Luis Torres
Dailysports's expert
On June 16, 2025, the opening round of the CONCACAF Gold Cup will see Costa Rica face Suriname in Group A action. Kickoff is set for 5:00 Central European Time. Let's take a closer look at the odds and pick a winner for this matchup.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica enters the Gold Cup opener riding high after two commanding victories in World Cup qualifying. The team edged Trinidad and Tobago 2-1 before thrashing the Bahamas 8-0. These results saw the Costa Ricans finish top of their group with a perfect 12 points from 12, boasting an impressive goal difference of 17:1. Up next is the third stage of World Cup qualifying, where Costa Rica will battle Honduras, Haiti, and Nicaragua for a direct ticket to the finals. Those matches are scheduled for the autumn, but for now, the team’s focus is firmly on the Gold Cup.
At the previous tournament in 2023, Costa Rica advanced to the playoffs from second place in their group, but bowed out in the quarterfinals with a 0-2 loss to Mexico—who would go on to claim the tournament crown.
Head-to-head history is also on Costa Rica’s side, with five wins and one draw in six matches against Suriname.
Suriname
Suriname approaches this clash unbeaten in their last four outings. In the Gold Cup playoffs, they defeated Martinique twice by 1-0 margins, then impressed in World Cup qualifying with a win over Puerto Rico and a draw against El Salvador. Like Costa Rica, Suriname topped their group and secured a place in the third round, where they'll fight for a 2026 World Cup spot against Guatemala, El Salvador, and Panama.
These achievements mark a significant step forward for the team. Suriname did not participate in the 2023 Gold Cup, and in 2021 failed to progress beyond the group stage. Notably, Costa Rica was also in their group back then, winning 2-1. The sides met again in 2024 in the Nations League, where Suriname managed a draw—their only positive result in head-to-head meetings with Costa Rica so far.
Given both teams’ recent form and results, this promises to be an intriguing and hard-fought contest.
Probable lineups
- Costa Rica: Navas, Calvo, Dosman, Mitchell, Gamboa, Mora, Flores, Alcócer, Vargas, Martínez, Ugalde.
- Suriname: Vessen, Haps, Denswil, Abena, van Gelderen, Pinas, Malone, Kust, Lonwijk, Becker, Vlijter.
Key facts and head-to-head
- Costa Rica have won 4 of their last 5 matches.
- 6 of Costa Rica’s last 7 matches have seen over 2.5 total goals.
- Suriname have won 3 of their last 4 matches.
- 5 of Suriname’s last 6 matches have seen under 2.5 total goals.
Costa Rica vs Suriname match prediction
Costa Rica come into the Gold Cup in fine form and with plenty of international experience under their belt. The team breezed through World Cup qualifying and are perennial regional favorites. Suriname have made steady progress, but in terms of squad strength, experience, and consistency, they still lag behind the Costa Ricans. With Costa Rica’s historic dominance in this matchup, expect them to take control and open their tournament with a confident win. My pick for this match is a Costa Rica victory at odds of 1.77.
