20.10 August 2011Lockhart Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, United States2–02–0Friendly
21.2 June 2012Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Washington, D.C., United States3–03–0Friendly
22.16 October 2012Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano, San Pedro Sula, Honduras3–08–12014 FIFA World Cup qualification
23.16 October 2012Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano, San Pedro Sula, Honduras5–08–12014 FIFA World Cup qualification
24.16 October 2012Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano, San Pedro Sula, Honduras8–18–12014 FIFA World Cup qualification
25.22 March 2013Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano, San Pedro Sula, Honduras1–22–22014 FIFA World Cup qualification
26.6 September 2013Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico2–12–12014 FIFA World Cup qualification
27.10 September 2013Estadio Francisco Morazán, San Pedro Sula, Honduras2–12–22014 FIFA World Cup qualification
28.15 October 2013Independence Park, Kingston, Jamaica1–02–22014 FIFA World Cup qualification
29.19 November 2013BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, United States1–12–2Friendly
30.19 November 2013BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, United States2–12–2Friendly
31.1 June 2014BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, United States2–42–4Friendly
32.20 June 2014Arena da Baixada, Curitiba, Brazil1–01–22014 FIFA World Cup

Honours and awards

Club

Houston Dynamo
C.D. Olimpia
C.D. Marathón