Óscar Duarte

• Full name: Óscar Esaú Duarte Gaitán
• Date of birth: March 3, 1989
• Place of birth: San Juan de Colón, Táchira, Venezuela
• Nationality: Costa Rican (born in Venezuela; represents Costa Rica internationally)
• Position: Centre-back (defender)

Club career (highlights)

• Early career with Deportivo Saprissa (Costa Rica) youth setup.
• Professional clubs include Deportivo Saprissa (debut in Costa Rica), Puntarenas and Club Sport Herediano in Costa Rica early on.
• Moved to Europe: played for C.D. Nacional (Portugal) and later S.C. Braga (Portugal).
• Played in Spain for RCD Espanyol (La Liga).
• Also had spells with Levante UD (Spain) and later teams in Turkey (as his career progressed).

International career with Costa Rica

• Made his senior debut for the Costa Rica national team in 2011 after becoming a Costa Rican citizen.
• Was a regular starter for Costa Rica and part of major tournaments:
• - 2014 FIFA World Cup: Key member of the squad that reached the quarterfinals; started in the tournament and scored the equalizing goal in the Round of 16 match against Greece (penalty shootout win).
• - Participated in CONCACAF Gold Cups and Copa Centroamericana tournaments, contributing as a central defender.
• Known for aerial ability, positional sense and tackling.

Notable facts

• Although born in Venezuela, Duarte moved to Costa Rica as a youngster and later naturalized to represent Costa Rica at senior international level.
• His headed goal and defensive leadership were important in Costa Rica's historic 2014 World Cup run.

This summary covers Óscar Duarte’s background, club highlights and role with the Costa Rica national team. For current club status or recent statistics, consult a live sports database as transfers and appearances may have changed since this summary.