Costa Rica women's national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Costa Rica

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 3 (7 December 2018)
Highest	29 (June–December 2016)
Lowest	50 (March 2007)
First international
Canada 6–0 Costa Rica  (Port-au-Prince, Haiti; 16 April 1991)
Biggest win
Saint Kitts and Nevis 0–19 Costa Rica  (Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis; 4 December 2023)
Biggest defeat
Brazil 8–0 Costa Rica  (Hershey, United States; 22 June 2000)  United States 8–0 Costa Rica  (Louisville, United States; 25 June 2000)  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  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
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
1	1GK	Bermúdez, NoeliaNoelia Bermúdez	(1994-09-20) 20 September 1994 (age 30)	30	0	Alajuelense
23	1GK	Solera, DanielaDaniela Solera	(1997-07-21) 21 July 1997 (age 28)	25	0	Atlas
20	2DF	Villalobos, FabiolaFabiola Villalobos	(1998-03-13) 13 March 1998 (age 27)	38	3	Tijuana
25	2DF	Oporta, MarilenisMarilenis Oporta	(1998-03-24) 24 March 1998 (age 27)	3	0	Alajuelense
4	2DF	Briceño, JosselynJosselyn Briceño	(2006-04-29) 29 April 2006 (age 19)			Talleres
	2DF	González, JimenaJimena González	(2005-12-31) 31 December 2005 (age 19)			Sporting F.C.
8	3MF	Arce, María PaulaMaría Paula Arce	(2004-03-09) 9 March 2004 (age 21)			Alajuelense
	2DF	Guillén, GabrielaGabriela Guillén	(1992-03-01) 1 March 1992 (age 33)	83	2	Dallas Trinity FC
4	2DF	Benavides, MarianaMariana Benavides	(1994-12-26) 26 December 1994 (age 30)	72	2	Saprissa [es]
15	2DF	Blanco, StephannieStephannie Blanco	(2000-12-13) 13 December 2000 (age 24)	11	1	Alajuelense
	3MF	Arias, YanielaYaniela Arias	(1998-04-25) 25 April 1998 (age 27)	7	0	Dimas Escazú [es]
16	3MF	Alvarado, KatherineKatherine Alvarado (captain)	(1991-04-11) 11 April 1991 (age 34)		0	Saprissa [es]
13	3MF	Valenciano, EmilieEmilie Valenciano	(1997-02-15) 15 February 1997 (age 28)	14	0	Alajuelense
	3MF	Diaz, MontserratMontserrat Diaz		14	0	Sporting FC
19	3MF	Pinell, AlexandraAlexandra Pinell	(2002-10-18) 18 October 2002 (age 22)	7	0	Alajuelense
11	3MF	Rodríguez, RaquelRaquel Rodríguez	(1993-10-18) 18 October 1993 (age 31)	108	58	Kansas City Current
6	3MF	Flores, EmilyEmily Flores	(2001-11-19) 19 November 2001 (age 23)	3	0	Querétaro
17	4FW	Herrera, AlexaAlexa Herrera	(2004-11-16) 16 November 2004 (age 20)	3	1	Alajuelense
14	4FW	Chinchilla, PriscilaPriscila Chinchilla	(2001-07-11) 11 July 2001 (age 24)	48	20	Zenit
9	4FW	Salas, María PaulaMaría Paula Salas	(2002-07-12) 12 July 2002 (age 23)	37	8	Atlas
12	4FW	Varela, SofíaSofía Varela	(1998-03-28) 28 March 1998 (age 27)	11	4	Millonarios
22	4FW	Gilbertson, AnnaAnna Gilbertson	(1994-11-28) 28 November 1994 (age 30)			Alajuelense
7	3MF	Herrera, MelissaMelissa Herrera	(1996-10-10) 10 October 1996 (age 28)	94	20	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
1991	Did not qualify
1995	Did not enter
1999	Did not qualify
2003
2007
2011
2015	Group stage	3	0	2	1	3	4
2019	Did not qualify
2023	Group stage	3	0	0	3	1	8
2027	To be determined
2031	To be determined
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
2015	Group stage	9 June	Spain	D 1–1	Olympic Stadium, Montreal
		13 June	South Korea	D 2–2
		17 June	Brazil	L 0–1	Moncton Stadium, Moncton
2023	Group stage	21 July	Spain	L 0–3	Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington
		26 July	Japan	L 0–2	Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin
		31 July	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
1996	Did not enter									1995 FIFA WWC
2000	Did not qualify									1999 FIFA WWC
2004										5	2	0	3	8	11
2008										6	2	1	3	11	7
2012										8	6	0	2	25	12
2016										7	5	0	2	22	10
2020										6	4	0	2	15	8
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
1991	Group stage	3	1	0	2	2	11		Invited
1993	Did not enter								Did not enter
1994
1998	Third place	5	3	0	2	11	7		3	2	0	1	23	3
2000	Group Stage	3	0	1	2	2	18		3	2	1	0	24	5
2002	Fourth place	5	2	0	3	8	14		4	4	0	0	16	3
2006	Did not qualify								2	0	0	2	1	4
2010	Fourth place	5	2	0	3	4	11		2	2	0	0	4	0
2014	Runners-up	5	4	0	1	10	9		3	3	0	0	10	0
2018	Group stage	3	1	0	2	9	4		3	3	0	0	18	2
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
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
1999	Bronze medal	6	1	1	4	4	17
2003	Group stage	2	0	0	2	2	5
2007	Did not enter
2011	Group stage	3	0	1	2	5	8
2015	Group stage	3	1	0	2	2	5
2019	Bronze medal	5	3	1	1	10	6
Total	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
2010	Did not enter
2014	Bronze medal	5	4	0	1	14	5
2018	Silver medal	5	4	0	1	8	5
2023	To be determined
Total	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
2001	Gold medal	4	4	0	0	18	3
2013	Gold medal	5	5	0	0	27	1
2017	Gold medal	5	4	1	0	19	2
2022	Cancelled
Total	Gold 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

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	1	36	1
37	2019	36	1	38	1
37	2018	32	1	37	3
33	2017	30	1	33	1
29	2016	29	4	30
34	2015	34	3	37
37	2014	37	3	40
40	2013	40		40
40	2012	40	1	40
41	2011	41	3	44	2
41	2010	41	6	47	4
46	2009	46		46
46	2008	45	3	48	1
48	2007	48	1	50	1
49	2006	46	2	49	1
46	2005	45		46	1
45	2004	45	1	45
46	2003	45		46	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

In Spanish: Selección femenina de fútbol de Costa Rica para niños