Niklas Castro

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Niklas Castro

| image = Niklas Castro Brann-AZ 2023.png

| caption = Niklas Castro with Brann in 2023

| full_name = Niklas Fernando Nygård Castro[https://www.eurosport.com/football/niklas-fernando-nygard-castro_prs450319/person.shtml Niklas Fernando Nygård Castro - Player Profile - Football - Eurosport], eurosport.com

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1996|1|8|df=y}}

| birth_place = Oslo, Norway{{cite web|url=https://www.aftenposten.no/sport/fotball/i/9v0GRd/aafk-spiller-ble-tatt-ut-paa-chiles-landslag-men-kan-ikke-spille-kamper|title=AaFK-spiller ble tatt ut på Chiles landslag, men kan ikke spille kamper|publisher=Aftenposten|language=no|date=12 October 2019|access-date=28 June 2021}}

| height = 1.73 m{{Cite web |url=http://www.vif-fotball.no/player-profiles/playerID/258359/ |title=Profile |access-date=4 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160921083123/http://www.vif-fotball.no/player-profiles/playerID/258359/ |archive-date=21 September 2016 |url-status=dead }}

| currentclub = Brann

| clubnumber = 9

| position = Forward

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Manglerud Star

| youthyears2 =

| youthclubs2 = Vålerenga

| years1 = 2016–2017

| clubs1 = Vålerenga

| caps1 = 9

| goals1 = 0

| years2 = 2017–2018

| clubs2 = Kongsvinger

| caps2 = 53

| goals2 = 22

| years3 = 2019–2022

| clubs3 = Aalesund

| caps3 = 73

| goals3 = 28

| years4 = 2022–

| clubs4 = Brann

| caps4 = 84

| goals4 = 30

| nationalyears1 = 2020

| nationalteam1 = Chile

| nationalcaps1 = 1

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| pcupdate = 15 May 2025

| ntupdate = 13 November 2020

}}

Niklas Fernando Nygård Castro (born 8 January 1996) is a professional footballer who currently plays for Brann. Born in Norway, he has represented the Chile national team.

Club career

He played youth football for Manglerud Star.{{cite news|title=Oppsals gullgutter. Slo Manglerud Star i finalen i KM|last=Granerød|first=Thomas|date=21 October 2010|work=Nordstrands Blad|page=35|language=Norwegian}} Ahead of the 2016 he was drafted into the senior team of first-tier club Vålerenga. He made his Norwegian top division debut in April 2016 against Stabæk.

Already on 15 June 2018, Castro signed with Aalesund for the 2019 season. The contract was until 2021.[http://www.aafk.no/nyheter/castro-klar-for-aafk Castro klar for AaFK], 15 June 2018

International career

Due to his Chilean heritage, on 3 October 2019, Castro was officially called up to the Chile national team for the friendly matches against Colombia and Guinea.{{cite web|url=https://laroja.cl/nomina-de-la-seleccion-chilena-adulta-para-enfrentar-a-colombia-y-guinea-en-espana/|title=Nómina de la Selección Chilena Adulta para enfrentar a Colombia y Guinea en España|trans-title=Squad of the Chile national team to play against Colombia and Guinea in Spain|publisher=laroja.cl|language=es|date=3 October 2019|accessdate=8 March 2020}} Since he did not have Chilean nationality at the time, he was included in the squad as a "special guest" according to manager Reinaldo Rueda.{{cite web|url=https://www.alairelibre.cl/noticias/deportes/futbol/reinaldo-rueda/rueda-sobre-el-chileno-noruego-niklas-castro-es-un-invitado-especial/2019-10-05/134250.html|title=Rueda sobre el chileno-noruego Niklas Castro: Es un invitado especial|trans-title=Rueda about Chilean-Norwegian Niklas Castro: "He is a special guest"|publisher=cooperativa.cl|language=es|date=5 October 2019|accessdate=8 March 2020}}

On 27 February 2020, it was confirmed Castro officially acquired the Chilean nationality and may be called up to the national team according to Ambassador of Chile to Norway, Waldemar Coutts.{{cite web|url=https://www.cdf.cl/laroja/Niklas-Castro-recibe-la-nacionalidad-chilena-y-puede-ser-citado-a-la-Roja-20200227-0018.html|title=Niklas Castro recibe la nacionalidad chilena y puede ser citado a la Roja|trans-title=Niklas Castro acquires Chilean nationality and may be called up to The Red One|publisher=cdf.cl|language=es|date=27 February 2020|accessdate=8 March 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/ErnestoWcoutts/status/1233073331429150726|title=Efectivamente @pabloramosg, Niklas Castro tiene nuestra nacionalidad|trans-title=In fact @pabloramosg, Niklas Castro gets our nationality|publisher=@ErnestoWcoutts|language=es|date=27 February 2020|accessdate=8 March 2020}} So, in November 2020, he received his first official call up to the Chile senior team for the 2022 World Cup qualifiers against Peru and Venezuela,{{cite web |url=https://www.laroja.cl/new/nomina-de-la-seleccion-chilena-para-los-duelos-por-eliminatorias-ante-peru-y-venezuela |title=Nómina de la Selección Chilena para los duelos por Eliminatorias ante Perú y Venezuela |trans-title=Chile squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Peru and Venezuela |publisher=LaRoja.cl |language=es |date=6 November 2020 |accessdate=8 November 2020}} making his international debut in the first match at the minute 83 by replacing Mauricio Isla.[https://web.archive.org/web/20200224042240/https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/southamerica/matches/match/400104554/#match-timeline CHILE 2-0 PERU]

Personal life

His father, Miguel, is a Chilean who came to Norway in 1994 and his mother, Anne, is Norwegian. He has a sister, Lene, and a brother, Fabian.{{cite web |last1=Vega |first1=Diego |title=Un viaje a la infancia de Niklas, el niño noruego que soñaba con la Roja |url=https://chile.as.com/chile/2019/10/06/futbol/1570397063_607550.html |website=AS Chile |publisher=Diario AS |access-date=19 October 2021 |language=es |date=7 October 2019}} His paternal grandfather, Óscar Castro, was a football referee who first involved Niklas' uncles, and later Niklas himself, in football.{{cite web |last1=Vega |first1=Diego |title=La sorpresa que Niklas Castro encontró en Chile tras 19 años |url=https://chile.as.com/chile/2020/11/11/futbol/1605112823_543619.html |publisher=AS Chile |access-date=19 October 2021 |language=es-cl |date=11 November 2020 |quote=Él está cumpliendo el sueño de la familia, porque nuestro abuelo (Óscar Castro) fue árbitro. Él le enseñó jugar a mis dos tíos, y después le traspasó a Niklas.}}

Career statistics

=Club=

{{updated|match played 3 May 2025}}{{cite web|title=Niklas Castro|url=http://www.altomfotball.no/element.do?cmd=player&personId=278287&tournamentId=2&seasonId=340&teamId=322&useFullUrl=false|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180408210005/http://www.altomfotball.no/element.do?cmd=player&personId=278287&tournamentId=2&seasonId=340&teamId=322&useFullUrl=false|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 April 2018|website=altomfotball.no|publisher=TV 2|accessdate=3 February 2019|language=Norwegian}}

rowspan="2"\|Club !rowspan="2"\|Season !colspan="3"\|League !colspan="2"\|National Cup !colspan="2"\|Continental !colspan="2"\|Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" \|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
rowspan="2" \|Vålerenga \|2016 \|rowspan="1" \|Tippeligaen \|9	0	4	1	colspan="2"
\|13	1
colspan="2"\|Total !9	0	4	1	-	-	13	1
rowspan="3" \|Kongsvinger \|2017 \|rowspan="2" \|OBOS-ligaen \|25	12	3	3	colspan="2"
\|28	15
2018 \|28	10	2	2	colspan="2"
\|30	12
colspan="2"\|Total !53	22	5	5	-	-	58	27
rowspan="4" \|Aalesund \|2019 \|rowspan="1" \|OBOS-ligaen \|24	17	3	3	colspan="2"
\|27	20
2020 \|rowspan="1" \|Eliteserien \|24	4	0	0	colspan="2"
\|24	4
2021 \|rowspan="1" \|OBOS-ligaen \|25	7	2	0	colspan="2"
\|27	7
colspan="2"\|Total !73	28	5	3	-	-	78	31
rowspan="5" \|Brann \|2022 \|rowspan="1" \|OBOS-ligaen \|29	11	2	2	colspan="2"
\|31	13
2023 \|rowspan="3" \|Eliteserien \|20	7	4	1	4	1	28	9
2024 \|29	9	3	2	6	0	38	11
2025 \|6	3	1	0	0	0	7	3
colspan="2"\|Total !84	30	10	5	10	1	104	36
colspan="3"\|Career total !219	80	24	14	10	1	253	95