Costa Rica vs 25.09.26 02:003 – 4Full Time
Curaçao — CONCACAF Nations League: stats, lineups & analysis
Match report
Curaçao storm back from 3-0 down to stun Costa Rica in Nations League opener
Costa Rica led 3-0 at half-time but Curaçao fought back to win 3-4 in a seven-goal CONCACAF Nations League opener at Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá. Dick Advocaat's side produced one of the great comebacks of the competition's opening round, overturning a three-goal deficit in the second half to leave with all three points from Costa Rica's own ground.
AI-assisted match report written from official match data.
O. Sinclair put the hosts ahead inside three minutes, converting an Orlando Galo assist, and Carlos Mora doubled the lead on 23 minutes before adding another right on the stroke of half-time to make it 3-0. Costa Rica looked comfortable at the break, but the game turned entirely after the restart.
Kenji Gorré pulled one back in the 62nd minute, and Tahith Chong, assisted by Jordi Paulina, made it 3-2 four minutes later. Gorré struck again in the 78th minute to level the score at 3-3, before Paulina completed the turnaround in the 83rd minute, teed up by Juninho Bacuna, to hand Curaçao a stunning 3-4 win.
Curaçao held just 38 percent of possession but made their spells in the game count, while Costa Rica's dominant first-half spell ultimately counted for nothing as the visitors found a route back into the contest after the interval.
Carlos Mora scored twice for Costa Rica either side of the interval, including the goal that made it 3-0 at the break, and finished with the highest rating on the pitch at 8.6. Kenji Gorré and Jordi Paulina were central to Curaçao's response, with Gorré netting twice and Paulina contributing a goal and two assists in the comeback.
Despite scoring only once before the hour mark, Curaçao had the better of the shot count overall, firing 12 attempts to Costa Rica's 10.
Curaçao won 4–3 away against Costa Rica (half-time 3–0).
Costa Rica met Curaçao in the CONCACAF Nations League (League A - 1). Kick-off was Friday, 25 September 2026, 02:00 UTC at Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá. Referee: Mario Escobar.
Team pages: Costa Rica · Curaçao · CONCACAF Nations League
Key moments
- 3' Goal: O. Sinclair (assist: Orlando Galo) — 1–0
- 23' Goal: Carlos Mora — 2–0
- 45' Goal: Carlos Mora — 3–0
- 62' Goal: Kenji Gorré (assist: Jordi Paulina) — 3–1
- 66' Goal: Tahith Chong (assist: Jordi Paulina) — 3–2
- 78' Goal: Kenji Gorré — 3–3
- 83' Goal: Jordi Paulina (assist: Juninho Bacuna) — 3–4
Starting line-ups
Costa Rica (4-1-4-1)
- 23 A. Madriz
- 8 D. Araya
- 15 Francisco Calvo (c)
- 3 Jeyland Mitchell
- 6 C. Barahona
- 22 S. Acuna
- 10 Josimar Alcócer
- 9 J. Mendez
- 14 Orlando Galo
- 17 Carlos Mora
- 19 O. Sinclair
Curaçao (3-5-2)
About this match
On this page: the Costa Rica vs Curaçao final score and result, who scored, starting lineups, match stats and the full match report from this CONCACAF Nations League fixture.
- Who scored and when — a goal-by-goal timeline of the match.
- Match stats — possession, shots, expected goals (xG), corners and cards.
- Starting lineups and player ratings for both teams.
- Head-to-head record and recent form for both sides.
The full match report above covers the goals, key moments and stats. Explore more on the Costa Rica and Curaçao team pages or the CONCACAF Nations League page.