Preview: Costa Rica vs Curacao - prediction, team news, lineups

Meeting for the third time in their history, Curacao will travel to Costa Rica on Thursday in the opening matchday of Group A action for both sides at the CONCACAF Nations League.

In 2024-25, the Central Americans were knocked out of this tournament in the quarter-finals by Panama, while Curacao topped their League B group on that occasion to return to the top flight.

Match preview

After failing to qualify for a fourth consecutive World Cup this year, Costa Rica will hope to rebuild their program with a new man at the helm.

Fernando Batista replaces Miguel Herrera as manager, and the former Venezuela boss called up over a dozen players who are 25 years of age or younger for this window.

The 2014 World Cup quarter-finalists enter this encounter on a three-match losing run, conceding a combined 11 goals over that stretch while netting only once.

Meanwhile, they will try to end a six-match winless run internationally on Thursday, in what will be their first competitive game of 2026.

Costa Rica have never lost their opening Nations League group fixture before and can stretch their unbeaten run in group action to four matches on Thursday, going undefeated in this phase back in 2024-25.

Los Ticos have won three of their last four Nations League home encounters, without conceding a goal in those three wins.

Months after their historic first World Cup appearance, we will soon discover just how far the Curacao men’s program has grown since then.

Dick Advocaat led them into the finals this past summer, and the veteran Dutch coach guided them to a Nations League promotion in 2024-25, as his team finished with 13 points to top their group.

On Thursday they can claim their first away victory in League A since edging Honduras 2-1 in the group phase in June of 2022.

That was the last time they triumphed over a Central American side, with Curacao losing those last two outings against that region.

The Caribbean team will enter this contest on a three-match winless run, with just one goal scored over that stretch.

While they are winless against Costa Rica, the Blue Wave have never lost a match played in the latter’s home country, drawing them 0-0 when they met in the 2019 Nations League group phase.

Costa Rica Form (all competitions):

Curacao Form (all competitions):

Team News

For this window, Batista did not select Shawn Johnson to the Costa Rican side as he is dealing with a knock, while Orlando Galo is in the squad despite previously sustaining a leg injury.

Manfred Ugalde was also left off the team despite scoring 11 goals for Los Ticos, with Francisco Calvo and Jeyland Mitchell expected to anchor the backline and Patrick Sequeira the likely first-choice goalkeeper.

At Curacao, Advocaat chose three players without a single international cap for these upcoming fixtures, including Nigel Thomas, Kyano Penso and Kiyani Zeggen.

Eloy Room, one of the big stories at the World Cup, is tied with Leandro Bacuna for the most all-time caps for the national team (75), while Kenji Gorre can move into ninth in goals for this program with his next one.

Costa Rica possible starting lineup:

Sequeira; Molina, Mitchell, Calvo, Araya; Murillo; Flores, Galo, Soto, Alocer; Sinclair

Curacao possible starting lineup:

Room; Brenet, Gaari, Obispo, Floranus, Carolina; Chong, L. Bacuna, Antonisse; Margaritha, J. Bacuna

We say: Costa Rica 1-0 Curacao

Unlike in past years, many Costa Ricans will be fighting to earn their place on this team, and that motivation, along with their experience in big CONCACAF tournaments, should propel them to a narrow victory against a Curacao side that are getting up there in age.