Alexandre Guimarães
A Brazilian-born midfield architect who became a Costa Rican footballing icon, first as a player and later as the manager who led the Ticos to the World Cup.
Born 1959 (age 67)·Brazilian-Costa Rican footballer·Birthday: November 7·Baby Boomers
Biography
Alexandre Guimarães embodies the transnational soul of modern football. Born in Brazil, he moved to Costa Rica as a child and chose to represent his adopted nation, bringing a technical flair that elevated their game. As a player, he was a cerebral midfielder for Deportivo Saprissa, helping them to domestic dominance and becoming a national team fixture. His greater legacy, however, was forged on the touchline. After cutting his teeth in management, he was handed the reins of the Costa Rican national team. With tactical acumen and a deep understanding of the country's footballing culture, he engineered a historic qualification for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, navigating a difficult group that included the United States and Mexico. In Japan and South Korea, he guided Costa Rica to a memorable victory over China. Guimarães's career is a story of cultural synthesis, proving that footballing identity can be chosen and honed to achieve remarkable feats.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Alexandre was born in 1959, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alexandre Was Born
The biggest hits of 1959
#1 Movie
Ben-Hur
Best Picture
Ben-Hur
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Alexandre's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1959Born
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1964Started school
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1972Became a teenager
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1975Could drive
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1977Could vote
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Turned 21
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1989Turned 30
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 40
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 50
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 60
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 67 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Managed the Costa Rica national team to qualification for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, their second-ever appearance.
- Led Costa Rica to a 2-0 victory over China in the group stage of the 2002 World Cup.
- Won multiple Costa Rican league championships as a player with Deportivo Saprissa.
- Also managed Costa Rica during the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign.
Did You Know?
He obtained Costa Rican citizenship in 1985 to play for the national team.
His son, Alexandre Guimarães Jr., also became a professional footballer.
He played for the Costa Rican national team during the 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign.
He had a second stint as manager of the Costa Rican national team from 2005 to 2006.
“I brought the Brazilian touch to a Costa Rican heart, and it made us stronger.”
