Chico Borja was born in Quito, Ecuador on August 24, 1959. His family immigrated to the United States where he attended New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), where Borja played on the men’s soccer team. At that time, NJIT played in the NCAA Division III. In 1980, his senior year, Borja was selected as a Division I First Team All American, the first NJIT men’s soccer player to be named an All American. Borja began playing for the United States men’s national soccer team in 1982. He finished his playing career with eleven caps and three goals. In 1985, he played two World Cup qualification matches, scoring a goal in a 2–1 victory over Trinidad and Tobago. In 1984, Borja was called up for the U.S. Olympic soccer team which competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics. He finished his career with multiple entries in the NCAA record books for both single game and season scoring. Borja was selected to the tournament first team. In 1989, New Jersey Institute of Technology inducted Borja, a 1981 graduate, into its Hall of Fame. While Borja retired from professional soccer in 1992, that year he played for the U.S. Futsal team which won the silver medal at the World Championship.