Not many competitive nations are missing the 2026 World Cup after the tournament expanded to 48 teams, but Costa Rica were one of the few that failed to qualify.
The reason for their elimination is simple: Costa Rica did not qualify because they finished in their group in the final round. Only the three group winners advanced directly, while the two best runners-up moved on to a playoff for the remaining spot.
Costa Rica could not do enough to secure even a playoff place after six matches. They finished behind surprising group leaders Haiti, who had 11 points, and Honduras, who finished with 9 points and still did not reach the playoff round. Costa Rica’s 7 points were better than Nicaragua’s total of 4 points.
A great run that ended
For this edition, it was expected to be an easier path to the World Cup than before because the three biggest teams were not taking part. With the United States, Mexico, and Canada out of the competition, smaller teams had a chance to make history.
Bryan Ruiz was the captain in 2014 (Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
That led to changes in the format, but Costa Rica’s strong run came to an end after three straight World Cup appearances, giving them six in total.
see also
List of World Cup winners by year: Every champion since 1930
This century has been a strong one for Costa Rica, who first appeared in a World Cup in 1990. However, from 2000 to the present, they had only missed out in 2010 before this one, which came as a surprise to fans.
The best performance
While their debut in 1990 was especially strong, with a run to the round of 16, what they did in 2014 is still hard to match. Not only did they win a group that included Italy, Uruguay, and England, they also beat Greece in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw that stayed level through extra time. Their quarterfinal ended in a penalty shootout loss to the Netherlands after another draw in regulation.
