Costa Rica

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Lore & Background

In 2014, Costa Rica had its best performance at a FIFA World Cup. On 6 December 2013, Costa Rica was drawn into Group D with Uruguay, Italy, and England, the only group in FIFA World Cup history to feature three former world champions who, at the time, stood within the top 10 of the FIFA Men's World Ranking. Expectations for Costa Rica were overwhelmingly low, and that the team would finish in the thirty-second place. Instead, Costa Rica topped the group undefeated, with two victories and one draw, and only one goal received. After defeating Greece at the round of 16 through the penalty shoot-outs, and losing through the same means at the quarter-finals against the Netherlands, Costa Rica left the World Cup among the eight best teams, undefeated, and conceding only two goals, the least of all participants of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Sports-news outlets such as Goal and Mundo Deportivo rank Costa Rica's performance in 2014 as one of the biggest surprises in FIFA World Cup history.

In Their Own Story

The Borges family, namely father Alexandre Guimarães and son Celso Borges, have accompanied Costa Rica through all the team's appearances at the FIFA World Cup. Guimarães participated as a player in 1990, then as a coach in 2002 and 2006, while Celso played in 2014, 2018, and 2022. Such a performance at the 2014 World Cup boosted Costa Rica's prestige in the international scene, as fifteen of the twenty-three players of the squad changed teams in the two transfer windows following the World Cup, including goalkeeper Keylor Navas signing for Real Madrid. Both the Costa Rican performance at the 2014 World Cup and Navas' subsequent, successful stint with Real Madrid had a significant impact on Costa Rican sports, economy, tourism, and society.

Reader's Guide

Costa Rica's best performance at a FIFA World Cup came in 2014, when they finished among the eight best teams. They topped Group D undefeated, with two victories and one draw, and only one goal received. They then defeated Greece at the round of 16 through penalty shoot-outs, and lost through the same means at the quarter-finals against the Netherlands. They conceded only two goals, the least of all participants of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Costa Rica ranks third in FIFA World Cup appearances within the CONCACAF region, and first within the UNCAF subregion. They are the only Central American team to win a match at a World Cup (six times) and the only team within that region to qualify past the group stage (twice).

Did You Know?

• Costa Rica missed the World Cup for sixty years from 1930 until their first appearance in 1990.
• In 2014, Costa Rica was drawn into the only group in World Cup history to feature three former world champions (Uruguay, Italy, England).
• Costa Rica conceded only two goals in the 2014 World Cup, the least of all participants.
• Fifteen of the twenty-three players from the 2014 squad changed teams in the two transfer windows following the World Cup.
• Goalkeeper Keylor Navas signed for Real Madrid after the 2014 World Cup.