Costa Rica national football team

History

Early history

The national team made its debut in the Independence Centenary Games held in Guatemala City in September 1921, winning their first game 7–0 against El Salvador. In the final, Costa Rica defeated 6–0 Guatemala to claim the trophy.

Costa Rica's team in the late 1940s acquired the nickname "The Gold Shorties". Throughout the '50s and '60s, they were the second strongest team in the CONCACAF zone behind Mexico, finishing runners-up in World Cup qualifying in the 1958, 1962 and 1966 qualifiers. Stars of the side during this period included Ruben Jimenez, Errol Daniels, Leonel Hernandez and Edgar Marin. However, Costa Rica was not able to utilize this advantage, hence failed to reach any World Cup at that decade.

At the end of the 1960s their fortunes declined as Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Haiti, Trinidad & Tobago and Canada rose in prominence.

1980s

Costa Rica failed to qualify for any of the World Cups in the 1970s and 1980s, and did not reach the final round of the CONCACAF qualifying until the 1986 qualifiers.

They participated in two consecutive Summer Olympic Games, in Moscow 1980 and in Los Angeles 1984. In 1980, Costa Rica competed against Yugoslavia, Finland and Iraq in Group D, losing 3–2, 3–0 and 3–0 respectively. In Los Angeles, the Ticos lost 3–0 against the United States, and 4–1 against Egypt, but beat a strong Italy team, which included Walter Zenga, Pietro Vierchowod, Franco Baresi and Aldo Serena, 1–0 with a goal by the midfielder Enrique Rivers.

1990 World Cup

Costa Rica won the 1989 CONCACAF Championship to qualify for the finals of a World Cup for the first time. In the first round of the qualifiers, they beat Panama 3–1 on aggregate after a 2–0 away victory in the second leg, with goals by Juan Cayasso and Hernán Medford. They were drawn against Mexico in the second round, but advanced automatically when their opponents were disqualified for age fraud.

Costa Rica started the final qualifying group stage with a home victory and an away defeat against both Guatemala and the United States. They drew 1–1 with Trinidad and Tobago and then beat the same opponents 1–0 at home with a goal by Cayasso. They achieved an important away win, 4–2 against El Salvador at the Estadio Cuscatlán, with goals from Carlos Hidalgo, Cayasso and a brace from Leonidas Flores, before beating El Salvador 1–0 in San José with a goal from Pastor Fernández. They finished first in the group table, ahead of the United States on goal difference.

Main article: 1989 CONCACAF Championship

Placed in Group C at the World Cup finals, Costa Rica began by beating Scotland 1–0 thanks to another goal by Cayasso. Although they lost to Brazil by the same score, they came from behind to beat Sweden 2–1 in their final group match to reach the knockout stages. There, they lost 4–1 to Czechoslovakia, for whom Tomáš Skuhravý scored a hat-trick. Main article: 1990 FIFA World Cup Group C

2002 World Cup

After failing to qualify for the 1994 and 1998 editions of the World Cup, the Ticos placed first in qualification for the 2002 World Cup held in South Korea and Japan. During the qualifiers, Costa Rica were coached by Brazilian Gílson Nunes, and then by the naturalised Brazilian, Alexandre Guimarães. The first qualifying group stage began with an unexpected 2–1 defeat to Barbados. After this humiliation, Costa Rica beat the United States 2–1 at the Ricardo Saprissa Stadium, with goals from Rolando Fonseca and Hernán Medford. They then beat Guatemala 2–1 in the Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto, with two goals from Paulo Wanchope and Barbados 3–0 at the Ricardo Saprissa, with goals from Jafet Soto, Fonseca and Medford. A draw against the United States and a 2–1 defeat to Guatemala forced Costa Rica into a play-off against Guatemala in Miami. Costa Rica won 5–2 with two goals from Fonseca and one each from Wanchope, Reynaldo Parks and Jafeth Soto.

Costa Rica displayed fine attacking form during the final qualifying round, beginning with a 2–2 draw against Honduras at the Ricardo Saprissa, with goals from Fonseca and Rodrigo Cordero, and a 3–0 defeat of Trinidad and Tobago at the Morera Soto. Their only loss in this round came when the United States beat them 1–0. Costa Rica bounced back with a 2–1 win against Mexico in Mexico City, a match known as the Aztecazo, with goals from Fonseca and Medford. Further wins over Jamaica, Honduras and Trinidad and Tobago took Costa Rica to the brink of qualification, which they sealed with an emotional 2–0 win against the United States in the Saprissa, with a brace from Fonseca. Main article: 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification – CONCACAF final round

In the finals, Costa Rica were drawn into Group C with Brazil, China, and Turkey. Their campaign started in Gwangju, where the Ticos beat China 2–0. In their second game against Turkey in Incheon, Winston Parks scored an 86th-minute goal to earn a 1–1 draw. Against Brazil, Costa Rica fought back from 3–0 down to 3–2 early in the second half, only to concede two further goals and lose 5–2. With Turkey beating China 3–0, Costa Rica finished behind Turkey on goal difference and were eliminated. Main article: 2002 FIFA World Cup Group C

2006 World Cup

Costa Rica again managed to qualify for the World Cup finals in 2006, albeit with difficulties that saw their American coach Steve Sampson depart after they required away goals to beat Cuba in the preliminary phase. The Colombian Jorge Luis Pinto took over for the next round, which began with a disastrous 5–2 defeat at home against Honduras and a 2–1 loss in Guatemala. Costa Rica recovered with two wins over Canada and a resounding 5–0 triumph over Guatemala, when Wanchope scored a hat-trick and Carlos Hernández and Fonseca added further goals. Costa Rica advanced to the hexagonal round by winning the group.

In the final round they started with a 2–1 defeat against Mexico at the Saprissa, before beating Panama by the same score, with goals from Wayne Wilson and Roy Myrie. Pinto was dismissed after a goalless draw with Trinidad and Tobago, and Guimarães returned as coach. His first match ended in a 3–0 defeat to the United States, but wins followed against Guatemala, Panama and Trinidad and Tobago. Costa Rica decisively beat the United States in the Saprissa, 3–0, with a goal from Wanchope and two from Hernández, to guarantee their third World Cup qualification.

Main article: 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification – CONCACAF fourth round

On 9 June 2006, Costa Rica played their debut match in Munich in the opening match of the World Cup against the hosts, Germany. Wanchope scored to equalise after an early goal from Philipp Lahm, and later added another, but Costa Rica lost 4–2. They failed to match this encouraging performance in their remaining two games, losing 3–0 against Ecuador and 2–1 against Poland in a dead rubber.

Main article: 2006 FIFA World Cup Group A

2010 World Cup

Costa Rica began the qualifying competition for the 2010 World Cup against Grenada, winning 5–2 on aggregate (2–2, 3–0). They won all six games played in the next phase, against El Salvador (1–0, 3–1), Haiti (3–1, 2–0) and Suriname (7–0, 4–1).

With two games left in the Hexagonal round, Costa Rica trailed Honduras by one point in trying to win the third automatic qualification place behind the United States and Mexico. When Honduras lost 3–2 at home to the United States, Costa Rica overtook them with a 4–0 win against Trinidad and Tobago. Needing to win the final match in Washington, D.C. against the United States to ensure qualification, the Ticos led 2–0 at half-time, but Jonathan Bornstein scored an injury-time equaliser to draw the match 2–2. Meanwhile, Honduras's 1–0 victory over El Salvador moved them into third place in the group table on goal difference.

Costa Rica finished fourth, pushing them into a play-off with the fifth-placed team from the CONMEBOL region, Uruguay. The Ticos lost the first leg in San José 1–0, after a goal by Diego Lugano, and finished with ten men after Randall Azofeifa was sent off. In the second leg, played at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, Sebastián Abreu put Uruguay ahead twenty minutes from time, and although Walter Centeno equalised, the 1–1 draw sent Uruguay to the World Cup finals, 2–1 on aggregate.

After failing to qualify, the team began a new era, with the young talent of players such as Azofeifa, Keylor Navas, Cristian Bolaños, Michael Barrantes and Joel Campbell. Rónald González was the interim coach before Ricardo La Volpe was appointed in September 2010. He lasted only ten months before being replaced by the Colombian, Jorge Luis Pinto, in his second spell in charge. During this period, Costa Rica played many friendlies against the top-ranked teams in the world, including the world champion Spain, most of them in the new national stadium, the Estadio Nacional, which was opened in 2011.

2014 World Cup

The Ticos' 2014 World Cup campaign began with a 2–2 draw against El Salvador in the third round of the qualifiers. They followed this with a 4–0 win over Guyana with a hat-trick by Álvaro Saborío. Two defeats to Mexico put the Ticos one defeat away from elimination, but they resurrected their campaign with a 1–0 win against El Salvador, with the only goal scored by José Miguel Cubero. They clinched a final round berth with a 7–0 win over Guyana, with goals scored by Randall Brenes, Saborío, Cristian Bolaños, Celso Borges and Cristian Gamboa.

The fourth round began with a 2–2 draw against Panama. In March, Costa Rica lost 1–0 against the United States in Denver, and launched an unsuccessful appeal against the match because of inclement weather. Costa Rica again fell 1–0 to the United States in the Gold Cup that June. Costa Rica then won 2–0 against Jamaica, beat Honduras 1–0 against, drew 0–0 at the Azteca against Mexico and won at home 2–0 against Panama. In September, they won 3–1 against the United States in San José.

On 10 September 2013, Costa Rica drew 1–1 with Jamaica, thanks to a goal from Brenes, to qualify with two games to spare. After a 1–0 loss at Honduras and 2–1 win over Mexico in October, Costa Rica finished second in the table, behind the United States. Main article: 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification – CONCACAF fourth round

Costa Rica were drawn in finals Group D against three previous tournament winners – Italy, England and Uruguay – and were given odds of 2500–1 to win the tournament. However, they beat Uruguay and Italy and drew 0–0 with England to finish top of the group and qualify for the knockout stage. Main article: 2014 FIFA World Cup Group D

In the second round, they beat Greece 5–3 on penalties after a 1–1 draw, seeing them through to the quarter-finals for the first time. There, they held the Netherlands to a 0–0 draw after extra time, before losing 4–3 on penalties. Costa Rica rose 12 places to 16th in the FIFA World Rankings. Former player Rónald González cited their long-term progress since 2007 as the reason for their achievement.

2018 World Cup

The Ticos' qualification for the 2018 World Cup started with a bye to the fourth qualifying round, where they won five games and drew one, winning their group. In the final round, they finished second behind Mexico to qualify automatically, winning four matches, drawing four and losing two. Main article: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – CONCACAF fifth round

Costa Rica were drawn in Group E alongside Brazil, Switzerland and Serbia. Many key players from 2014 remained in the squad, but they made a disappointing exit at the group stage. Costa Rica lost their first two games, against Serbia and Brazil, without scoring, but drew 2–2 with Switzerland in their last match after equalising in injury time. Main article: 2018 FIFA World Cup Group E

2022 World Cup

The Ticos' qualification for the 2022 World Cup started with a bye to the final qualifying round. They finished fourth behind the United States to advance to inter-confederation play-offs winning seven matches, drawing four and losing three. In the inter-confederation play-offs in Al Rayyan, Qatar, Costa Rica won the match 1–0 against New Zealand and qualified for the World Cup.

Main article: 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification – CONCACAF third round

Main article: 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF–OFC play-off)

On November 23, 2022, Costa Rica lost 7–0 against Spain, the biggest World Cup loss since 2010. This match also tied for their worst defeat in professional football with a match against Mexico, which ended with Mexico 7–0 Costa Rica in Mexico City on 17 August 1975. They came back to defeat Japan in the next game, and after falling behind to Germany in the first half in the final group stage match, they scored two second half goals against to briefly move into position to advance to the knockout rounds in the live standings. However, Germany scored three late goals and eliminated Costa Rica. For a couple of minutes Costa Rica and Japan were making history, with results that would've eliminated both Spain and Germany, two powerhouses of international football. Nevertheless, Costa Rica were bested by Germany's experience in the international stage. Main article: 2022 FIFA World Cup Group E

Home stadium

Estadio Nacional is the home stadium of the Costa Rica national team since its opening on 10 January 2011 This venue hosts their friendly matches as well as the World Cup qualifying matches against CONCACAF rivals. Previous matches were played in Estadio Ricardo Saprissa or in Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto.

Team image

Costa Rica traditionally wears a red jersey with blue shorts and white socks. Their away kit historically was a Juventus-style black and white striped jersey with white shorts and white or black socks, due to these colors being the ones of CS La Libertad, one of the oldest clubs in Costa Rica. In the 1990 FIFA World Cup, the striped kit was used for two matches due to its resemblance to the home kit of FK Partizan of which Bora Milutinovic, then-coach of Costa Rica, was a fan. However, after 1997, the striped kit was replaced by a white kit. In 2015, Boston-based sportswear company New Balance became the provider of the national team, after taking over for Italian company Lotto. Since 2023, Adidas is the kit provider for the national team.

Kit sponsorship

Results and fixtures

Main article: Costa Rica national football team results (2020–present)

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

2025

• Ugalde
• K. Vargas
• Mitchell
• Zamora
• Alcócer
• Arzú
• Bran
• Martínez
• Ugalde
• Zamora
• Bernárdez
• A. Roca
• Aleñá
• Martínez
• Mora
• Bran
• Galo
• Ugalde
• Madrigal
• Zamora
• Mitchell
• Madrigal
• L. García
• Martínez
• Ugalde
• Alcócer
• Kerk
• Margaret
• Pinas
• Ugalde
• Alcócer
• Urbáez
• Luna
• Arfsten
• Calvo
• Martínez
• Adams
• Tillman
• Berhalter
• Freeman
• Tolkin
• Downs
• Martínez
• J. Vargas
• Van der Putten
• Brenes
• Calvo
• Rojas
• Bonilla
• Gamboa
• K. Vargas
• Martínez
• J. Vargas
• Nazon
• Martínez
• Ugalde
• Calvo
• Arteaga
• Pierrot

Coaching staff

Coaching history

:Caretaker managers are listed in italics.

• Eladio Rosabal Cordero (1921)
• Manolo Rodríguez (1930)
• Ricardo Saprissa (1935–1938)
• Alejandro Morera Soto (1941, 1943)
• Jorge Rojas (1943)
• Hernán Bolaños (1946); (1948)
• Randolph Galloway & Hernán Bolaños (1946)
• Santiago Bonilla (1950)
• Ismael Quesada (1951)
• Ricardo Saprissa & Luis Cartín Paniagua (1951)
• Otto Bumbel (1953)
• Alfredo Piedra (1955–1957)
• Rubén Amorín (1960)
• Hugo Tassara (1960)
• Eduardo Toba Muíño (1961)
• Alfredo Piedra (1961–1963)
• Eduardo Viso Abella, Alfredo Piedra, & Mario "Catato" Cordero (1965)
• Rodolfo Ulloa Antillón (1967–1968)
• Américo Brunner (1968)
• Rogelio Rojas (1969)
• Marvin Rodríguez (1969, 1971, 1975, 1989–1990, 1992, 1999–2000)
• Eduardo Viso Abella (1970)
• Humberto Maschio (1972)
• José Etchegoyen (1975)
• Juan José Gámez (1976)
• Antonio Moyano (1979–1980, 1983–1984, 1994)
• Ivan Mráz (1980)
• Odir Jacques (1985)
• Álvaro Grant MacDonald (1985, 1993)
• Gustavo De Simone (1987–1989)
• Antonio Moyano & Marvin Rodríguez (1989)
• Bora Milutinović (1990)
• Rolando Villalobos (1991, 1998)
• Héctor Núñez (1992)
• Juan José Gámez (1993)
• Juan Luis Hernández Fuertes (1993–1994, 1997)
• Toribio Rojas (1994–1995)
• Juan Blanco (1995)
• Valdeir Vieira (1996)
• Horacio Cordero (1997)
• Francisco Maturana (1998–1999)
• Gílson Nunes (2000)
• Alexandre Guimarães (2001–2002, 2005–2006)
• Rodrigo Kenton (2002)
• Steve Sampson (2003–2004)
• Jorge Luis Pinto (2004–2005, 2011–2014)
• Carlos Watson (2006)
• Hernán Medford (2007–2008)
• Rodrigo Kenton (2008–2009)
• Renê Simões (2009)
• Rónald González (2010, 2018)
• Ricardo La Volpe (2010–2011)
• Paulo Wanchope (2014–2015)
• Óscar Ramírez (2015–2018)
• Gustavo Matosas (2018–2019)
• Douglas Sequeira (2019)
• Rónald González Brenes (2019–2021)
• Luis Fernando Suárez (2021–2023)
• Claudio Vivas (2023)
• Gustavo Alfaro (2023–2024)
• Claudio Vivas (2024)
• Miguel Herrera (2025)

Players

Current squad

The following players were called up to the squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against Haiti and Honduras on 13 and 18 November 2025.

Caps and goals correct as of 18 November 2025, after the match against Honduras.

Recent call-ups

The following players have been called up within the last twelve months. INJ Withdrew due to injury.

RET Retired from the national team.

ILL Withdrew due to illness.

PRE Preliminary squad.

WD Withdrew for personal reasons.

Records

:*Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

CONCACAF Gold Cup

Main article: Costa Rica at the CONCACAF Gold Cup

CONCACAF Nations League

Copa América

Main article: Costa Rica at the Copa América

Copa Centroamericana

CCCF Championship

Olympic Games

Pan American Games

Panamerican Championship

Head-to-head record

Main article: Costa Rica national football team results

The following table shows Costa Rica's all-time international record, correct as of 18 November 2025.

Honours

Continental

• CONCACAF Championship / Gold Cup
  • [[File:CONCACAF - Gold Cup.svg|22px]] Champions (3): 1963, 1969, 1989
  • Runners-up (1): 2002
  • Third place (4): 1965, 1971, 1985, 1993
• Panamerican Championship
  • Third place (1): 1956

Subregional

• CCCF Championship
  • Champions (7): 1941, 1946, 1948, 1953, 1955, 1960, 1961
  • Runners-up (1): 1951
  • Third place (1): 1943
• Copa de Naciones UNCAF / Copa Centroamericana
  • Champions (8): 1991, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2013, 2014
  • Runners-up (4): 1993, 2001, 2009, 2011
• Central American and Caribbean Games
  • Silver medal (3): 1930, 1935, 1938

Friendly

• Independence Centenary Games (1): 1921
• Copa Centroamérica-Independencia (1): 2006

Summary

Only official honours are included, according to FIFA statutes (competitions organized/recognized by FIFA or an affiliated confederation).

;Notes

1. Official continental competition organized by PFC, the former unified confederation of the Americas, formed by NAFC, CCCF and CONMEBOL (1946–1961).
2. Official subregional competition organized by CCCF, direct predecessor confederation of CONCACAF and the former governing body of football in Central America and Caribbean (1938–1961).

FIFA World Ranking

Last update was on 27 May 2021 Source:

Best Ranking Worst Ranking Best Mover Worst Mover

References

References

1. (24 November 2021). "Esta es la nueva imagen de la Federación Costarricense de Fútbol". [[Teletica]].
2. (4 July 2014). "The Hopes of Central America Rest on a Perpetual Underdog : World Cup 2014: Costa Rica Could Learn From Uruguay's Example". [[The New York Times]].
3. "When Saturday Comes – Costa Rica goes crazy for the "team of migrants"". [[The New York Times]].
4. Romero, Marcos. (28 August 2009). "Costa Rica International Soccer Matches Since 1920".
5. (22 April 2022). ""Los Chaparritos de Oro", la increíble generación de la Selección de Costa Rica en los 50".
6. "¡Aztecazo!".
7. (26 March 2013). "U.S. win stands as Costa Rica appeal blown away". CNN.
8. "U.S. downs Costa Rica 1–0 in Gold Cup group stage, advances to quarters". CBSSports.com.
9. (7 July 2014). "El éxito de Costa Rica se debe a la paciencia, según exmundialista González". mundodeportivo.com.
10. [https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/match-centre/match/17/255711/285063/400235472 Group E. Spain 7– Costa Rica 0] {{Webarchive. link. (23 November 2022 FIFA)
11. "Costa Rica, nel nome di Bora".
12. (10 November 2025). "Piojo Herrera y Costa Rica anuncian convocatoria con la que buscarán el boleto directo al Mundial 2026".
13. Luis Fernando Passo Alpuin. "Costa Rica – Record International Players". RSSSF.
14. "Costa Rica in the FIFA World Ranking".