The Portuguese lawyer who went to live in the Caribbean and ended up playing for the national team

This story begins in October 2022.

It was at that time that Hugo Costa Liziário arrived in the British Virgin Islands to live an adventure: another adventure, in fact. A job opportunity came up and he packed his bags.

«After being in England for eleven years, I wanted a change above all in my lifestyle. London is a unique city, I had incredible professional and personal experiences there, but after eleven years of gray weather, in which food is not our food, I also wanted to make this change in the most personal aspect of my life», he says.

«In the Virgin Islands there is a very developed legal system, based on English law, in terms of salary here the taxation is very low, it is only 8 percent, while in the United Kingdom they paid between 30 and 40 percent in total. So there was the financial stimulus, the stimulus of good weather and the stimulus of a new experience living in this Caribbean country, which is not at all unpleasant. All together, I decided to stick to this project.”

It hasn’t even been two years and he feels that the decision couldn’t have been better.

«It’s getting better and better. Not only on the professional side, but also on the personal side. I’m very happy here.”

The British Virgin Islands, with its 30 thousand inhabitants, fantastic beaches, clear Caribbean sea and many tourists, have not disappointed him, therefore. Especially because last weekend they gave him the experience of a lifetime: playing to qualify for a World Cup. In fact, scoring a goal in an official World Cup qualifying game.

But here we go.

Before that, it must be said that when at the age of 15 he decided to stop playing, Hugo Costa Liziário was far from imagining that almost two decades later this could happen. At that time he chose to give more time to his parents, and spend fewer hours between training and games.

Life, however, takes a lot of turns.

«I was born in Lisbon and my football school was in Estoril. I joined the club when I was ten and played until I was 15 at a competitive level. Then, together with my parents, I decided to stop, to have time for other things we wanted to do as a family. I still played at Torre and trained in Cascais, but I only played at a good level again in the United States», he says.

«At 17 I went alone to the United States. There are at least two companies in Portugal that provide this program, in which we go to a host family and do everything on our own, and I decided to have this experience of going alone. Also largely because of the English: I wanted to have great dominance in the English league.”

In the United States, a country that makes a huge investment in school sports through the high school and university system, it once again felt like it was playing at a good level.

«I went to Ohio State and played not only at the high school level, but also at the university level, what they call College. I participated in several tournaments throughout Ohio. However, as I always wanted to be a lawyer and American law is very different from European law, I decided to change countries again after finishing high school and go to London», he adds.

«In England, football hasn’t stopped, but the studies to enter the Order are very intense, many hours studying, I also worked part-time to be able to finance myself – I was a waiter in some restaurants on the weekends -, so I didn’t I was available to play at a competitive level. So I played in those Sunday Leagues, to keep the passion alive. The Sunday League is a lot of fun: you play it in the morning on the field and then in the pub. There are two games and I don’t know which one is more difficult in terms of endurance. Those were good times, without a doubt.”

These eleven years in London allowed him to complete his degree, join the Bar and begin practicing law, but they also allowed him to achieve something that is fundamental to this story: English citizenship.

«There are two fundamental requirements to be eligible to represent the British Virgin Islands team: the first is to have an English passport, the second is to have six months of residence on the island. Having that, and after the coach saw me in action, everything became easier and the opportunity arose», he highlights.

«Everything happened in a short space of time and I honestly wasn’t expecting it to happen so soon. I haven’t even been here for two years. But, on the other hand, I play regularly, I have played a lot of games for my team and I am the best scorer in the League.”

Playing football, moreover, was a concern for Hugo Costa Liziário as soon as he arrived in the country: on the one hand because he likes it, on the other because it is important to feel good physically.

Interestingly, finding a club wasn’t difficult. The biggest difficulty was actually being able to sign up. When he thought there would be no problems, he discovered that he was still connected to Estoril-Praia. At that point, he needed to obtain a document that proved the separation.

«This bureaucratic process still took a few months. So he could train, but he couldn’t play, which was a bit frustrating. »

Time, as always, resolved all problems and brought the best news. The British Virgin Islands selection call.

It happened last week, for a qualifying round for the 2026 World Cup, against neighbors and rivals the American Virgin Islands.

«I found out I was going to be called to the internship maybe a week before the games. I think the coach was trying to complete the list, there were still a few vacancies, he looked at me and thought I could help. Then it was a matter of aligning everything with work. I think it was only two or three days before the internship started that I received my boss’s yes to go.”

This, yes, is perhaps the lawyer’s biggest adversary at this point.

“It’s not easy. My job is not one of the new five, it involves being almost always available, when necessary. It requires a lot of flexibility on my part. I often have to be working until two or three in the morning, so that I can go train the next day. Just the other day, we were on internship and I was answering emails at half past eleven at night, then waking up at 7:00 for breakfast and then going to train. This is all a rollercoaster, but those who run for pleasure don’t get tired and I can’t complain.”

Hugo Costa Liziário does not actually complain. Especially because last Saturday, there, he had the most rewarding experience of all: wearing a national team shirt and participating in an official FIFA game, qualifying for the World Cup.

The lawyer started on the bench, but entered after 70 minutes, when the result was still null. Shortly after, the American Virgin Islands scored and left things looking bad. Until in stoppage time, the Portuguese celebrated his debut with a historic goal for the small country. A few days later, at home, the British Virgin Islands drew again, securing a place on penalties and making it all even more special.

“Part of me wanted to cry. Having this opportunity at 31, when I already thought I would never appear, and certainly not at the level of a national team, was unique. I was very emotional. I didn’t even know what to do, I had thought of a celebration before the game and I think I did it twice, one after the other, in short, it was all very emotional.”

The lawyer celebrated at Gyökeres, with his hands simulating a mask, in a celebration that was a tribute to the player who inspires him most, «a Viking, a true warrior».

«But above all, what remains is seeing the happiness on my teammates’ faces, and especially on the team captain, who was on his 25th international appearance. The British Virgin Islands have been participating in these competitions for 28 years and have never qualified for the second phase.”

At this point it is worth explaining that the country has a championship made up of ten amateur teams, who train once a week and play on the weekend. But it is also worth saying that the Federation, which once had a teenager André Villas-Boas as its coach, is making a big effort to be more competitive.

Mainly through a large research process, he tries to find players in other countries who have roots on the island and who are available to represent the national team, which has allowed him to bring some young people from stronger countries, including England.

«In this team, I think everything is based on commitment and that’s what the coach always told me. It doesn’t matter if you’re a student and 18 or 19 years old, if you work full time and you’re 38 or 39. Our second goalkeeper is 39 years old, for example. Therefore, the commitment is to try to be as available as possible, be physically fit, and eat a good diet.”

Now comes a much more difficult second phase, against better prepared teams from Central America such as Jamaica, Guatemala, Dominican Republic and Dominica. But Hugo Costa Liziário isn’t thinking about that yet.

For now, he wants to continue savoring this moment.

«We are a small island, with 30,000 inhabitants and many tourists. But it’s funny, because the kids look at us as national team players and ask us for autographs. One day they also aspire to make their contribution to the country», he smiles.

«It’s a very small scale, but it’s the opportunity I have and it’s the opportunity I’m going to grab. I don’t take credit for it, there are already two international games, for the country where I live and where I’m creating my roots. Therefore, for me it is very important.”