kids encyclopedia robot

Costa Rica national football team facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
This page is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Costa Rica women's national football team.
Quick facts for kids
Costa Rica
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) Los Ticos (The Ticos)
La Sele (The Selection)
La Tricolor (The Tricolor)
Association Federación Costarricense de Fútbol (FCRF)
Confederation CONCACAF (North America)
Sub-confederation UNCAF (Central America)
Head coach Miguel Herrera
Captain Keylor Navas
Most caps Celso Borges (163)
Top scorer Rolando Fonseca (47)
Home stadium Estadio Nacional
FIFA code CRC
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 37 Decrease 1 (7 February 2019)
Highest 13 (February–March 2015)
Lowest 93 (July 1996)
Elo ranking
Current 41 Decrease 10 (3 March 2019)
Highest 13 (11 March 1960)
Lowest 81 (March 1983)
First international
 Costa Rica 7–0 El Salvador 
(Guatemala City, Guatemala; 14 September 1921)
Biggest win
 Costa Rica 12–0 Puerto Rico 
(Barranquilla, Colombia; 10 December 1946)
Biggest defeat
 Mexico 7–0 Costa Rica 
(Mexico City, Mexico; 17 August 1975)
 Spain 7–0 Costa Rica 
(Doha, Qatar; 23 November 2022)
World Cup
Appearances 6 (first in 1990)
Best result Quarter-finals (2014)
CONCACAF Championship / Gold Cup
Appearances 23 (first in 1963)
Best result Champions (1963, 1969, 1989)
CONCACAF Nations League
Appearances 1 (first in 2021)
Best result Fourth place (2021)
Copa América
Appearances 6 (first in 1997)
Best result Quarter-finals (2001, 2004)
Medal record
CONCACAF Championship / Gold Cup
Gold 1963 El Salvador Team
Gold 1969 Costa Rica Team
Gold 1989 North America Team
Silver 2002 United States Team
Bronze 1965 Guatemala Team
Bronze 1971 Trinidad and Tobago Team
Bronze 1985 North America Team
Bronze 1993 United States and Mexico Team
CCCF Championship
Gold 1941 Costa Rica Team
Gold 1946 Costa Rica Team
Gold 1948 Guatemala Team
Gold 1953 Costa Rica Team
Gold 1955 Honduras Team
Gold 1960 Cuba Team
Gold 1961 Costa Rica Team
Silver 1951 Panama Team
Bronze 1943 El Salvador Team
Copa Centroamericana
Gold 1991 Costa Rica Team
Gold 1997 Guatemala Team
Gold 1999 Cost Rica Team
Gold 2003 Panama Team
Gold 2005 Guatemala Team
Gold 2007 El Salvador Team
Gold 2013 Costa Rica Team
Gold 2014 United States Team
Silver 1993 Honduras Team
Silver 2001 Honduras Team
Silver 2009 Honduras Team
Silver 2011 Panama Team
Central American and Caribbean Games
Silver 1930 Cuba Team
Silver 1935 El Salvador Team
Silver 1938 Panama Team

The Costa Rica national football team, also known as Los Ticos or La Sele, represents Costa Rica in international men's soccer games. The team is managed by the Federación Costarricense de Fútbol (FCRF). This organization has been a part of FIFA since 1927 and was a founding member of CONCACAF in 1961.

Costa Rica is one of the most successful teams in its region, especially in Central America. They have won the CONCACAF Championship three times (in 1963, 1969, and 1989). They were the first champions of CONCACAF's main tournament. The team has also won many regional titles, including seven CCCF Championships and eight Copa Centroamericana titles.

Costa Rica is the only Central American team to have played in six FIFA World Cup tournaments. They also hold the highest average and highest-ever Elo Ranking in Central America. This shows they are a strong and consistent team.

Since the late 1980s, Costa Rica has been a top team in CONCACAF. They had a great performance in the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy, reaching the knockout stage in their first World Cup. They also qualified for the 2002 and 2006 World Cups. In 2014, they had their best World Cup ever. They finished first in a tough group with former champions Uruguay, Italy, and England. They reached the quarter-finals for the first time, but lost to the Netherlands in a penalty shootout. Their World Cup journeys in 2018 and 2022 ended in the group stage.

Team History: Costa Rica's Football Journey

Early Days of Costa Rican Football

The national team played its first game in September 1921 in Guatemala City. They won their first match 7–0 against El Salvador. In the final, Costa Rica beat Guatemala 6–0 to win the trophy.

In the late 1940s, the team earned the nickname "The Gold Shorties." In the 1950s and 1960s, they were the second strongest team in CONCACAF, after Mexico. They finished second in World Cup qualifiers for 1958, 1962, and 1966. However, they did not make it to any World Cups during that time.

Costa Rica in the 1980s

Costa Rica did not qualify for the World Cups in the 1970s and 1980s. They reached the final round of CONCACAF qualifiers in 1986.

They also played in two Summer Olympic Games, in Moscow 1980 and Los Angeles 1984. In 1984, the team beat a strong Italy team 1–0. This Italian team included famous players like Walter Zenga and Franco Baresi.

1990 World Cup: A Historic Debut

Costa Rica won the 1989 CONCACAF Championship to qualify for their first-ever FIFA World Cup. This was a huge moment for the team.

At the World Cup finals in Italy, Costa Rica was in Group C. They started by beating Scotland 1–0. Even though they lost to Brazil by the same score, they came back to beat Sweden 2–1 in their last group match. This win helped them reach the knockout stages. In the next round, they lost 4–1 to Czechoslovakia.

2002 World Cup: The Aztecazo Victory

Costa Rica started their qualification for the 2002 FIFA World Cup with a surprising 2–1 loss to Barbados. After this, they beat the United States 2–1.

A big moment in their qualification was a 2–1 win against Mexico in Mexico City. This match is famously known as the Aztecazo because it was a rare victory for an away team at Mexico's home stadium, the Estadio Azteca. Costa Rica secured their spot in the World Cup with a 2–0 win against the United States.

In the finals, Costa Rica was in Group C with Brazil, China, and Turkey. They beat China 2–0 and drew 1–1 with Turkey. However, they lost 5–2 to Brazil and were eliminated based on goal difference.

2006 World Cup: Another Qualification

Costa Rica qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup as well. Their qualification journey had some ups and downs. They had a big 5–0 win over Guatemala, with Paulo Wanchope scoring three goals.

In the final qualifying round, they beat Panama 2–1. They secured their third World Cup qualification with a strong 3–0 win against the United States.

At the World Cup, Costa Rica played their first match against the hosts, Germany. They lost 4–2, with Wanchope scoring two goals. They then lost to Ecuador and Poland, which meant they were out of the tournament.

2010 World Cup: A Close Call

Costa Rica started the qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup strongly, winning all six games in one phase. However, in the final round, they narrowly missed automatic qualification.

They ended up in a play-off against Uruguay. Costa Rica lost the first game 1–0 and drew the second 1–1, losing 2–1 on total score. This meant Uruguay went to the World Cup. After this, the team began a new era with young talented players like Keylor Navas and Joel Campbell.

2014 World Cup: Best Performance Ever

The Ticos' 2014 World Cup journey began with a 2–2 draw against El Salvador. They secured their spot in the final qualifying round with a big 7–0 win over Guyana.

In the final qualifying round, they drew 2–2 with Panama and had a tough 1–0 loss to the United States. However, they bounced back with wins against Jamaica and Honduras. They also drew 0–0 against Mexico at the famous Estadio Azteca. On September 10, 2013, Costa Rica drew 1–1 with Jamaica to officially qualify for the World Cup with two games left.

At the World Cup finals, Costa Rica was placed in Group D, known as the "Group of Death." It included three former World Cup winners: Italy, England, and Uruguay. Despite the tough group, Costa Rica surprised everyone. They beat Uruguay and Italy, and drew 0–0 with England. This amazing performance meant they finished first in their group and moved to the knockout stage.

In the second round, they beat Greece 5–3 in a penalty shootout after a 1–1 draw. This sent them to the quarter-finals for the first time in their history. There, they held the Netherlands to a 0–0 draw after extra time. But they lost 4–3 in another penalty shootout. This incredible run helped Costa Rica climb 12 places to 16th in the FIFA World Rankings.

2018 World Cup: Group Stage Exit

Costa Rica qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup by finishing second in their final qualifying group, behind Mexico. They won four matches, drew four, and lost two.

At the World Cup in Russia, Costa Rica was in Group E with Brazil, Switzerland, and Serbia. Many key players from the 2014 team were still in the squad. However, they had a disappointing tournament, losing their first two games without scoring. They drew 2–2 with Switzerland in their last match, but it was not enough to advance.

2022 World Cup: A Tough Challenge

Costa Rica qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup by finishing fourth in their final qualifying round. This sent them to an inter-confederation play-off. In the play-off match in Qatar, Costa Rica won 1–0 against New Zealand to secure their spot in the World Cup.

On November 23, 2022, Costa Rica faced a tough 7–0 loss against Spain. This was their biggest World Cup loss and tied their worst defeat in professional football history. After this, they managed to defeat Japan 1–0. In their final group match, they scored two goals against Germany in the first half, but Germany scored three goals later, which eliminated Costa Rica from the tournament.

Home Stadium: The National Stadium

Estadio Nacional is the main home stadium for the Costa Rica national team. It opened on January 10, 2011. This stadium hosts their friendly matches and important World Cup qualifying games. Before this stadium was built, matches were played at Estadio Ricardo Saprissa or Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto.

Team Image: The Colors of Costa Rica

Limón sign with Costa Rica national team uniform 02
Costa Rica's 2018 FIFA World Cup kit showcased in Limón

Costa Rica's traditional home kit is a red jersey, blue shorts, and white socks. Their away kit used to be black and white stripes, similar to the Juventus club, because of the colors of an old Costa Rican club called CS La Libertad. In the 1990 World Cup, they used the striped kit for two matches. After 1997, the striped kit was replaced by a white kit. Since 2023, Adidas has been the company that makes the team's uniforms.

Kit Sponsors

Supplier Period
Costa Rica Desport 1980–1989
Italy Lotto 1990–1994
United States Reebok 1995–1999
Costa Rica Trooper 1999
Mexico Atletica 2000–2001
Spain Joma 2001–2007
Italy Lotto 2007–2014
United States New Balance 2015–2022
Germany Adidas 2023–present

Recent Matches and Schedule

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

Here are some of Costa Rica's recent match results and upcoming games.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024 Matches

5 September
18:00 UTC−6
2024–25 Nations League		 Costa Rica  3–0  Guadeloupe Estadio Nacional
Attendance: 7,542
Referee: Katia García (Mexico)
  • Calvo Goal 49'
  • Lassiter Goal 76'
  • Madrigal Goal 81'
 https://www.concacaf.com/en/nations-league/game-details?matchid=740595
9 September
20:00 UTC−6
2024–25 Nations League		 Guatemala  0–0  Costa Rica Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores
Attendance: 18,115
Referee: Daniel Quintero (Mexico)
https://www.concacaf.com/en/nations-league/game-details?matchid=740612
11 October
19:00 UTC−3
2024–25 Nations League		 Suriname  1–1  Costa Rica Dr. Ir. Franklin Essed Stadion
Attendance: 3,274
Referee: Adonai Escobedo (Mexico)
  • Vlijter Goal 34'
 https://www.concacaf.com/en/nations-league/game-details?matchid=740636
  • Alcócer Goal 13'
15 October
18:00 UTC−6
2024–25 Nations League		 Costa Rica  3–0  Guatemala Estadio Nacional
Attendance: 20,450
Referee: Joseph Dickerson (United States)
  • Madrigal Goal 9'
  • Vargas Goal 38'
  • Calvo Goal 71'
 https://www.concacaf.com/en/nations-league/game-details?matchid=740655
14 November
20:00 UTC−6
2024–25 Nations League QF		 Costa Rica  0–1  Panama Estadio Nacional
Attendance: 29,201
Referee: Saíd Martínez (Honduras)
https://www.concacaf.com/en/nations-league/game-details?matchid=740685
  • Fajardo Goal 66' (pen.)
18 November
21:00 UTC−5
2024–25 Nations League QF		 Panama  2–2  Costa Rica Estadio Rommel Fernández
Referee: César Ramos (Mexico)
  • Blackman Goal 13'
  • Rodríguez Goal 45+3'
 https://www.concacaf.com/en/nations-league/game-details?matchid=740689
  • Bran Goal 24'
  • Martínez Goal 72'

2025 Matches

22 January
19:00 UTC−5
Friendly		 United States  3–0  Costa Rica Inter&Co Stadium
Attendance: 13,580
Referee: Cristhofer Corado (Guatemala)
  • White Goal 21'
  • Clark Goal 77'
  • Agyemang Goal 90'
 https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2025/01/23/world/friendlies/united-states-of-america/costa-rica/4567247/
21 March
20:00 UTC−6
2025 Gold Cup qualification		 Belize  0–7  Costa Rica FFB Stadium
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Adonis Carrasco (Dominican Republic)
https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2025/03/22/nc-america/concacaf-gold-cup-play-offs/belize/costa-rica/4613119/
  • Ugalde Goal 7', 36' (pen.)
  • K. Vargas Goal 38'
  • Mitchell Goal 65'
  • Zamora Goal 70', 88'
  • Alcócer Goal 81'
25 March
19:00 UTC−6
2025 Gold Cup qualification		 Costa Rica  6–1  Belize Estadio Nacional
Referee: Julio Luna (Guatemala)
  • Arzú Goal 1' (o.g.)
  • Bran Goal 6', 66'
  • Martínez Goal 8'
  • Ugalde Goal 36'
  • Zamora Goal 69'
 https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2025/03/26/nc-america/concacaf-gold-cup-play-offs/costa-rica/belize/4613126/
  • Bernárdez Goal 47'
28 May
19:00 UTC+2
Friendly		 Catalonia  2–0  Costa Rica Johan Cruyff Stadium
Attendance: 5,352
Referee: Víctor García Verdura (Spain)
  • A. Roca Goal 71'
  • Aleñá Goal 89'
 https://www.fcf.cat/noticia/festa-i-victoria-de-catalunya-al-johan-cruyff/28/05/2025
7 June
19:00 UTC−4
2026 FIFA World Cup qualification		 Bahamas  0–8  Costa Rica BFA Technical Centre
Referee: Reon Radix (Grenada)
https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/match-centre/match/520/288301/288302/400017722
  • Martínez Goal 20'
  • Mora Goal 37'
  • Bran Goal 45+2'
  • Galo Goal 48'
  • Ugalde Goal 51'
  • Madrigal Goal 64', 79'
  • Zamora Goal 90'
10 June
19:00 UTC−6
2026 FIFA World Cup qualification		 Costa Rica  2–1  Trinidad and Tobago Estadio Nacional
Referee: Daniel Quintero (Mexico)
  • Mitchell Goal 23'
  • Madrigal Goal 38'
 https://www.fifa.com/en/match-centre/match/520/288301/288302/400017725
  • L. García Goal 58'
15 June
20:00 UTC−7
2025 Gold Cup GS		 Costa Rica  4–3  Suriname Snapdragon Stadium
Attendance: 7,736
Referee: Joe Dickerson (United States)
  • Martínez Goal 14'
  • Ugalde Goal 19' (pen.), 90+13' (pen.)
  • Alcócer Goal 76'
 https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2025/06/16/nc-america/concacaf-gold-cup/costa-rica/suriname/4640554/
  • Kerk Goal 34'
  • Margaret Goal 59'
  • Pinas Goal 64' (pen.)
18 June
18:00 UTC−5
2025 Gold Cup GS		 Costa Rica  2–1  Dominican Republic AT&T Stadium
Attendance: 34,015
Referee: Lukasz Szpala (United States)
https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2025/06/18/nc-america/concacaf-gold-cup/costa-rica/dominican-rep/4640561/
  • Urbáez Goal 16'
22 June
19:00 UTC−7
2025 Gold Cup GS		 Mexico  0–0  Costa Rica Allegiant Stadium
Attendance: 35,000
Referee: Mario Escobar (Guatemala)
https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2025/06/23/nc-america/concacaf-gold-cup/mexico/costa-rica/4640570/
29 June
18:00 UTC−5
2025 Gold Cup QF		 United States  2–2  Costa Rica U.S. Bank Stadium
Attendance: 32,289
Referee: Walter López (Guatemala)
  • Luna Goal 43'
  • Arfsten Goal 47'
 https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2025/06/29/nc-america/concacaf-gold-cup/united-states/costa-rica/4640585/
  Penalties  
*Adams Scored
  • Tillman Scored
  • Berhalter Missed
  • Freeman Scored
  • Tolkin Missed
  • Downs Scored
 4–3 *Scored Martínez
  • Missed J. Vargas
  • Scored Van der Putten
  • Scored Brenes
  • Missed Calvo
  • Missed Rojas
September
--:-- UTC−6
2026 FIFA World Cup qualification		 Nicaragua  v  Costa Rica TBD
September
--:-- UTC−6
2026 FIFA World Cup qualification		 Costa Rica  v  Haiti TBD
October
--:-- UTC−6
2026 FIFA World Cup qualification		 Honduras  v  Costa Rica TBD
October
--:-- UTC−6
2026 FIFA World Cup qualification		 Costa Rica  v  Nicaragua TBD
November
--:-- 
2026 FIFA World Cup qualification		 Haiti  v  Costa Rica TBD
November
--:-- UTC−6
2026 FIFA World Cup qualification		 Costa Rica  v  Honduras TBD

Coaching Staff

Position Name
Head coach Mexico Miguel Herrera
Assistant coach Mexico Álvaro Galindo
Mexico Óscar Escobar
Costa Rica Paulo Wanchope
Goalkeeper's coach Costa Rica Ricardo González
Fitness coach 1 Mexico José Rangel
Video analyst Argentina Carlos Di Pasqua
Doctor Costa Rica Alejandro Ramírez
Physiotherapist Costa Rica Martha Sisfontes
Costa Rica Brayner Sánchez
Nutritionist Costa Rica Alhelí Mateos
Massage therapist Costa Rica Óscar Segura
Props Costa Rica Randall Obando
Costa Rica Alberto Mena
Team administrator Costa Rica Alvaro Herrera
Sporting director Argentina Claudio Vivas

Players: Who Plays for Costa Rica?

Current Squad

These players were chosen for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Caps (games played) and goals are correct as of June 29, 2025, after the match against the United States.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Keylor Navas (captain) (1986-12-15) 15 December 1986 (age 38) 119 0 Argentina Newell's Old Boys
18 1GK Alexandre Lezcano (2001-08-26) 26 August 2001 (age 24) 0 0 Costa Rica San Carlos
23 1GK Patrick Sequeira (1999-03-01) 1 March 1999 (age 26) 14 0 Portugal Casa Pia
2 2DF Santiago van der Putten (2004-06-25) 25 June 2004 (age 21) 3 0 Costa Rica Alajuelense
3 2DF Jeyland Mitchell (2004-09-29) 29 September 2004 (age 20) 17 2 Netherlands Feyenoord
4 2DF Juan Pablo Vargas (1995-06-06) 6 June 1995 (age 30) 33 2 Colombia Millonarios
5 2DF Fernán Faerrón (2000-08-22) 22 August 2000 (age 25) 7 0 Costa Rica Herediano
6 2DF Alexis Gamboa (1999-03-20) 20 March 1999 (age 26) 7 0 Costa Rica Alajuelense
8 2DF Joseph Mora (1993-01-15) 15 January 1993 (age 32) 18 1 Costa Rica Saprissa
11 2DF Ariel Lassiter (1994-09-27) 27 September 1994 (age 30) 28 0 United States Portland Timbers
15 2DF Francisco Calvo (1992-07-08) 8 July 1992 (age 33) 103 12 Turkey Hatayspor
24 2DF Guillermo Villalobos (2001-06-07) 7 June 2001 (age 24) 1 0 Costa Rica Alajuelense
26 2DF Kenay Myrie (2006-09-06) 6 September 2006 (age 18) 3 0 Costa Rica Saprissa
10 3MF Brandon Aguilera (2003-06-28) 28 June 2003 (age 22) 26 0 Portugal Rio Ave
13 3MF Jefferson Brenes (1997-04-13) 13 April 1997 (age 28) 16 1 Costa Rica Saprissa
14 3MF Orlando Galo (2000-08-11) 11 August 2000 (age 25) 24 4 Latvia Riga
16 3MF Alejandro Bran (2001-03-05) 5 March 2001 (age 24) 17 3 Costa Rica Alajuelense
22 3MF Carlos Mora (2001-03-18) 18 March 2001 (age 24) 13 0 Romania U Craiova
25 3MF Cristopher Núñez (1997-12-08) 8 December 1997 (age 27) 12 0 Costa Rica Cartaginés
7 4FW Andy Rojas (2005-12-05) 5 December 2005 (age 19) 13 1 United States New York Red Bulls II
9 4FW Manfred Ugalde (2002-05-25) 25 May 2002 (age 23) 24 10 Russia Spartak Moscow
12 4FW Alonso Martínez (1998-10-15) 15 October 1998 (age 26) 24 5 United States New York City
17 4FW Warren Madrigal (2004-07-24) 24 July 2004 (age 21) 20 5 Spain Valencia
19 4FW Kenneth Vargas (2002-04-17) 17 April 2002 (age 23) 15 2 Scotland Heart of Midlothian
20 4FW Josimar Alcócer (2004-07-07) 7 July 2004 (age 21) 20 6 Belgium Westerlo
21 4FW Álvaro Zamora (2002-03-09) 9 March 2002 (age 23) 19 5 Greece Aris Thessaloniki

Recent Call-ups

These players have been called up to the team in the last year.


Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Esteban Alvarado (1989-04-28) 28 April 1989 (age 36) 26 0 Costa Rica Saprissa 2025 CONCACAF Gold CupPRE
GK Kevin Chamorro (2000-04-08) 8 April 2000 (age 25) 8 0 Portugal Estoril 2025 CONCACAF Gold CupPRE
GK Anthony Walker (2001-01-29) 29 January 2001 (age 24) 1 0 Costa Rica Herediano v.  United States, 22 January 2025
GK Kevin Briceño (1991-10-21) 21 October 1991 (age 33) 1 0 Costa Rica Cartaginés v.  Panama, 18 November 2024
GK Aarón Cruz (1991-05-25) 25 May 1991 (age 34) 1 0 Costa Rica Herediano v.  Guatemala, 9 September 2024
DF Rónald Matarrita (1994-07-09) 9 July 1994 (age 31) 56 3 Costa Rica Alajuelense 2025 CONCACAF Gold CupPRE
DF Julio Cascante (1993-10-03) 3 October 1993 (age 31) 11 1 United States Austin 2025 CONCACAF Gold CupPRE
DF Haxzel Quirós (1998-06-03) 3 June 1998 (age 27) 10 0 Costa Rica Herediano 2025 CONCACAF Gold CupPRE
DF Gerald Taylor (2001-05-28) 28 May 2001 (age 24) 7 1 Scotland Heart of Midlothian 2025 CONCACAF Gold CupPRE
DF Yostin Salinas (1998-09-14) 14 September 1998 (age 26) 4 0 Costa Rica Sporting San José 2025 CONCACAF Gold CupPRE
DF Kevin Espinoza (1997-02-11) 11 February 1997 (age 28) 1 0 Costa Rica Cartaginés 2025 CONCACAF Gold CupPRE
DF Joseth Peraza (2004-12-09) 9 December 2004 (age 20) 1 0 Costa Rica San Carlos 2025 CONCACAF Gold CupPRE
DF John Ruiz (2004-12-27) 27 December 2004 (age 20) 1 0 Costa Rica Puntarenas 2025 CONCACAF Gold CupPRE
DF Carlos Barahona (2002-08-22) 22 August 2002 (age 23) 0 0 Cyprus Apollon Limassol 2025 CONCACAF Gold CupPRE
DF Yeison Molina (1996-01-25) 25 January 1996 (age 29) 0 0 Costa Rica Guanacasteca 2025 CONCACAF Gold CupPRE
DF Yurguin Román (1997-01-19) 19 January 1997 (age 28) 0 0 Costa Rica Herediano 2025 CONCACAF Gold CupPRE
DF Ryan Bolaños (1998-12-19) 19 December 1998 (age 26) 1 0 Costa Rica Saprissa v.  United States, 22 January 2025
DF Adrián Chévez (2004-01-21) 21 January 2004 (age 21) 0 0 Costa Rica Santa Ana v.  Panama, 14 November 2024
MF Randall Leal (1997-01-14) 14 January 1997 (age 28) 29 1 United States D.C. United 2025 CONCACAF Gold CupPRE
MF Allan Cruz (1996-02-24) 24 February 1996 (age 29) 25 2 Costa Rica Herediano 2025 CONCACAF Gold CupPRE
MF Jewison Bennette (2004-06-15) 15 June 2004 (age 21) 13 2 Ukraine LNZ Cherkasy 2025 CONCACAF Gold CupPRE
MF Gerson Torres (1997-08-28) 28 August 1997 (age 28) 13 1 Costa Rica Saprissa 2025 CONCACAF Gold CupPRE
MF Aarón Suárez (2002-06-27) 27 June 2002 (age 23) 9 1 Costa Rica Alajuelense 2025 CONCACAF Gold CupPRE
MF Luis Díaz (1998-12-06) 6 December 1998 (age 26) 7 0 United States New England Revolution 2025 CONCACAF Gold CupPRE
MF Roan Wilson (2002-05-01) 1 May 2002 (age 23) 7 0 Portugal Chaves 2025 CONCACAF Gold CupPRE
MF Sebastián Acuña (2002-06-25) 25 June 2002 (age 23) 5 0 Costa Rica Saprissa 2025 CONCACAF Gold CupPRE
MF Rashir Parkins (2001-02-23) 23 February 2001 (age 24) 2 0 Costa Rica Alajuelense 2025 CONCACAF Gold CupPRE
MF Creichel Pérez (2004-11-11) 11 November 2004 (age 20) 1 0 Costa Rica Alajuelense 2025 CONCACAF Gold CupPRE
MF Randy Vega (2001-12-31) 31 December 2001 (age 23) 1 0 Costa Rica Herediano 2025 CONCACAF Gold CupPRE
MF Mauricio Villalobos (1999-08-20) 20 August 1999 (age 26) 1 0 Costa Rica Santa Ana 2025 CONCACAF Gold CupPRE
MF Deylan Aguilar (2007-01-06) 6 January 2007 (age 18) 0 0 Costa Rica Santos de Guápiles 2025 CONCACAF Gold CupPRE
MF Dax Palmer (2007-02-08) 8 February 2007 (age 18) 0 0 Costa Rica Saprissa 2025 CONCACAF Gold CupPRE
MF Douglas López (1998-09-21) 21 September 1998 (age 26) 3 0 Costa Rica Cartaginés v.  Catalonia, 28 May 2025
FW Joel Campbell (1992-06-26) 26 June 1992 (age 33) 141 24 Costa Rica Alajuelense 2025 CONCACAF Gold CupPRE
FW Anthony Contreras (2000-01-29) 29 January 2000 (age 25) 25 2 Latvia Riga 2025 CONCACAF Gold CupPRE
FW Jimmy Marín (1997-10-08) 8 October 1997 (age 27) 13 1 Unattached 2025 CONCACAF Gold CupPRE
FW Anthony Hernández (2001-11-10) 10 November 2001 (age 23) 4 1 Costa Rica Puntarenas 2025 CONCACAF Gold CupPRE
FW Josimar Méndez (2001-09-19) 19 September 2001 (age 23) 1 0 Costa Rica San Carlos 2025 CONCACAF Gold CupPRE
FW Isaac Badilla (2008-06-18) 18 June 2008 (age 17) 0 0 Costa Rica Alajuelense 2025 CONCACAF Gold CupPRE
FW Kenyel Michel (2004-09-17) 17 September 2004 (age 20) 0 0 Costa Rica Cartaginés 2025 CONCACAF Gold CupPRE
FW José Mora (2004-02-27) 27 February 2004 (age 21) 0 0 Costa Rica Guanacasteca 2025 CONCACAF Gold CupPRE
FW Marvin Loría (1997-04-24) 24 April 1997 (age 28) 1 0 Costa Rica Saprissa v.  Catalonia, 28 May 2025
FW Diego Campos (1995-10-01) 1 October 1995 (age 29) 2 0 Costa Rica Alajuelense v.  United States, 22 January 2025
FW Orlando Sinclair (1998-04-19) 19 April 1998 (age 27) 1 0 Costa Rica Saprissa v.  United States, 22 January 2025

INJ Withdrew due to injury.
RET Retired from the national team.
ILL Withdrew due to illness.
PRE Preliminary squad.
WD Withdrew for personal reasons.

Team Records: Top Players

Most Games Played

Celso Borges - Gold Cup 2015
Celso Borges is Costa Rica's most capped player with 163 appearances.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Celso Borges 163 27 2008–2023
2 Joel Campbell 148 27 2011–present
3 Bryan Ruiz 147 29 2005–2022
4 Walter Centeno 137 24 1995–2009
5 Luis Marín 128 5 1993–2009
6 Keylor Navas 114 0 2008–present
7 Rolando Fonseca 113 47 1992–2011
8 Álvaro Saborío 112 36 2002–2021
9 Mauricio Solís 110 6 1993–2006
10 Francisco Calvo 104 14 2011–present

Top Goal Scorers

Rolando Fonseca - Oct. 2006
Rolando Fonseca is Costa Rica's all-time top scorer with 47 goals.
Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Rolando Fonseca 47 113 0.42 1992–2011
2 Paulo Wanchope 45 73 0.62 1996–2008
3 Álvaro Saborío 36 112 0.32 2002–2021
4 Bryan Ruiz 29 147 0.2 2005–2022
5 Juan Ulloa 27 27 1 1955–1970
Joel Campbell 27 148 0.18 2011–present
Celso Borges 27 163 0.17 2008–2023
8 Rónald Gómez 24 91 0.26 1993–2008
Walter Centeno 24 137 0.18 1995–2009
10 Jorge Monge 23 27 0.85 1955–1961

Team Achievements: Trophies and Awards

CRI ENG 24 06 2014 9660
Costa Rica national football team players celebrating their classification at the FIFA World Cup 2014 for the round of 16 in first place of Group D at Mineirão stadium in Belo Horizonte after their draw with England.

Continental Titles

  • CONCACAF Championship / Gold Cup
    • CONCACAF - Gold Cup.svg Champions (3): 1963, 1969, 1989
    • 2 Runners-up (1): 2002
    • 3 Third place (4): 1965, 1971, 1985, 1993

Regional Titles

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

Other Awards

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Costa Rica para niños

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Costa Rica national football team Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.