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)
Los Diablos Rojos (The Red Devils)
Association Federación Costarricense de Fútbol (FCRF)
Confederation CONCACAF (North America)
Sub-confederation UNCAF (Central America)
Head coach Claudio Vivas (Interim)
Captain Francisco Calvo
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 22 (first in 1963)
Best result Champions (1963, 1969, 1989)
Nations League Finals
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 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 North America 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

The Costa Rica national football team (also known as La Sele or The Selection) represents Costa Rica in men's international football games. The team is managed by the Costa Rican Football Federation (FEDEFUTBOL). They joined the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) in 1927. They also joined the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) in 1961. Since 1990, they have been part of the Central American Football Union (UNCAF).

Costa Rica is the most successful football team in Central America. They have won three CONCACAF Championships (in 1963, 1969, and 1989). They also led the Copa Centroamericana with four championships until 2017. Costa Rica is the only Central American team to have played in six FIFA World Cups. They have a high ranking in the World Football Elo Ratings for Central America.

Since the late 1980s, the team has been very competitive. They are often seen as one of the top teams in CONCACAF. In the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy, they reached the knockout stage in their first World Cup. They finished second in their group, just behind Brazil. They also played in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups.

In 2014, Costa Rica had their best performance ever. They won their group, which included three former World Cup champions: Uruguay, Italy, and England. They beat Greece in the Round of 16 after a penalty shootout. Their goalkeeper, Keylor Navas, saved many shots. They reached the quarter-finals for the first time. There, they lost to the Netherlands in another penalty shootout. Their World Cup journeys in 2018 and 2022 ended in the group stage.

History of the Team

Early Football Days

The national team played its first game in September 1921. This was at the Independence Centenary Games 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 was nicknamed "The Gold Shorties." In the 1950s and 1960s, they were the second strongest team in CONCACAF, after Mexico. They finished second in World Cup qualifying for the 1958, 1962, and 1966 tournaments. Famous players from this time included Ruben Jimenez and Errol Daniels. However, they did not reach any World Cups during that decade. Their success declined in the late 1960s as other teams became stronger.

The 1980s

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

They played in two Summer Olympic Games: Moscow in 1980 and Los Angeles in 1984. In 1980, they lost all their group games. In Los Angeles, they lost to the United States and Egypt. But they famously beat a strong Italy team 1–0.

1990 World Cup Debut

Costa Rica won the 1989 CONCACAF Championship to qualify for their first ever World Cup. They beat Panama in the first round of qualifiers. Then, they automatically advanced when Mexico was disqualified.

In the final qualifying group, Costa Rica had mixed results. They drew with Trinidad and Tobago and beat them at home. They also had an important away win against El Salvador. They finished first in their group, ahead of the United States.

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

2002 World Cup Journey

Costa Rica played in the qualifiers for the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan. They were coached by Brazilian Alexandre Guimarães. They had a surprising 2–1 loss to Barbados at the start. But they recovered by beating the United States 2–1. They also beat Guatemala and Barbados. After some ups and downs, they won a play-off against Guatemala 5–2.

In the final qualifying round, Costa Rica played well. They drew with Honduras and beat Trinidad and Tobago. Their only loss was 1–0 to the United States. They then had a famous 2–1 win against Mexico in Mexico City, known as the Aztecazo. Wins against Jamaica, Honduras, and Trinidad and Tobago brought them close to qualifying. They secured their spot with a 2–0 win against the United States.

In the finals, Costa Rica was in Group C with Brazil, China, and Turkey. They started by beating China 2–0. Their second game against Turkey was a 1–1 draw. Against Brazil, they lost 5–2. Costa Rica finished behind Turkey on goal difference and was eliminated.

2006 World Cup Appearance

Costa Rica qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup again. Their American coach, Steve Sampson, left after they struggled in the early stages. Jorge Luis Pinto took over, but they had a tough start with a 5–2 loss to Honduras. They recovered with wins over Canada and a big 5–0 win over Guatemala. This helped them win their group.

In the final round, they lost to Mexico but beat Panama. Pinto was then replaced by Guimarães again. Costa Rica secured their third World Cup qualification with a 3–0 win against the United States.

On June 9, 2006, Costa Rica played their first match in the World Cup against host country Germany. They lost 4–2, even though Paulo Wanchope scored two goals. They then lost 3–0 to Ecuador and 2–1 to Poland.

2010 World Cup Qualification Missed

Costa Rica started the qualifiers for the 2010 FIFA World Cup by beating Grenada. They won all six games in the next phase.

With two games left in the final round, Costa Rica was close to qualifying. They needed to win their last match against the United States. They led 2–0 at halftime, but the United States scored late to draw 2–2. Meanwhile, Honduras won their game, moving them into third place.

Costa Rica finished fourth, which meant they had to play a special match against Uruguay. They lost the first game in San José 1–0. In the second game, they drew 1–1, but Uruguay won 2–1 overall. This meant Costa Rica did not qualify for the World Cup. After this, a new team started to form with young players like Keylor Navas and Joel Campbell.

2014 World Cup Success

The Ticos' 2014 World Cup journey began with a 2–2 draw against El Salvador. They then won 4–0 against Guyana. After two losses to Mexico, they bounced back with a 1–0 win against El Salvador. They secured their spot in the final round with a 7–0 win over Guyana.

In the final qualifying round, they drew with Panama. They lost to the United States in Denver. Costa Rica then beat Jamaica 2–0 and Honduras 1–0. They drew 0–0 with Mexico at the Estadio Azteca. They also won 2–0 at home against Panama. In September, they won 3–1 against the United States.

On September 10, 2013, Costa Rica drew 1–1 with Jamaica to qualify for the World Cup with two games left. They finished second in the group, behind the United States.

At the finals, Costa Rica was in Group D with three former World Cup winners: Italy, England, and Uruguay. Many thought they would not do well. But they surprised everyone by beating Uruguay and Italy. They drew 0–0 with England, finishing first in their group.

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. There, they held the Netherlands to a 0–0 draw. But they lost 4–3 in a penalty shootout. Costa Rica then rose 12 places to 16th in the FIFA World Rankings.

2018 World Cup Campaign

Cos-Serb (3)
Costa Rica national team at the 2018 World Cup in Russia

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, Costa Rica was in Group E with Brazil, Switzerland, and Serbia. Many key players from 2014 were still on the team. However, they had a disappointing group stage exit. Costa Rica lost their first two games to Serbia and Brazil without scoring. They drew 2–2 with Switzerland in their last match.

2022 World Cup Journey

Costa Rica qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup by finishing fourth in their final qualifying round. They then won a play-off match 1–0 against New Zealand in Qatar.

On November 23, 2022, Costa Rica lost 7–0 against Spain. This was their biggest World Cup loss. It also tied their worst defeat in professional football. After beating Japan and scoring two goals against Germany in the first half of their last group game, Germany scored three goals and eliminated Costa Rica.

Home 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 games and World Cup qualifying matches. Before this, games were played at Estadio Ricardo Saprissa or Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto.

Team Look

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

Costa Rica usually wears a red jersey, blue shorts, and white socks. Their away kit used to be black and white striped, like the Juventus team. This was because of the colors of CS La Libertad, an old club in Costa Rica. But after 1997, they started using a white away kit.

Since 2023, Adidas has been the company that makes the team's uniforms.

Results and Upcoming Games

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

Here are the recent match results and future games scheduled for the team.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024 Matches

2025 Upcoming Matches

Coaching Staff

Position Name
Manager Argentina Claudio Vivas
Assistant coach 1 Argentina Carlos Gonzalez
Assistant coach 2 Argentina Claudio Cristofanelli
Goalkeeper's coach Argentina Diego Martin Carranza
Fitness coach 1 Argentina Sergio Omar
Fitness coach 2 Argentina Pedro Ignacio
Video analyst Argentina Alejandro Juan
Doctor Costa Rica Alejandro Ramírez
Physiotherapist Costa Rica Martha Sisfontes
Physiotherapist Costa Rica Brayner Sánchez
Nutritionist Costa Rica Alhelí Mateos
Massage therapist Costa Rica Óscar Segura
Props Costa Rica Randall Obando
Props Costa Rica Alberto Mena
Team administrator Costa Rica Alvaro Herrera
Sporting director Argentina Claudio Vivas

Players

Current Squad

These players were chosen for the 2024–25 CONCACAF Nations League matches in October 2024.

Caps and goals are correct as of October 15, 2024, after the game against  Guatemala.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK Patrick Sequeira (1999-03-01) 1 March 1999 (age 26) 14 0 Portugal Casa Pia
1GK Kevin Briceño (1991-10-21) 21 October 1991 (age 33) 1 0 Costa Rica Cartaginés
1GK Alexandre Lezcano (2001-08-26) 26 August 2001 (age 23) 0 0 Costa Rica Santos de Guápiles
2DF Francisco Calvo (1992-07-08) 8 July 1992 (age 32) 100 14 Turkey Atakaş Hatayspor
2DF Juan Pablo Vargas (1995-06-06) 6 June 1995 (age 30) 29 3 Colombia Millonarios
2DF Ariel Lassiter (1994-09-27) 27 September 1994 (age 30) 27 2 United States Chicago Fire
2DF Joseph Mora (1993-01-15) 15 January 1993 (age 32) 12 0 Costa Rica Saprissa
2DF Haxzel Quirós (1998-06-03) 3 June 1998 (age 27) 12 0 Costa Rica Herediano
2DF Julio Cascante (1993-10-03) 3 October 1993 (age 31) 11 1 United States Austin
2DF Jeyland Mitchell (2004-09-29) 29 September 2004 (age 20) 11 0 Netherlands Feyenoord
2DF Fernán Faerrón (2000-08-22) 22 August 2000 (age 24) 3 0 Costa Rica Herediano
2DF Yostin Salinas (1998-09-14) 14 September 1998 (age 26) 3 0 Costa Rica Sporting San José
3MF Brandon Aguilera (2003-06-28) 28 June 2003 (age 21) 22 0 Portugal Rio Ave
3MF Jefferson Brenes (1997-04-13) 13 April 1997 (age 28) 18 1 Costa Rica Saprissa
3MF Alejandro Bran (2001-03-05) 5 March 2001 (age 24) 11 0 England Burton Albion
3MF Sebastián Acuña (2002-06-25) 25 June 2002 (age 23) 5 0 Costa Rica San Carlos
3MF Rashir Parkins (2001-02-23) 23 February 2001 (age 24) 1 0 Costa Rica Alajuelense
4FW Joel Campbell (1992-06-26) 26 June 1992 (age 33) 146 27 Brazil Atlético Goianiense
4FW Warren Madrigal (2004-07-24) 24 July 2004 (age 20) 20 4 Spain Valencia Mestalla
4FW Josimar Alcócer (2004-07-07) 7 July 2004 (age 20) 17 4 Belgium Westerlo
4FW Alonso Martínez (1998-10-15) 15 October 1998 (age 26) 17 0 United States New York City
4FW Manfred Ugalde (2002-05-25) 25 May 2002 (age 23) 16 3 Russia Spartak Moscow
4FW Álvaro Zamora (2002-03-09) 9 March 2002 (age 23) 16 1 Greece Aris
4FW Kenneth Vargas (2002-04-17) 17 April 2002 (age 23) 8 1 Scotland Heart of Midlothian
4FW Andy Rojas (2005-12-05) 5 December 2005 (age 19) 3 1 Costa Rica Herediano

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 Aarón Cruz (1991-05-25) 25 May 1991 (age 34) 4 0 Costa Rica Herediano v.  Guatemala, 9 September 2024
GK Kevin Chamorro (2000-04-08) 8 April 2000 (age 25) 11 0 Portugal Estoril 2024 Copa América
GK Alexandre Lezcano (2001-08-26) 26 August 2001 (age 23) 0 0 Costa Rica Herediano Microcycle, 27–31 May 2024
GK Keylor NavasRET (1986-12-15) 15 December 1986 (age 38) 114 0 Unattached v.  Argentina, 26 March 2024
DF Gerald Taylor (2001-05-28) 28 May 2001 (age 24) 8 1 Scotland Heart of Midlothian v.  Guatemala, 9 September 2024
DF Yeison Molina (1996-01-25) 25 January 1996 (age 29) 1 0 Costa Rica Guanacasteca 2024 Copa América
DF Douglas Sequeira (2003-09-16) 16 September 2003 (age 21) 0 0 Portugal Nacional 2024 Copa América
DF Yurguin Román (1997-01-19) 19 January 1997 (age 28) 0 0 Costa Rica San Carlos v.  Uruguay, 31 May 2024
DF Joseth Peraza (2004-12-09) 9 December 2004 (age 20) 0 0 Costa Rica San Carlos v.  Uruguay, 31 May 2024
DF Iverson Salmerón (2003-03-06) 6 March 2003 (age 22) 0 0 Costa Rica Municipal Grecia Microcycle, 27–31 May 2024
DF Yael López (1998-12-17) 17 December 1998 (age 26) 3 0 Costa Rica Alajuelense v.  Argentina, 26 March 2024
DF Alexis Gamboa (1999-03-20) 20 March 1999 (age 26) 3 0 Costa Rica Alajuelense v.  Argentina, 26 March 2024
DF Pablo Arboine (1998-04-03) April 3, 1998 (age 27) 9 0 Costa Rica Saprissa v.  Argentina, 26 March 2024
DF Jefry Valverde (1995-06-10) 10 June 1995 (age 30) 3 0 Costa Rica Saprissa v.  El Salvador, 2 February 2024
DF Ian Lawrence (2002-05-28) 28 May 2002 (age 23) 4 0 Costa Rica Alajuelense v.  El Salvador, 2 February 2024
DF Giancarlo González (1988-02-08) 8 February 1988 (age 37) 90 2 Costa Rica Sporting San José v.  Panama, 20 November 2023
DF Bryan Oviedo (1990-02-18) 18 February 1990 (age 35) 81 2 Unattached v.  Panama, 20 November 2023
MF Orlando Galo (2000-08-11) 11 August 2000 (age 24) 19 3 Latvia Riga 2024 Copa América
MF Carlos Mora (2001-03-18) 18 March 2001 (age 24) 8 0 Romania U Craiova v.  Uruguay, 31 May 2024
MF Douglas López (1998-09-21) 21 September 1998 (age 26) 3 0 Costa Rica Cartaginés v.  Uruguay, 31 May 2024
MF Allan Cruz (1996-02-24) 24 February 1996 (age 29) 24 2 Costa Rica Herediano Microcycle, 27–31 May 2024
MF Elías Aguilar (1991-11-07) 7 November 1991 (age 33) 22 2 Costa Rica Herediano Microcycle, 27–31 May 2024
MF Kendall Porras (2002-09-08) 8 September 2002 (age 22) 0 0 Costa Rica Sporting San José Microcycle, 27–31 May 2024
MF Randall Leal (1997-01-14) 14 January 1997 (age 28) 29 1 United States Nashville v.  El Salvador, 2 February 2024
MF Aarón Suárez (2002-06-27) 27 June 2002 (age 23) 7 1 Costa Rica Alajuelense v.  El Salvador, 2 February 2024
MF Luis Flores (1994-01-23) 23 January 1994 (age 31) 1 0 Costa Rica Sporting San José v.  El Salvador, 2 February 2024
MF Yeltsin Tejeda (1992-03-17) 17 March 1992 (age 33) 78 1 Costa Rica Herediano v.  Panama, 20 November 2023
MF Jewison Bennette (2004-06-15) 15 June 2004 (age 21) 11 2 England Sunderland v.  Panama, 20 November 2023
MF Youstin Salas (1996-06-17) 17 June 1996 (age 29) 6 0 Costa Rica Saprissa v.  Panama, 16 November 2023
FW Anthony Contreras (2000-01-29) 29 January 2000 (age 25) 28 4 Latvia Riga 2024 Copa América
FW Steven Cárdenas (1991-12-13) 13 December 1991 (age 33) 0 0 Costa Rica Sporting San José v.  Uruguay, 31 May 2024
FW Julián Ugalde (2005-04-12) 12 April 2005 (age 20) 0 0 Costa Rica Municipal Grecia Microcycle, 27–31 May 2024
FW Jostin Daly (1998-04-23) 23 April 1998 (age 27) 2 1 Costa Rica Cartaginés v.  El Salvador, 2 February 2024

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

Players in bold are still active with Costa Rica.

Most Appearances

Celso Borges - Gold Cup 2015
Celso Borges has played the most games for Costa Rica with 163 appearances.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Celso Borges 163 27 2008–2023
2 Bryan Ruiz 147 29 2005–2022
Joel Campbell 147 27 2011–present
4 Walter Centeno 137 24 1995–2009
5 Luis Marín 128 5 1993–2009
6 Keylor Navas 114 0 2008–2024
7 Rolando Fonseca 113 47 1992–2011
8 Álvaro Saborío 112 36 2002–2021
9 Mauricio Solís 110 6 1993–2006
10 Michael Umaña 102 1 2004–2017

Top Goalscorers

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 27 146 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

Competitive Record

FIFA World Cup

Main article: Costa Rica at the FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup Record Qualification Record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
Uruguay 1930 Did not enter Declined invitation
Italy 1934 Did not enter Did not enter
France 1938 Withdrew Withdrew
Brazil 1950 Did not enter Did not enter
Switzerland 1954 Entry not accepted by FIFA Entry not accepted by FIFA
Sweden 1958 Did not qualify 6 4 1 1 16 7
Chile 1962 9 5 1 3 22 14
England 1966 8 5 2 1 17 3
Mexico 1970 4 2 1 1 7 3
West Germany 1974 2 0 1 1 4 5
Argentina 1978 6 1 4 1 8 6
Spain 1982 8 1 4 3 6 10
Mexico 1986 8 2 5 1 10 8
Italy 1990 Round of 16 13th 4 2 0 2 4 6 Squad 10 6 2 2 13 7
United States 1994 Did not qualify 8 4 0 4 16 11
France 1998 16 7 3 6 22 17
South Korea Japan 2002 Group stage 19th 3 1 1 1 5 6 Squad 17 11 3 3 31 10
Germany 2006 31st 3 0 0 3 3 9 Squad 18 8 4 6 30 25
South Africa 2010 Did not qualify 20 12 3 5 41 22
Brazil 2014 Quarter-finals 8th 5 2 3 0 5 2 Squad 16 8 4 4 27 12
Russia 2018 Group stage 29th 3 0 1 2 2 5 Squad 16 9 5 2 25 11
Qatar 2022 27th 3 1 0 2 3 11 Squad 15 8 4 3 14 8
Canada Mexico United States 2026 Qualification in progress 2 2 0 0 7 0
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 To be determined To be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total Quarter-finals 6/22 21 6 5 10 22 39 — 189 95 47 47 316 184
*Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

CONCACAF Gold Cup

Main article: Costa Rica at the CONCACAF Gold Cup
CONCACAF Championship & Gold Cup Record Qualification Record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
El Salvador 1963 Champions 1st 6 5 1 0 14 2 Squad Qualified automatically
Guatemala 1965 Third place 3rd 5 2 2 1 11 4 Squad Automatically entered
Honduras 1967 Did not enter Did not enter
Costa Rica 1969 Champions 1st 5 4 1 0 13 2 Squad Qualified as hosts
Trinidad and Tobago 1971 Third place 3rd 5 2 1 2 6 5 Squad Qualified as defending champions
Haiti 1973 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 4 5
Mexico 1977 6 1 4 1 8 6
Honduras 1981 8 1 4 3 6 10
1985 Third place 3rd 8 2 5 1 10 8 Squad 5 1 0 4 5 9
1989 Champions 1st 8 5 1 2 10 6 Squad Qualified automatically
United States 1991 Fourth place 4th 5 1 0 4 5 9 Squad Qualified as defending champions
Mexico United States 1993 Third place 3rd 5 1 3 1 6 5 Squad 5 4 0 1 11 2
United States 1996 Did not qualify 4 1 1 2 5 6
United States 1998 Group stage 5th 2 1 0 1 8 4 Squad 5 3 2 0 12 3
United States 2000 Quarter-finals 6th 3 0 2 1 5 6 Squad 5 3 0 2 13 3
United States 2002 Runners-up 2nd 5 3 1 1 8 5 Squad 5 2 2 1 8 5
Mexico United States 2003 Fourth place 4th 5 2 0 3 10 8 Squad 5 4 1 0 5 1
United States 2005 Quarter-finals 6th 4 2 1 1 6 4 Squad 4 3 1 0 8 2
United States 2007 7th 4 1 1 2 3 4 Squad 4 2 1 1 6 3
United States 2009 Semi-finals 4th 5 2 2 1 10 6 Squad 4 3 1 0 9 1
United States 2011 Quarter-finals 5th 4 1 2 1 8 6 Squad 4 1 2 1 5 4
United States 2013 5th 4 2 0 2 4 2 Squad 5 4 1 0 6 1
Canada United States 2015 7th 4 0 3 1 3 4 Squad 3 2 1 0 7 3
United States 2017 Semi-finals 4th 5 3 1 1 6 3 Squad 5 1 3 1 4 2
Costa Rica Jamaica United States 2019 Quarter-finals 5th 4 2 1 1 8 4 Squad Qualified automatically
United States 2021 5th 4 3 0 1 6 4 Squad 4 1 3 0 4 3
Canada United States 2023 7th 4 1 1 2 7 8 Squad 4 2 0 2 4 4
Total 3 Titles 22/27 104 45 29 30 167 109 — 82 38 28 16 125 64

CONCACAF Nations League

CONCACAF Nations League Record
League Finals
Season Division Group Pld W D L GF GA P/R Year Result Pld W D L GF GA Squad
2019−20 A D 4 1 3 0 4 3 Same position United States 2021 Fourth place 2 0 2 0 2 0 Squad
2022–23 A B 4 2 0 2 4 4 Same position United States 2023 Did not qualify
2023–24 A Bye Same position United States 2024
2024–25 A A In progress 2025 To be determined
Total — — 8 3 3 2 8 7 — Total 0 Titles 2 0 2 0 2 0 —

Copa América

Main article: Costa Rica at the Copa América
Copa América Record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad
Ecuador 1993* Not invited
Uruguay 1995
Bolivia 1997 Group stage 10th 3 0 1 2 2 10 Squad
Paraguay 1999 Not invited
Colombia 2001 Quarter-finals 5th 4 2 1 1 7 3 Squad
Peru 2004 7th 4 1 0 3 3 8 Squad
Venezuela 2007 Not invited
Argentina 2011 Group stage 9th 3 1 0 2 2 4 Squad
Chile 2015 Not invited
United States 2016 Group stage 10th 3 1 1 1 3 6 Squad
Brazil 2019 Not invited
Brazil 2021
United States 2024 Group stage 10th 3 1 1 1 2 4 Squad
Total Quarter-finals 6/13 20 6 4 10 19 35 —
*The 1993 Copa América was the first time nations from outside CONMEBOL were invited.

Copa Centroamericana

Copa Centroamericana Record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
Costa Rica 1991 Champions 1st 3 3 0 0 10 1
Honduras 1993 Runners-up 2nd 3 2 0 1 3 2
El Salvador 1995 Fourth place 4th 4 1 1 2 5 6
Guatemala 1997 Champions 1st 5 3 2 0 12 3
Costa Rica 1999 Champions 1st 5 3 0 2 13 3
Honduras 2001 Runners-up 2nd 5 2 2 1 8 5
Panama 2003 Champions 1st 5 4 1 0 5 1
Guatemala 2005 Champions 1st 4 3 1 0 8 2
El Salvador 2007 Champions 1st 4 2 1 1 5 2
Honduras 2009 Runners-up 2nd 4 3 1 0 9 1
Panama 2011 Runners-up 2nd 4 1 2 1 6 5
Costa Rica 2013 Champions 1st 5 4 1 0 6 1
United States 2014 Champions 1st 3 2 1 0 7 3
Panama 2017 Fourth place 4th 5 1 3 1 4 2
Total 8 Titles 14/14 59 34 16 9 103 37

Honours

CRI ENG 24 06 2014 9660
Costa Rica national football team players celebrating their qualification for the Round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup 2014. They finished first in Group D at Mineirão stadium after drawing with England.

Major Competitions

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

  • Copa Centroamericana
    • Champions (8): 1991, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2013, 2014
    • Runners-up (4): 1993, 2001, 2009, 2011

Friendly Competitions

  • Independence Centenary Games
    • Champions (1): 1921

FIFA World Ranking

See also: FIFA World Rankings

The FIFA World Ranking shows how well national football teams are doing. It is updated regularly.

  • Best Ranking: 13th (February–March 2015)
  • Worst Ranking: 93rd (July 1996)

See also

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

  • Costa Rica national under-23 football team
  • Costa Rica national under-20 football team
  • Costa Rica national under-17 football team
  • Costa Rica at the FIFA World Cup
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.