Kenneth Vargas
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kenneth Gerardo Vargas Vargas[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 17 April 2002 | ||
| Place of birth | San José, Costa Rica | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Heart of Midlothian | ||
| Number | 77 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2020 | Herediano | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020–2024 | Herediano | 55 | (12) |
| 2020–2022 | → Municipal Grecia (loan) | 28 | (5) |
| 2023–2024 | → Heart of Midlothian (loan) | 33 | (6) |
| 2024– | Heart of Midlothian | 29 | (4) |
| 2025– | → Herediano (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2023– | Costa Rica U23 | 11 | (5) |
| 2023– | Costa Rica | 21 | (3) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 26 October 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 18 November 2025 | |||
Kenneth Gerardo Vargas Vargas (born 17 April 2002) is a Costa Rican professional footballer who plays as a forward for Herediano, on loan from Scottish Premiership club Heart of Midlothian[2] and the Costa Rica national team.[3]
Club career
Herediano and Grecia loan
Vargas played for Municipal Grecia on loan from C.S. Herediano. After returning to Herediano, he scored on his senior league debut for the club, against Grecia, on 15 January 2022.[4] He went on to score 10 goals in 41 appearances in the Liga FPD, the Costa Rican first division, in 2022.[5]
Heart of Midlothian
On 7 August 2023, Vargas joined Scottish Premiership club Heart of Midlothian on a season-long loan deal from Herediano, with an option to purchase outright.[6]
Vargas was permanently signed by Hearts on 26 March 2024 on a five-season contract.[7]
On 17 September 2025, Vargas returned to Herediano on loan until January 2026. Heredia was willing to pay only 6% of his salary loan from Scottish Premiership club Heart of Midlothian. Due to the disagreement on his salary and personal growth, Vargas decided signed with Liga Deportiva Alajuelense, since the club was able to afford 100% of his salary and growth opportunities with the club's training camp CAR. [8]
International career
Capped at under-23 level,[9] Vargas received his first call-up to the Costa Rica senior national team in 2021.[10] In October 2022 he was again called up to the national team set-up but didn't make an appearance from the substitute bench.[11]
Personal life
His father, also called Kenneth Vargas and nicknamed “Huevo”, was a professional footballer in Costa Rica who played as a striker. Kenneth Vargas Jnr is subsequently nicknamed “Huevito”.[12]
Career statistics
Club
- As of 26 October 2025[3]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Grecia (loan) | 2020–21 | Liga FPD | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 2 | ||
| 2021–22 | Liga FPD | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 17 | 3 | |||
| Total | 28 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 5 | ||
| Herediano | 2021–22 | Liga FPD | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 2[a] | 0 | 14 | 2 | |
| 2022–23 | Liga FPD | 33 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 3[b] | 0 | 8[a] | 0 | 52 | 12 | |
| 2023–24 | Liga FPD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1[c] | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 45 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 67 | 14 | ||
| Heart of Midlothian (loan) | 2023–24 | Scottish Premiership | 33 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2[d] | 0 | 3[e] | 0 | 42 | 9 |
| Heart of Midlothian | 2024–25 | Scottish Premiership | 29 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 8[f] | 0 | 1[e] | 0 | 41 | 4 |
| Herediano | 2025–26 | Liga FPD | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | |
| Career total | 140 | 27 | 14 | 4 | 13 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 182 | 31 | ||
- ^ a b Appearance in the Liga FPD play-offs
- ^ Appearances in the CONCACAF League
- ^ Appearance in the Costa Rican Super Cup
- ^ Appearances in the UEFA Europa Conference League
- ^ a b Appearances in the Scottish League Cup
- ^ Appearances in the UEFA Europa League
International
- As of match played 18 November 2025
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Costa Rica | 2023 | 3 | 0 |
| 2024 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 11 | 2 | |
| Total | 21 | 3 | |
Scores and results list Costa Rica's goal tally first.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 October 2024 | Estadio Nacional, San José, Costa Rica | Guatemala | 2–0 | 3–0 | 2024–25 CONCACAF Nations League A |
| 2 | 21 March 2025 | FFB Stadium, Belmopan, Belize | Belize | 3–0 | 7–0 | 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup qualification |
| 3 | 9 September 2025 | Estadio Nacional, San José, Costa Rica | Haiti | 1–0 | 3–3 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
References
- ^ "Player profile".
- ^ "Hearts announce Kenneth Vargas exit as forward returns join to former club". Hearts Standard. 17 September 2025. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
- ^ a b "Kenneth Vargas". Soccerway. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
- ^ Masis, Florela (15 January 2022). "Kenneth Vargas gives value to his signing from the first game with Herediano". nacion.com. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
- ^ Anderson, Barry (27 July 2023). "Hearts in talks to sign Costa Rican striker Kenneth Vargas". Edinburugh News. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
- ^ "Welcome Kenneth Vargas! – Hearts". www.heartsfc.co.uk. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
- ^ "Vargas signs permanent deal – Hearts". www.heartsfc.co.uk. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ "Vargas returns to Costa Rica on loan – Hearts". www.heartsfc.co.uk. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
- ^ Anderson, Mark (27 July 2023). "Hearts working on deal for Costa Rican starlet Kenneth Vargas as talks continue over six-figure fee". Scotsman. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
- ^ "Kenneth Vargas se quedó sin habla al enterarse de su convocatoria". Everardoherrera.com. 27 August 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
- ^ Castillo, Luis Felipe (21 October 2022). "Kenneth Vargas works in search of scoring points to go to the World Cup with La Sele". Amprensa.com. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
- ^ Arraya, Fernando José (29 March 2021). "Kenneth Vargas joins the group of fathers and sons who scored in Primera". Teletica.com. Retrieved 26 July 2023.