Quick facts for kids
Costa Rica
 |
| Nickname(s) |
Las Ticas
La Sele (The 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 |
|
|
|
|
| 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) |
|
| Pan American Games |
| Bronze |
1999 Winnipeg |
Team |
| Bronze |
2019 Lima |
Team |
|
The Costa Rica women's national football team (Spanish: Selección femenina de fútbol de Costa Rica) represents Costa Rica in women's international football. The national team is controlled by the governing body Costa Rican Football Federation. They are one of the top women's national football teams in the Central American region along with Guatemala and Panama.
Since 2010s, Costa Rica has emerged in women's football, and akin to their men's counterparts, its women's side is also visibly recognised as a stern and competitive opponent despite relative recent entrance to the big stage. In Costa Rica's first World Cup in 2015, despite being rated the weakest team in the group, Costa Rica shocked the tournament with two points by drawing against strong Spain and South Korea sides, and was only eliminated by a late goal from Brazil.
History
The Costa Rican team just started to play an international match in 1990, when Central America was on struggle about developing women's football. The success of men's team helped the FCF to believe on the women's team. Their first tournament, was the 1991 CONCACAF Women's Championship when Costa Rica finished third and was out from the group stage.
Despite this, Costa Rica started gaining success in the 1998 CONCACAF Women's Championship and 1999 Pan American Games when Costa Rica won bronze both. But later, Costa Rica did not gain much successful achievement, as the national team was still on struggle under the shadow of men's team.
At the 2014 CONCACAF Women's Championship, Costa Rica surprisingly won silver, after losing 0–6 to the USA in the final. Their second-place finish secured them a spot in the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. This marked the first time Costa Rica would play in a FIFA Women's World Cup.
Costa Rica was drawn into a group with Brazil, South Korea and Spain for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. Costa Rica secured two shocking draws over Spain (1–1) and South Korea (2–2), but then lost 1–0 to Brazil and were eliminated in the group stage.
At the 2018 CONCACAF Women's Championship, Costa Rica was hoping to once again qualify for the FIFA Women's World Cup. They won their first group match 8–0 over Cuba. However they lost their second match 1–0 to Jamaica in which they controversially had a goal disallowed in the second half. Costa Rica would lose their final group match to Canada 3–1, elimating their chances of qualifying for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.
Costa Rica has done much better in the 2022 CONCACAF W Championship, taking second place after wins over Panama and Trinidad and Tobago. Though unable to repeat the 2014 feat, only finished fourth in process, the win allowed Costa Rica to return to the Women's World Cup in 2023.
Team image
Nicknames
The Costa Rica women's national football team has been known or nicknamed as "La Sele (The Selection)" or "La Tricolor (The Tricolor)".
Home stadium
Costa Rica plays their home matches on the Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica.
Results and fixtures
See also: 2022 in association football, 2022 in sports, and FIFA International Match Calendar
The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
- Legend
Win Draw Loss Fixture
2023
| 2023 Pan American Games 31 October |
Paraguay  |
3–1 |
Costa Rica |
Viña del Mar, Chile |
|
|
- R. Fernández
 24', 31'
- J. Martínez 26'
|
https://results-santiago2023.org/#/discipline/FBL/results/W.TEAM11------------.R5-6.000100-- |
- Valenciano 20'
|
Stadium: Estadio Sausalito
Referee: Maria Belen Lupera Reto (Ecuador)
|
|
| 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup qualification 30 November 2023 (2023-11-30) |
Costa Rica |
2–1 |
 Haiti |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup qualification 4 December 2023 (2023-12-04) |
Saint Kitts and Nevis |
0–19 |
Costa Rica |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2024
| W Gold Cup Group C February 22 |
Costa Rica |
0–1 |
Paraguay |
Houston, United States |
|
|
|
|
|
Stadium: Shell Energy Stadium
|
|
| W Gold Cup Group C February 25 |
El Salvador  |
0–2 |
Costa Rica |
Houston, United States |
|
|
|
|
|
Stadium: Shell Energy Stadium
|
|
| W Gold Cup QF March 2 |
Canada |
1–0 |
Costa Rica |
Los Angeles, United States |
|
|
- Viens 104'
|
https://www.concacaf.com/en/w-gold-cup/game-details?matchid=4481258 |
|
Stadium: BMO Stadium
Referee: Odette Hamilton (Jamaica)
|
|
| Friendly 6 April |
Costa Rica |
5–1 |
 Peru |
Alajuela, Costa Rica |
|
| 15:00 |
- Rodríguez 6'
- Salas 29', 35'
- Sandí 45'
- Pinell 86'
|
|
- Núñez 35'
|
Stadium: Stade Alejandro Morera Soto
|
|
| Friendly 9 April |
Costa Rica |
2–1 |
Peru |
Alajuela, Costa Rica |
|
| 10:00 |
- Flores 8'
- Sandí 13'
|
https://www.fcrf.cr/2024/04/09/victoria-tricolor-y-centenar-de-juegos-para-la-historica-melissa-herrera/ |
Flores 22' |
Stadium: FCRF Sports Complex
|
|
| Friendly 31 May |
Argentina  |
2–0 |
Costa Rica |
Caseros, Argentina |
|
| 20:10 ART (UTC−3) |
- Bueno 19'
- Palomar 86'
|
https://uk.soccerway.com/matches/2024/05/31/world/friendly-women/argentina/costa-rica/4357004/ |
|
Stadium: Estadio Ciudad de Caseros
Referee: Roberta Echeverría (Argentina)
|
|
| Friendly 3 June |
Argentina |
2–0 |
Costa Rica |
Florida, Argentina |
|
| 20:10 ART (UTC−3) |
|
https://uk.soccerway.com/matches/2024/06/03/world/friendly-women/argentina/costa-rica/4357005/ |
|
Stadium: Estadio Ciudad de Vicente López
|
|
| Friendly 27 October |
Costa Rica |
0–1 |
 Panama |
Alajuela,Costa Rica |
|
| 15:00 |
|
|
|
Stadium: Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto
|
|
| Friendly 30 October |
Costa Rica |
0–2 |
Panama |
Alajuela,Costa Rica |
|
| 11:00 |
|
|
|
Stadium: Complejo Deportivo FCRF
|
|
| Friendly 30 November |
Mexico  |
v |
Costa Rica |
Cancún, Mexico |
|
| 19:00 |
|
|
|
Stadium: Estadio Andrés Quintana Roo
|
|
- See Also
- Costa Rica Results and Fixtures – Soccerway.com
- Costa Rica Results and Fixtures – FIFA.com
-
Coaching staff
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 |
Manager history
| Name |
Nat |
Year |
| Jorge Álvarez |
|
1976 |
| Guillermo Soto |
|
1991 |
| Didier Castro |
|
1998-1999 |
| Luis Diego Castro |
|
2000 |
| Leroy Lewis |
|
2000 |
| Didier Castro |
|
2001 |
| Ricardo Rodríguez |
|
2002-2006 |
| Allan Brown |
|
2006 (interim) |
| Juan Diego Quesada |
|
2008 - 2009 |
| Randall Chacón |
|
2010 |
| Karla Alemán |
|
2011 - 2012 |
| José Luis Díaz |
|
2013 |
| Garabet Avedissian |
 |
2014 |
| Amelia Valverde |
|
2015-2023 |
| Ana Patricia Aguilar |
|
2023 (interim) |
| Edgar Rodríguez |
|
2023 (interim) |
| Benito Rubido |
|
2023–Present |
Players
See also: Category:Costa Rica women's international footballers
Up-to-date caps, goals, and statistics are not publicly available; therefore, caps and goals listed may be incorrect.
Current squad
- The following players were named for the friendly game against Panama in October 2024.
Caps, goals, and players' numbers accurate as of 4 December 2023 after match vs. Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Recent call-ups
The following players have been called up to a Costa Rica squad in the past 12 months.
Notes:
Previous squads
- FIFA women's World Cup
- 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup squad
|
- CONCACAF W Championship
- 2010 CONCACAF Women's World Cup Qualifying squad
- 2014 CONCACAF Women's Championship squad
- 2018 CONCACAF Women's Championship squad
|
Records
See also: Category:Costa Rica women's international footballers
- Players in bold are still active, at least at club level.
Most capped players
|
Top goalscorers
| # |
Player |
Year(s) |
Goals |
Caps |
|
Competitive record
FIFA Women's World Cup
Main article: Costa Rica at the FIFA Women's World Cup
| 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 |
| 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
| 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 |
3  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 |
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 |
 2010 |
Did not enter |
| 2014 |
3 Bronze medal |
5 |
4 |
0 |
1 |
14 |
5 |
 2018 |
2  Silver medal |
5 |
4 |
0 |
1 |
8 |
5 |
 2022 |
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 |
 2001 |
1  Gold medal |
4 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
18 |
3 |
| 2013 |
1 Gold medal |
5 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
27 |
1 |
 2017 |
1 Gold medal |
5 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
19 |
2 |
| 2022 |
Cancelled |
| Total |
1 Gold medal |
14 |
13 |
1 |
0 |
64 |
6 |
- *Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
FIFA World Ranking
See also: FIFA Women's World Rankings
A line chart depicting the history of the Costa Rica's year-end placements in the FIFA World Rankings.
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 |
See also
In Spanish: Selección femenina de fútbol de Costa Rica para niños
- 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
.svg){kind=small}
Canada 6–0 Costa Rica 
Saint Kitts and Nevis 0–19 Costa Rica 
Brazil 8–0 Costa Rica 
United States 8–0 Costa Rica 
Costa Rica
Haiti
Paraguay.svg){kind=small}
Peru
22'
Panama
Argentina, 3 June 2024
Zenit
Spain
South Korea
Japan
Zambia
Bronze medal
Silver medal
Gold medal