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Costa Rica
A team across generations. Build your eleven, then explore the careers.
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A team across generations
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The 330 on the pitch
The duels
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The 33 of Costa Rica.
Editorial order, with a career scene and sources behind every name.
01
Keylor Navas 127 (as of 4 October 2026) caps (Costa Rica) · Deportivo Saprissa, Real Madrid Club de FútbolTen men and level with Greece on 29 June 2014, Costa Rica went to a shootout, and Navas pushed away Theofanis Gekas's penalty, one of three man of the match awards he took that summer.
GK2008–
Keylor Navas 127 (as of 4 October 2026) caps (Costa Rica) · Deportivo Saprissa, Real Madrid Club de FútbolTen men and level with Greece on 29 June 2014, Costa Rica went to a shootout, and Navas pushed away Theofanis Gekas's penalty, one of three man of the match awards he took that summer.
GK2008–
02
Bryan Ruiz 147 caps (Costa Rica) · 29 goals · Liga Deportiva Alajuelense, FulhamA header on 44 minutes in Recife, 20 June 2014, beat Italy 1-0 and left Costa Rica top of a group that also held Uruguay and England.
LM2005–2022
Bryan Ruiz 147 caps (Costa Rica) · 29 goals · Liga Deportiva Alajuelense, FulhamA header on 44 minutes in Recife, 20 June 2014, beat Italy 1-0 and left Costa Rica top of a group that also held Uruguay and England.
LM2005–2022
03
Celso Borges 164 caps (Costa Rica) · Deportivo Saprissa, Deportivo de A CoruñaWhen Costa Rica went to penalties against Greece in Recife in June 2014, Borges walked up first and scored, and four teammates followed him to a 5-3 win.
CDM2008–2025
Celso Borges 164 caps (Costa Rica) · Deportivo Saprissa, Deportivo de A CoruñaWhen Costa Rica went to penalties against Greece in Recife in June 2014, Borges walked up first and scored, and four teammates followed him to a 5-3 win.
CDM2008–2025
04
PW
Paulo Wanchope 73 caps (Costa Rica) · 45 goals · Derby County, West Ham UnitedHe made his Derby County debut at Old Trafford on 5 April 1997, beat four Manchester United players and finished past Peter Schmeichel in a 3-2 win, later voted the greatest goal in Derby's history.
ST1996–2008
05
Alejandro Morera Soto 7 caps (Costa Rica) · 6 goals · Liga Deportiva Alajuelense, FC BarcelonaIn 1933 he beat Ricardo Zamora in a 2-1 defeat against Real Madrid, and closed his first Spanish season as Barcelona's leading scorer with 41 goals.
ST1938–1943
Alejandro Morera Soto 7 caps (Costa Rica) · 6 goals · Liga Deportiva Alajuelense, FC BarcelonaIn 1933 he beat Ricardo Zamora in a 2-1 defeat against Real Madrid, and closed his first Spanish season as Barcelona's leading scorer with 41 goals.
ST1938–1943
06
Walter Centeno 133 caps (Costa Rica) · 24 goals · Deportivo Saprissa, A.D. BelénIn the 2002-03 Champions League he scored at the Santiago Bernabéu in AEK Athens' 2-2 draw with Real Madrid and again at the Stadio Olimpico as Roma were held 1-1.
CAM1995–2009
Walter Centeno 133 caps (Costa Rica) · 24 goals · Deportivo Saprissa, A.D. BelénIn the 2002-03 Champions League he scored at the Santiago Bernabéu in AEK Athens' 2-2 draw with Real Madrid and again at the Stadio Olimpico as Roma were held 1-1.
CAM1995–2009
07
HM
Hernán Medford 89 caps (Costa Rica) · 18 goals · Rayo Vallecano, CF PachucaIn the closing minutes at Genoa on 20 June 1990, the striker Costa Rica called Pelícano scored the goal that beat Sweden 2-1 and carried a debutant nation into the knockout round at its first World Cup.
SS1987–2002
08
LG
Luis Gabelo Conejo 29 caps (Costa Rica) · Asociación Deportiva Ramonense, C.S. CartaginésTwo goals conceded across three group games at Italia 90 took Costa Rica past Scotland and Sweden into the last 16, and when injury kept him out of that tie the side let in four against Czechoslovakia.
GK1987–1991
10
CB
Christian Bolaños 87 caps (Costa Rica) · 6 goals · Deportivo Saprissa, F.C. CopenhagenThe 2014 quarter-final against the Netherlands went to penalties, and Bolaños took the ball, put his kick away and watched Costa Rica go out anyway.
RM2005–2021
11
CH
Carlos Hernández On 26 September 2009 he took aim from 35 yards against Gold Coast United and the ball tore into the top left corner past Jess Vanstrattan.About the editorial selection
CAM
13
GG
Giancarlo González 83 (as of 4 October 2026) caps (Costa Rica) · Liga Deportiva Alajuelense, Vålerenga FotballCosta Rica conceded one goal across three group games in 2014, beating Uruguay 3-1 and Italy 1-0 before drawing with England, and González came out of it in the BBC's team of the tournament.
CB2010–
14
GM
Gilberto Martínez 61 caps (Costa Rica) · Deportivo Saprissa, Brescia CalcioTwenty-two and starting all three Costa Rica group games in Korea in 2002, Tuma was a Brescia player by September and never left Italian football again, 218 matches for that club alone.
CB2001–2011
15
Joel Campbell 93 (as of 4 October 2026) caps (Costa Rica) · 17 (as of 4 October 2026) goals · Real Betis Balompié, OlympiacosCosta Rica were a goal down to Uruguay in Fortaleza on 14 June 2014 when Campbell controlled a long ball and finished for the equaliser, and Costa Rica went on to win 3-1.
RM2011–
Joel Campbell 93 (as of 4 October 2026) caps (Costa Rica) · 17 (as of 4 October 2026) goals · Real Betis Balompié, OlympiacosCosta Rica were a goal down to Uruguay in Fortaleza on 14 June 2014 when Campbell controlled a long ball and finished for the equaliser, and Costa Rica went on to win 3-1.
RM2011–
16
ÓD
Óscar Duarte Three minutes after Joel Campbell equalised in Fortaleza on 14 June 2014, Duarte put Costa Rica ahead of Uruguay at 2-1 in a 3-1 win that opened the group they went on to top.About the editorial selection
CB
17
RG
Ronald Gómez 93 caps (Costa Rica) · 27 goals · Liga Deportiva Alajuelense, OFI Crete
ST1993–2008
19
BO
Bryan Oviedo 55 (as of 4 October 2026) caps (Costa Rica) · Deportivo Saprissa, FC Nordsjælland
LB2010–
20
EL
Erick Lonnis 76 caps (Costa Rica) · C.S. Cartaginés, Asociación Deportiva Carmelita
GK1992–2002
22
WL
Wílmer López 76 caps (Costa Rica) · Asociación Deportiva Carmelita, Liga Deportiva AlajuelenseEl Pato scored in both legs of the 2004 CONCACAF Champions' Cup final against Saprissa, the second on 12 May in a 4-0 win that settled the tie at 5-1.
CDM1995–2003
23
HW
Harold Wallace 101 caps (Costa Rica) · Liga Deportiva Alajuelense, San LuisAlajuelense kept calling him back, and he finished with 424 league games for the club across two spells, split by a season on loan in Mexico.
RB1995–2009
24
JC
Juan Cayasso 49 caps (Costa Rica) · 9 goals · Liga Deportiva Alajuelense, Stuttgarter Kickers
ST1983–1993
25
MS
Mauricio Solís 110 caps (Costa Rica) · 6 goals · San Jose Earthquakes, Liga Deportiva Alajuelense
CM1993–2006
26
Michael Umaña 103 caps (Costa Rica) · Asociación Deportiva Carmelita, Municipal LiberiaIn Recife on 29 June 2014, with the shootout against Greece at 4-3, he walked up for the fifth kick and buried it to put Costa Rica in a World Cup quarter-final for the first time.
CB2004–2017
Michael Umaña 103 caps (Costa Rica) · Asociación Deportiva Carmelita, Municipal LiberiaIn Recife on 29 June 2014, with the shootout against Greece at 4-3, he walked up for the fifth kick and buried it to put Costa Rica in a World Cup quarter-final for the first time.
CB2004–2017
27
YT
Yeltsin Tejeda 53 (as of 4 October 2026) caps (Costa Rica) · Deportivo Saprissa, Evian Thonon GaillardEight years earlier he was the holding midfielder in the run that still defines the country: first place in a group with Uruguay, Italy and England, Greece beaten on penalties, and the Netherlands held goalless in the quarter-final before another shootout ended it.
CDM2011–
29
JL
José Luis López Herediano sent him out against Saprissa on 4 January 1997, still fifteen years old, and he was still playing top-flight football seventeen years later.About the editorial selection
CM
30
Kendall Waston 78 (as of 4 October 2026) caps (Costa Rica) · Deportivo Saprissa, Vancouver WhitecapsTrailing in Honduras in October 2017, Costa Rica needed a point and got it in the 95th minute through Waston, 1.96 metres of centre-back, whose equaliser booked their place at the 2018 World Cup.
CB2013–
Kendall Waston 78 (as of 4 October 2026) caps (Costa Rica) · Deportivo Saprissa, Vancouver WhitecapsTrailing in Honduras in October 2017, Costa Rica needed a point and got it in the 95th minute through Waston, 1.96 metres of centre-back, whose equaliser booked their place at the 2018 World Cup.
CB2013–
31
MO
Marvin Obando 51 caps (Costa Rica) · 1 goals · C.S. Herediano, Asociación Deportiva San CarlosNo Costa Rican has played more league football than Obando, whose 685 appearances across Herediano, Cartaginés, Saprissa and a string of smaller clubs left him one game clear of Julio Fuller.
CM1980–1994
32
RK
Rodrigo Kenton Asociacion Deportiva Limonense, Club de Futbol Universidad de Costa RicaA Limonense man first, he came out of the Caribbean coast club in 1974 and was still playing at 33, finishing with Ramonense in 1989.
CM
Career sources
Identity and career · Wikidata Q2569359
33
Rónald Matarrita 52 (as of 4 October 2026) caps (Costa Rica) · Liga Deportiva Alajuelense, New York CityOn 15 June 2018 a grade-one tear in his right thigh took Matarrita out of the squad days before Costa Rica opened against Serbia, and Kenner Gutiérrez went to Russia in his place.
LB2015–
Rónald Matarrita 52 (as of 4 October 2026) caps (Costa Rica) · Liga Deportiva Alajuelense, New York CityOn 15 June 2018 a grade-one tear in his right thigh took Matarrita out of the squad days before Costa Rica opened against Serbia, and Kenner Gutiérrez went to Russia in his place.
LB2015–
About this XI
Costa Rica's pool is led by Keylor Navas, Bryan Ruiz and Celso Borges. The 33 covers 3 goalkeepers, 10 defenders, 14 midfielders and 6 forwards, with sourced senior international careers spanning the 1930s to the 2020s. Pick a formation, drag your eleven onto the pitch, then explore the careers and settle the duels below. Your votes reorder the people's ranking of these 33 in real time.
Who is the greatest Costa Rica footballer of all time?
The editorial collection starts with Keylor Navas. Its first five careers: Keylor Navas, Bryan Ruiz, Celso Borges, Paulo Wanchope, Alejandro Morera Soto. The people's ranking on this page moves with every duel vote and can disagree.
How were these 33 Costa Rica players chosen?
The collection covers every position across Costa Rica's football history. Honours, international records and career achievements inform the editorial order. Each entry opens a career note and its sources. Fan votes in the duels build a separate ranking.
Where can I read about the careers?
Open a player page from the collection to read the career scene, club record and recorded honours. The source links show where the available records come from.
Can I build and share my own Costa Rica all-time XI?
Yes. Pick one of 8 formations, place any of the 33 players onto the pitch, and export your lineup as a PNG. There is no account and no sign-up.