Pumas' Keylor Navas reveals the position he dreamed of playing before becoming a legendary goalkeeper

During a recent appearance on the YouTube channel hosted by fellow Costa Rican and football icon Hugo Sánchez, Navas surprised fans by revealing a lesser-known story from his early years in the sport.

The conversation took a humorous turn when Sánchez asked him what his career might have looked like had he played in a different position-specifically as an attacker. That’s when Navas admitted that scoring goals once felt just as natural as stopping them.

“When I was a kid, I always played as a goalkeeper," Navas said. "We played the match on Saturdays at the football school, but throughout the entire week I was a striker." 

He explained that between the ages of eight and 14, he would split matches between goal and attack. 

“And when I played as a striker, I took advantage of certain situations. I always thought, ‘When you're standing there and the forward is so close, if he doesn’t shoot, that’s a great chance, because if he does shoot, it would be very hard to stop it.’”

That striker’s mindset stayed with him even as he evolved into one of the world’s top goalkeepers. 

“That was my mentality as a forward - a killer,” he said. But in the end, a bit of divine guidance-led him as he leaned on his faith to go in a different path. 

“I would never have had the kind of career you had,” Navas said to Sanchez. 

Now under the guidance of Efraín Juárez, Navas has taken on a leadership role as Pumas chase a Play-In spot. The team sits 10th in Liga MX with four matchdays remaining.

Pumas will face Atlético de San Luis this Wednesday determined to secure three crucial points and continue climbing the table. A loss could jeopardize their position in the Play-In race with only four Matchdays remaining in the tournament.