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

After joining Pumas UNAM to be closer to his family and move on from a tough stint in Argentina, Keylor Navas opened up about his early football dreams – revealing he once wanted to lead the attack instead of guard the net. The 38-year-old Costa Rican legend, who starred for Real Madrid and PSG, has quickly become one of Pumas’ key figures in Liga MX.

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  "Throughout the entire week I was a striker"

  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.’”

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  Destiny led him down a different path

  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. 

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  Immediate impact since arriving in Mexico

  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.

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  What comes next?

  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.