Grouped with Spain, Germany and Japan, can Costa Rica conjure the magic of 2014 with an experienced core giving it one more run?
Costa Rica got off to quite a tumultuous start to its World Cup qualifying campaign in the Concacaf octagonal, going winless in its first four matches. After just one win from seven matches (half of the qualifying campaign), Los Ticos didn’t lose again in qualifying, collecting 19 of a possible 21 points to finish fourth in the table. Costa Rica then survived a tense intercontinental playoff against Oceania representative New Zealand in June to book a return trip to Qatar.
All in all, despite the tough start, it has been a successful run for manager Luis Fernando Suárez since he was brought in for the 2021 Gold Cup. Qatar will be Suárez’s third World Cup after 2006 with Ecuador, where he led the country to its only knockout-stage berth, and 2014 with Honduras.
This will be one of the most experienced Costa Rican sides to ever step foot at a World Cup. In Qatar, multiple players—Keylor Navas, Joel Campbell, Celso Borges, Bryan Ruiz—are expected to feature at their third World Cup and break the country’s current record of nine matches of World Cup experience. They were all a part of that special 2014 quarterfinal team that defeated Uruguay and Italy and drew England to top the Group of Death when it was expected to finish last.
Group E Schedule (all times Eastern)
- Spain, Nov. 23, 11 a.m.
- Japan, Nov. 27, 5 a.m.
- Germany, Dec. 1, 2 p.m.
Coach
Luis Fernando Suárez, hired in June 2021
Laci Perenyi/Imago Images
Players to Watch
Keylor Navas, goalkeeper
While the keeper has fallen behind in the pecking order at PSG, he is an absolute stalwart for the national team with 107 caps and two previous World Cup appearances. Navas comes into 2022 with three career clean sheets at the World Cup thanks to his strong showing in 2014, which included a man-of-the-match, round-of-16 performance against Greece. He’ll have to come up big once again for Costa Rica to have a shot of making it out of the group stage.
Joel Campbell, forward
The former Arsenal product, now with Mexican side León, will make his third World Cup appearance. While Suárez has sometimes left the 30-year-old to be a second-half option off the bench, no one has scored more in the manager’s tenure than Campbell with six goals, including the winner in the intercontinental playoff against New Zealand to book Costa Rica’s World Cup ticket. His experience will be crucial to Los Ticos’ attack in Qatar.
Celso Borges, midfielder
As part of that golden generation for Costa Rica, the 34-year-old will also be making his third appearance at the World Cup. Borges is Costa Rica’s all-time appearances leader with 154 caps and is still a bona fide starter and the brains in Los Ticos’ midfield. He also has 27 goals in his international career—good enough to be tied for fifth on Costa Rica’s all-time list—but he’s still missing a World Cup goal on his resume.
Seokyong Lee/Penta Press/Imago Images
Breakout Candidate
Jewison Bennette, winger
It’s probably one World Cup too early for the 18-year-old prospect, but he has only impressed in his young career. Bennette brings an explosive presence to the left wing, which was on full display when he scored both Costa Rica goals in a 2–2 September friendly with Qatar-bound South Korea. His dynamism and attacking potential is what brought him to Sunderland this summer on a four-year contract, and now he has a chance to impress on the world’s biggest stage.
World Cup History
- Sixth appearance
- Last appearance: 2018
- Best finish: Quarterfinals in 2014
Outlook and Expectations
Despite coming into the World Cup with an experienced squad, the outlook will be bleak with Germany and Spain in its group along with Japan scrapping for points. Costa Rica’s only hope will be to rely on that experience to try to channel the energy from its quarterfinal run in 2014 that galvanized the nation.
Just as Japan will be eyeing its match against Costa Rica, Los Ticos will pull out all of the stops for a chance at three points in that crucial second group-stage match. The 2022 stage will likely be the last run for a golden generation of Costa Rican players, but to count on an inspired effort in such a difficult group would be asking a lot. Unfortunately, only chaos, some luck and a few well-timed goals can gift Costa Rica another shot at its 2014 heroics.
World Cup Squad
GOALKEEPERS: Esteban Alvarado (Herediano), Keylor Navas (PSG), Patrick Sequeira (CD Lugo)
DEFENDERS: Francisco Calvo (Konyaspor), Daniel Chacón (Colorado Rapids), Óscar Duarte (Al-Wehda), Keysher Fuller (Herediano), Carlos Martínez (San Carlos), Ronald Matarrita (FC Cincinnati), Bryan Oviedo (Real Salt Lake), Juan Pablo Vargas (Millonarios), Kendall Waston (Saprissa)
MIDFIELDERS: Brandon Aguilera (Nottingham Forest), Jewison Bennette (Sunderland), Celso Borges (Alajuelense), Anthony Hernández (Puntarenas), Douglas López (Herediano), Bryan Ruiz (Alajuelense), Youstin Salas (Saprissa), Yeltsin Tejeda (Herediano), Gerson Torres (Herediano), Roan Wilson (Grecia), Álvaro Zamora (Saprissa)
FORWARDS: Joel Campbell (León), Anthony Contreras (Herediano), Johan Venegas (Alajuelense)
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