Mauricio Villalobos
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mauricio de Jesús Villalobos Vega | ||
| Date of birth | 20 August 1999 | ||
| Place of birth | San José, Costa Rica | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team |
Deportivo Saprissa on loan from Santa Ana | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2018 | Deportivo Saprissa | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2018–2022 | UCF Knights | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2023 | SK Bischofshofen | 1 | (0) |
| 2024 | Uruguay de Coronado | ||
| 2024– | Santa Ana | 42 | (3) |
| 2025– | → Deportivo Saprissa (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 1 June 2025 | |||
Mauricio de Jesús Villalobos Vega (born 20 August 1999) is a Costa Rican footballer who plays as a midfielder for Deportivo Saprissa on loan from Santa Ana, and the Costa Rica national football team.[1][2]
Early life
[edit]He is the twin brother of the Costa Rica women's national football team player Gloriana Villalobos, they have an older brother Diego, and are the children of Carlos Villalobos and Flor Vega. They grew up in the El Socorro neighborhood of San Miguel de Santo Domingo, Heredia, Costa Rica.[3]
Club career
[edit]He joined the youth pathway at Deportivo Saprissa when he was nine years-old in 2009, and left in 2018 without making his debut although he did appear as an unused substitute for the first-team. He played for UFC Knights in college soccer in the United States, becoming team captain. He later played in Austria with SK Bischofshofen.[4]
He then played for Uruguay de Coronado in Costa Rica and made his Liga FPD debut with Santa Ana in July 2024, where he featured in 42 out of 44 matches prior to rejoining Saprissa in June 2025 on a one-year loan.[5][6][7][8]
International career
[edit]He played for the Costa Rica national football team in a friendly against Catalonia on 28 May 2025.[9][10]
Personal life
[edit]He studied for four years at the University of Central Florida where he graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Sports Management and a Master's degree in Advanced Education, with a focus on the administrative needs of an educational establishment. Whilst in Florida he had a close friendship with compatriot and teammate Gino Vivi.[4][5][11]
References
[edit]- ^ "Mauricio Villalobos". Soccerway. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
- ^ "Mauricio Villalobos". WorldFootball.net. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
- ^ "Gloriana Villalobos: guía y talento de la ilusión de la Sub-17". La Nación. 15 March 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
- ^ a b Alvarado, Sergio (7 November 2023). "Gloriana Villalobos' twin brother will seek his chance in Costa Rican soccer in the 2024 Clausura". Retrieved 8 June 2025.
- ^ a b Jiminez, Daniel (5 June 2025). "Mauricio Villalobos: "You know what it means to wear this shirt". Teletica.com. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
- ^ Montenegro, Milton (5 June 2025). "'This is not negotiable': Mauricio Villalobos' promise to Saprissa fans". Nacion.com. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
- ^ Gomez Izaguirre, Yerlin (5 June 2025). "Saprissa fans are demanding this from the club following the arrival of Mauricio Villalobos". Lateja.cr. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
- ^ Rojas Ortega, Johan (21 July 2024). "Why did Gloriana Villalobos look so happy at the Cartaginés stadium?". Lateja.cr. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
- ^ "Costa Rica Coach Optimistic Ahead of Match Against Catalonia". Footboom. 24 May 2025. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
- ^ Martinez Cuesta, Jhonathon Andres (28 May 2025). "Highlights and Goals of Catalunya 2-0 Costa Rica in friendly match 2025". Vavel.
- ^ "Saprissa wants to strengthen its position with a master's degree". Diarioextra. 12 April 2025. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
- 1999 births
- Living people
- 21st-century Costa Rican sportsmen
- Men's association football midfielders
- Costa Rican men's footballers
- UCF Knights men's soccer players
- Deportivo Saprissa players
- Costa Rican expatriate men's footballers
- Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States
- Costa Rican expatriate sportspeople in the United States
- Footballers from San José, Costa Rica
- Costa Rica men's international footballers