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Costa Rica women's national football team facts for kids

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Costa Rica
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) Las Ticas
La Sele Femenina (The Women's Selection)
La Tricolor (The Tricolor)
Association Federación Costarricense de Fútbol (FCRF)
Confederation CONCACAF (North America, Central America and the Caribbean)
Sub-confederation Central American Football Union (Central America)
Head coach Benito Rubido
Captain Katherine Alvarado
Most caps Katherine Alvarado (133)
Top scorer Raquel Rodriguez (55)
Home stadium Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica
FIFA code CRC
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 37 Decrease 3 (7 December 2018)
Highest 29 (June–December 2016)
Lowest 50 (March 2007)
First international
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada 6–0 Costa Rica 
(Port-au-Prince, Haiti; 16 April 1991)
Biggest win
Flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis.svg Saint Kitts and Nevis 0–19 Costa Rica 
(Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis; 4 December 2023)
Biggest defeat
Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil 8–0 Costa Rica 
(Hershey, United States; 22 June 2000)
Flag of the United States.svg United States 8–0 Costa Rica 
(Louisville, United States; 25 June 2000)
Flag of the United States.svg United States 8–0 Costa Rica 
(Pittsburgh, United States; 16 August 2015)
World Cup
Appearances 2 (first in 2015)
Best result Group stage (2015, 2023)
CONCACAF Championship
Appearances 8 (first in 1991)
Best result Runners-up (2014)
Medal record
Pan American Games
Bronze 1999 Winnipeg Team
Bronze 2019 Lima Team

The Costa Rica women's national football team represents Costa Rica in international football (soccer). The team is managed by the Costa Rican Football Federation. They are one of the top women's football teams in Central America. Other strong teams in the region include Guatemala and Panama.

Since the 2010s, Costa Rica has become a strong team in women's football. Like their men's team, the women's team is known as a tough opponent. In their first World Cup in 2015, Costa Rica surprised many. They earned two points by drawing against strong teams like Spain and South Korea. They were only knocked out after a late goal from Brazil.

Team History: How Costa Rica's Women's Team Grew

The Costa Rican women's team played its first international match in 1990. At that time, women's football was still developing in Central America. The success of the men's team helped the FCF (Costa Rican Football Federation) support the women's team. Their first big tournament was the 1991 CONCACAF Women's Championship. Costa Rica finished third in their group and did not move forward.

Later, Costa Rica started to achieve more success. They won bronze medals at the 1998 CONCACAF Women's Championship and the 1999 Pan American Games. However, after these achievements, the team struggled for a while. Women's football was still not as popular as men's football.

At the 2014 CONCACAF Women's Championship, Costa Rica had a big surprise. They won the silver medal, even though they lost 0–6 to the USA in the final. This second-place finish meant they qualified for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. It was the first time Costa Rica had ever played in a FIFA Women's World Cup.

In the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, Costa Rica was in a group with Brazil, South Korea, and Spain. They earned two surprising draws: 1–1 against Spain and 2–2 against South Korea. However, they lost 1–0 to Brazil and were eliminated in the group stage.

At the 2018 CONCACAF Women's Championship, Costa Rica hoped to qualify for the World Cup again. They won their first group match 8–0 against Cuba. But they lost their second match 1–0 to Jamaica. A goal for Costa Rica was controversially disallowed in that game. Costa Rica then lost their final group match 3–1 to Canada. This meant they could not qualify for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.

Costa Rica performed much better in the 2022 CONCACAF W Championship. They finished second in their group after beating Panama and Trinidad and Tobago. Although they finished fourth overall, this result allowed Costa Rica to return to the Women's World Cup in 2023.

Team Identity: Nicknames and Home Stadium

Team Nicknames

The Costa Rica women's national football team has a few nicknames. They are often called "La Sele (The Selection)" or "La Tricolor (The Tricolor)".

Home Stadium

The team plays its home matches at the Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica.

Recent Games and Upcoming Matches

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

Legend

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

Matches Played in 2024

  • 16 July: United States  0–0 Flag of Costa Rica.svg Costa Rica (Friendly, Washington, D.C., United States) - Result: Draw
  • 27 October: Costa Rica  0–1 Flag of Panama.svg Panama (Friendly, Alajuela, Costa Rica) - Result: Loss
  • 30 October: Costa Rica  0–2 Flag of Panama.svg Panama (Friendly, Alajuela, Costa Rica) - Result: Loss
  • 27 November: Costa Rica  1–2 Flag of Panama.svg Panama (Friendly, Cancún, Mexico) - Result: Loss
  • 30 November: Mexico  4–1 Flag of Costa Rica.svg Costa Rica (Friendly, Cancún, Mexico) - Result: Loss

Upcoming Matches in 2025

  • 23 February: Costa Rica  1–1 Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand (Friendly, Santa Ana, Costa Rica) - Result: Draw
  • 26 February: Costa Rica  0–1 Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand (Friendly, Alajuela, Costa Rica) - Result: Loss
  • 5 April: Costa Rica  0–1 Flag of Ecuador.svg Ecuador (Friendly, Alajuela, Costa Rica) - Result: Loss
  • 8 April: Costa Rica  3–3 Flag of Ecuador.svg Ecuador (Friendly, Alajuela, Costa Rica) - Result: Draw
  • 27 June: Canada  4–1 Flag of Costa Rica.svg Costa Rica (Friendly, Toronto, Ontario) - Result: Loss
See Also
  • Costa Rica Results and Fixtures – Soccerway.com
  • Costa Rica Results and Fixtures – FIFA.com

Team Leadership: Coaches and Players

Current Coaching Staff

Name Nat Position
Benito Rubido Spain Head coach
Edgar Rodríguez Costa Rica Assistant coach
Patricia Aguilar Costa Rica Assistant coach
Eli Avila Costa Rica Goalkeeping coach
Bryan Mora Costa Rica Physical coach

Current Squad (Players)

  • The following players were chosen for the friendly game against Canada in June 2025.
  • Caps (games played) and goals are from 4 December 2023, after the match against Saint Kitts and Nevis.
No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Bermúdez, NoeliaNoelia Bermúdez (1994-09-20) 20 September 1994 (age 30) 30 0 Costa Rica Alajuelense
23 1GK Solera, DanielaDaniela Solera (1997-07-21) 21 July 1997 (age 28) 25 0 Mexico Atlas

20 2DF Villalobos, FabiolaFabiola Villalobos (1998-03-13) 13 March 1998 (age 27) 38 3 Mexico Tijuana
25 2DF Oporta, MarilenisMarilenis Oporta (1998-03-24) 24 March 1998 (age 27) 3 0 Costa Rica Alajuelense
4 2DF Briceño, JosselynJosselyn Briceño (2006-04-29) 29 April 2006 (age 19) Argentina Talleres
2DF González, JimenaJimena González (2005-12-31) 31 December 2005 (age 19) Costa Rica Sporting F.C.
8 3MF Arce, María PaulaMaría Paula Arce (2004-03-09) 9 March 2004 (age 21) Costa Rica Alajuelense
2DF Guillén, GabrielaGabriela Guillén (1992-03-01) 1 March 1992 (age 33) 83 2 United States Dallas Trinity FC
4 2DF Benavides, MarianaMariana Benavides (1994-12-26) 26 December 1994 (age 30) 72 2 Costa Rica Saprissa [es]
15 2DF Blanco, StephannieStephannie Blanco (2000-12-13) 13 December 2000 (age 24) 11 1 Costa Rica Alajuelense

3MF Arias, YanielaYaniela Arias (1998-04-25) 25 April 1998 (age 27) 7 0 Costa Rica Dimas Escazú [es]
16 3MF Alvarado, KatherineKatherine Alvarado (captain) (1991-04-11) 11 April 1991 (age 34) 0 Costa Rica Saprissa [es]
13 3MF Valenciano, EmilieEmilie Valenciano (1997-02-15) 15 February 1997 (age 28) 14 0 Costa Rica Alajuelense
3MF Diaz, MontserratMontserrat Diaz 14 0 Costa Rica Sporting FC
19 3MF Pinell, AlexandraAlexandra Pinell (2002-10-18) 18 October 2002 (age 22) 7 0 Costa Rica Alajuelense
11 3MF Rodríguez, RaquelRaquel Rodríguez (1993-10-18) 18 October 1993 (age 31) 108 58 United States Kansas City Current
6 3MF Flores, EmilyEmily Flores (2001-11-19) 19 November 2001 (age 23) 3 0 Mexico Querétaro
17 4FW Herrera, AlexaAlexa Herrera (2004-11-16) 16 November 2004 (age 20) 3 1 Costa Rica Alajuelense

14 4FW Chinchilla, PriscilaPriscila Chinchilla (2001-07-11) 11 July 2001 (age 24) 48 20 Russia Zenit
9 4FW Salas, María PaulaMaría Paula Salas (2002-07-12) 12 July 2002 (age 23) 37 8 Mexico Atlas
12 4FW Varela, SofíaSofía Varela (1998-03-28) 28 March 1998 (age 27) 11 4 Colombia Millonarios
22 4FW Gilbertson, AnnaAnna Gilbertson (1994-11-28) 28 November 1994 (age 30) Costa Rica Alajuelense
7 3MF Herrera, MelissaMelissa Herrera (1996-10-10) 10 October 1996 (age 28) 94 20 Mexico Tijuana

Team Achievements: World Cups and Championships

FIFA Women's World Cup Appearances

Costa Rica has played in the FIFA Women's World Cup two times.

FIFA Women's World Cup record
Year Result Pld W D* L GF GA
China 1991 Did not qualify
Sweden 1995 Did not enter
United States 1999 Did not qualify
United States 2003
China 2007
Germany 2011
Canada 2015 Group stage 3 0 2 1 3 4
France 2019 Did not qualify
AustraliaNew Zealand 2023 Group stage 3 0 0 3 1 8
Brazil 2027 To be determined
MexicoUnited States 2031 To be determined
United Kingdom 2035 To be determined
Total Group stage 6 0 2 4 4 12
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
FIFA Women's World Cup history
Year Round Date Opponent Result Stadium
Canada 2015 Group stage 9 June Flag of Spain.svg Spain D 1–1 Olympic Stadium, Montreal
13 June Flag of South Korea.svg South Korea D 2–2
17 June Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil L 0–1 Moncton Stadium, Moncton
Australia New Zealand 2023 Group stage 21 July Flag of Spain.svg Spain L 0–3 Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington
26 July Flag of Japan.svg Japan L 0–2 Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin
31 July Flag of Zambia.svg Zambia L 1–3 Waikato Stadium, Hamilton

Olympic Games Qualification

Summer Olympics record Qualifying record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D* L GF GA
United States 1996 Did not enter 1995 FIFA WWC
Australia 2000 Did not qualify 1999 FIFA WWC
Greece 2004 5 2 0 3 8 11
China 2008 6 2 1 3 11 7
United Kingdom 2012 8 6 0 2 25 12
Brazil 2016 7 5 0 2 22 10
Japan 2020 6 4 0 2 15 8
France 2024 9 6 0 3 29 6
Total 41 25 1 15 110 54
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

CONCACAF Women's Championship

CONCACAF Women's Championship record Qualification record
Year Result Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D* L GF GA
Haiti 1991 Group stage 3 1 0 2 2 11 Invited
United States 1993 Did not enter Did not enter
Canada 1994
Canada 1998 Third place 5 3 0 2 11 7 3 2 0 1 23 3
United States 2000 Group Stage 3 0 1 2 2 18 3 2 1 0 24 5
United StatesCanada 2002 Fourth place 5 2 0 3 8 14 4 4 0 0 16 3
United States 2006 Did not qualify 2 0 0 2 1 4
Mexico 2010 Fourth place 5 2 0 3 4 11 2 2 0 0 4 0
United States 2014 Runners-up 5 4 0 1 10 9 3 3 0 0 10 0
United States 2018 Group stage 3 1 0 2 9 4 3 3 0 0 18 2
Mexico 2022 Fourth place 5 2 0 3 7 6 4 4 0 0 22 0
Total Runners-up 34 15 1 18 53 80 24 20 1 3 118 17
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

CONCACAF W Gold Cup

CONCACAF W Gold Cup record
Year Result Pld W D* L GF GA
United States 2024 Quarterfinals 4 1 0 3 2 5
Total 1/1 4 1 0 3 2 5
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

Pan American Games

Pan American Games record
Year Result Pld W D* L GF GA
Canada 1999 3 Bronze medal 6 1 1 4 4 17
Dominican Republic 2003 Group stage 2 0 0 2 2 5
Brazil 2007 Did not enter
Mexico 2011 Group stage 3 0 1 2 5 8
Canada 2015 Group stage 3 1 0 2 2 5
Peru 2019 3 Bronze medal 5 3 1 1 10 6
Total 3 Bronze medal 19 5 3 11 23 41
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

Central American and Caribbean Games

Central American and Caribbean Games record
Year Result Pld W D* L GF GA
Puerto Rico 2010 Did not enter
Mexico 2014 3 Bronze medal 5 4 0 1 14 5
Colombia 2018 2 Silver medal 5 4 0 1 8 5
El Salvador 2023 To be determined
Total 2 Silver medal 10 8 0 2 22 10
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

Central American Games

Central American Games record
Year Result Pld W D* L GF GA
Guatemala 2001 1Gold medal 4 4 0 0 18 3
Costa Rica 2013 1Gold medal 5 5 0 0 27 1
Nicaragua 2017 1Gold medal 5 4 1 0 19 2
El Salvador 2022 Cancelled
Total 1Gold medal 14 13 1 0 64 6
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

Team Honours: Medals and Trophies

FIFA World Ranking: How Costa Rica Ranks Globally

This chart shows how Costa Rica's ranking in the FIFA Women's World Rankings has changed over the years.

Last update was on June 25, 2021 Source:

     Best Ranking       Worst Ranking       Best Mover       Worst Mover  

Costa Rica's FIFA World Ranking History
Rank Year Best Worst
Rank Move Rank Move
36 2021
35 2020 35 Increase 1 36 Decrease 1
37 2019 36 Increase 1 38 Decrease 1
37 2018 32 Increase 1 37 Decrease 3
33 2017 30 Increase 1 33 Decrease 1
29 2016 29 Increase 4 30 Steady
34 2015 34 Increase 3 37 Steady
37 2014 37 Increase 3 40 Steady
40 2013 40 Steady 40 Steady
40 2012 40 Increase 1 40 Steady
41 2011 41 Increase 3 44 Decrease 2
41 2010 41 Increase 6 47 Decrease 4
46 2009 46 Steady 46 Steady
46 2008 45 Increase 3 48 Decrease 1
48 2007 48 Increase 1 50 Decrease 1
49 2006 46 Increase 2 49 Decrease 1
46 2005 45 Steady 46 Decrease 1
45 2004 45 Increase 1 45 Steady
46 2003 45 Steady 46 Decrease 1

More About Football in Costa Rica

  • Sport in Costa Rica
    • Football in Costa Rica
      • Women's football in Costa Rica
  • Costa Rica women's national football team
    • Costa Rica women's national football team results
    • List of Costa Rica women's international footballers
  • Costa Rica women's national under-20 football team
  • Costa Rica women's national under-17 football team
  • Costa Rica men's national football team

See also

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

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Costa Rica women's national football team Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.