Costa Rica women's national football team facts for kids
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Nickname(s) | Las Ticas La Sele Femenina (The Women's Selection) La Tricolor (The Tricolor) |
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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 | ||||||||||
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FIFA ranking | |||||||||||
Current | 37 ![]() |
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Highest | 29 (June–December 2016) | ||||||||||
Lowest | 50 (March 2007) | ||||||||||
First international | |||||||||||
![]() ![]() (Port-au-Prince, Haiti; 16 April 1991) |
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Biggest win | |||||||||||
![]() ![]() (Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis; 4 December 2023) |
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Biggest defeat | |||||||||||
![]() ![]() (Hershey, United States; 22 June 2000) ![]() ![]() (Louisville, United States; 25 June 2000) ![]() ![]() (Pittsburgh, United States; 16 August 2015) |
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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
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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.
Contents
- Team History: How Costa Rica's Women's Team Grew
- Team Identity: Nicknames and Home Stadium
- Recent Games and Upcoming Matches
- Team Leadership: Coaches and Players
- Team Achievements: World Cups and Championships
- Team Honours: Medals and Trophies
- FIFA World Ranking: How Costa Rica Ranks Globally
- More About Football in Costa Rica
- See also
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
Costa Rica (Friendly, Washington, D.C., United States) - Result: Draw
- 27 October: Costa Rica
0–1
Panama (Friendly, Alajuela, Costa Rica) - Result: Loss
- 30 October: Costa Rica
0–2
Panama (Friendly, Alajuela, Costa Rica) - Result: Loss
- 27 November: Costa Rica
1–2
Panama (Friendly, Cancún, Mexico) - Result: Loss
- 30 November: Mexico
4–1
Costa Rica (Friendly, Cancún, Mexico) - Result: Loss
Upcoming Matches in 2025
- 23 February: Costa Rica
1–1
New Zealand (Friendly, Santa Ana, Costa Rica) - Result: Draw
- 26 February: Costa Rica
0–1
New Zealand (Friendly, Alajuela, Costa Rica) - Result: Loss
- 5 April: Costa Rica
0–1
Ecuador (Friendly, Alajuela, Costa Rica) - Result: Loss
- 8 April: Costa Rica
3–3
Ecuador (Friendly, Alajuela, Costa Rica) - Result: Draw
- 27 June: Canada
4–1
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 |
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Benito Rubido | ![]() |
Head coach |
Edgar Rodríguez | ![]() |
Assistant coach |
Patricia Aguilar | ![]() |
Assistant coach |
Eli Avila | ![]() |
Goalkeeping coach |
Bryan Mora | ![]() |
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 |
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1 | GK | Noelia Bermúdez | 20 September 1994 | 30 | 0 | ![]() |
23 | GK | Daniela Solera | 21 July 1997 | 25 | 0 | ![]() |
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20 | DF | Fabiola Villalobos | 13 March 1998 | 38 | 3 | ![]() |
25 | DF | Marilenis Oporta | 24 March 1998 | 3 | 0 | ![]() |
4 | DF | Josselyn Briceño | 29 April 2006 | ![]() |
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DF | Jimena González | 31 December 2005 | ![]() |
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8 | MF | María Paula Arce | 9 March 2004 | ![]() |
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DF | Gabriela Guillén | 1 March 1992 | 83 | 2 | ![]() |
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4 | DF | Mariana Benavides | 26 December 1994 | 72 | 2 | ![]() |
15 | DF | Stephannie Blanco | 13 December 2000 | 11 | 1 | ![]() |
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MF | Yaniela Arias | 25 April 1998 | 7 | 0 | ![]() |
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16 | MF | Katherine Alvarado (captain) | 11 April 1991 | 0 | ![]() |
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13 | MF | Emilie Valenciano | 15 February 1997 | 14 | 0 | ![]() |
MF | Montserrat Diaz | 14 | 0 | ![]() |
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19 | MF | Alexandra Pinell | 18 October 2002 | 7 | 0 | ![]() |
11 | MF | Raquel Rodríguez | 18 October 1993 | 108 | 58 | ![]() |
6 | MF | Emily Flores | 19 November 2001 | 3 | 0 | ![]() |
17 | FW | Alexa Herrera | 16 November 2004 | 3 | 1 | ![]() |
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14 | FW | Priscila Chinchilla | 11 July 2001 | 48 | 20 | ![]() |
9 | FW | María Paula Salas | 12 July 2002 | 37 | 8 | ![]() |
12 | FW | Sofía Varela | 28 March 1998 | 11 | 4 | ![]() |
22 | FW | Anna Gilbertson | 28 November 1994 | ![]() |
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7 | MF | Melissa Herrera | 10 October 1996 | 94 | 20 | ![]() |
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 | ||||||||
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Year | Result | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | |
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Did not qualify | |||||||
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Did not enter | |||||||
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Did not qualify | |||||||
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Group stage | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
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Did not qualify | |||||||
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Group stage | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8 | |
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To be determined | |||||||
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To be determined | |||||||
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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 | |||||
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Year | Round | Date | Opponent | Result | Stadium |
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Group stage | 9 June | ![]() |
D 1–1 | Olympic Stadium, Montreal |
13 June | ![]() |
D 2–2 | |||
17 June | ![]() |
L 0–1 | Moncton Stadium, Moncton | ||
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Group stage | 21 July | ![]() |
L 0–3 | Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington |
26 July | ![]() |
L 0–2 | Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin | ||
31 July | ![]() |
L 1–3 | Waikato Stadium, Hamilton |
Olympic Games Qualification
Summer Olympics record | Qualifying record | ||||||||||||||
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Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | |
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Did not enter | 1995 FIFA WWC | |||||||||||||
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Did not qualify | 1999 FIFA WWC | |||||||||||||
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5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 11 | |||||||||
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6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 7 | |||||||||
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8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 25 | 12 | |||||||||
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7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 22 | 10 | |||||||||
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6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 8 | |||||||||
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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
- *Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
CONCACAF W Gold Cup
CONCACAF W Gold Cup record | |||||||
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Year | Result | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA |
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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
- *Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
Central American and Caribbean Games
- *Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
Central American Games
Central American Games record | ||||||||
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Year | Result | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | |
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4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 3 | |
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5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 1 | |
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5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 2 | |
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Cancelled | |||||||
Total | ![]() |
14 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 64 | 6 |
- *Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
Team Honours: Medals and Trophies
Major Competitions
Other CompetitionsIntercontinental
Regional
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FIFA World Ranking: How Costa Rica Ranks Globally
Last update was on June 25, 2021 Source:
Best Ranking Worst Ranking Best Mover Worst Mover
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Rank | Year | Best | Worst | |||||
Rank | Move | Rank | Move | |||||
36 | 2021 | — | — | — | — | |||
35 | 2020 | 35 | ![]() |
36 | ![]() |
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37 | 2019 | 36 | ![]() |
38 | ![]() |
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37 | 2018 | 32 | ![]() |
37 | ![]() |
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33 | 2017 | 30 | ![]() |
33 | ![]() |
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29 | 2016 | 29 | ![]() |
30 | ![]() |
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34 | 2015 | 34 | ![]() |
37 | ![]() |
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37 | 2014 | 37 | ![]() |
40 | ![]() |
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40 | 2013 | 40 | ![]() |
40 | ![]() |
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40 | 2012 | 40 | ![]() |
40 | ![]() |
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41 | 2011 | 41 | ![]() |
44 | ![]() |
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41 | 2010 | 41 | ![]() |
47 | ![]() |
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46 | 2009 | 46 | ![]() |
46 | ![]() |
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46 | 2008 | 45 | ![]() |
48 | ![]() |
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48 | 2007 | 48 | ![]() |
50 | ![]() |
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49 | 2006 | 46 | ![]() |
49 | ![]() |
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46 | 2005 | 45 | ![]() |
46 | ![]() |
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45 | 2004 | 45 | ![]() |
45 | ![]() |
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46 | 2003 | 45 | ![]() |
46 | ![]() |
More About Football in Costa Rica
- Sport in Costa Rica
- Football in Costa Rica
- Women's football in Costa Rica
- 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
In Spanish: Selección femenina de fútbol de Costa Rica para niños