Costa Rica vs Nicaragua: H2H, lineups and match prediction — October 14, 2025
On October 14, at 04:00 Central European Time, Costa Rica will host Nicaragua in their fourth-round match of the World Cup qualifiers. For an in-depth look at the teams and a prediction for this clash, read on below.
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Match preview
After being knocked out in the Gold Cup quarterfinals by the USA, Costa Rica continues to struggle: in the first three rounds of qualifying, the team has drawn all three matches, earning just three points and sitting third in their group behind Honduras and Haiti, who each have five points.
In the opening round under head coach Ernesto Herrera, Costa Rica drew 1-1 with Nicaragua: from the 54th minute, Nicaragua was down to ten men, which Costa Rica capitalized on to score, but a well-organized Nicaraguan defense prevented further goals. On the other hand, Nicaragua earned a penalty, which Bonilla converted to seal the draw. Next came a thrilling 3-3 draw with Haiti — both sides played open, direct football, ignoring their defensive duties. In the third round, Costa Rica traveled to Honduras: the hosts controlled possession for most of the match, limiting Costa Rica's chances, but had their own struggles in attack, resulting in a goalless stalemate.
Nicaragua sits bottom of the group, having earned their only point against Costa Rica and fairly losing their other two matches. Antonio Figueroa's squad creates very little in attack and often makes mistakes in positional defense.
In the second round, Nicaragua lost 0-2 away to Honduras — the hosts dictated play, threatened from set-pieces and combinations, and made their dominance count. In the third round, Haiti thrashed Nicaragua: clinical finishing saw the Haitians cruise to a 3-0 victory. Nicaragua showed more attacking intent in that match, but their finishing let them down.
Probable lineups
Costa Rica: Navas; Manley, Vargas, Gamboa, Mitchell, Calvo; Galo, Alcocer, Murillo; Martinez, Ugalde
Nicaragua: Rodriguez; Quijano, Cano, Reyes, Acvedo; Nino; Barrera, Moldskred, Hernandez, Bonilla; Smith
Match facts and head-to-head
- In the last five meetings between these teams, there have been two draws and three Costa Rica victories
- Costa Rica is winless in their last five matches
- Nicaragua has lost three of their last four matches, scoring just one goal
Prediction
Costa Rica finds itself in a tough spot: they must win to keep their World Cup hopes alive. On the other hand, Nicaragua doesn’t look like a pushover and is unlikely to let Costa Rica have an easy night. My prediction: Asian handicap Nicaragua (+2.5) at 1.6 odds
