Costa Rica vs Nicaragua Prediction and Betting Tips

Costa Rica will host Nicaragua at the Estádio Nacional de Costa Rica on Monday in the fourth game of their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers - CONCACAF third round clash. Both teams will be hoping to get their first win in this stage of the qualifiers to keep their chances of earning qualification alive.

Costa Rica struggled to find their footing in their last match and had to settle for a goalless draw away at Honduras on Friday, marking their third draw in three games in the third round.

Los Ticos are two points behind group leaders Honduras and Haiti after the opening three games and will need to pick up points in their remaining games to stand a chance of finishing in first place and booking their spot in next year's World Cup finals.

Nicaragua are sat at the bottom of the group following their 3-0 loss to Haiti last time out and have picked up just one point from three games played so far.

The visitors won three and lost one of four games in the previous round, but have struggled to put up good performances in the third round so far and will be hoping to turn things around on Monday to remain in contention for qualification.

Costa Rica vs Nicaragua Head-to-Head and Key Numbers

The sides have met on 20 previous occasions going into Monday's game. Costa Rica have won 17 of those games, two ended in draws, while Nicaragua won only one.
The hosts have the best offensive record in the CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers with 21 goals scored in just seven games.
Costa Rica have appeared in five of the last six editions of the FIFA World Cup with their highest ever finish being a quarterfinals finish in 2014.
The visitors, meanwhile, have never appeared in a World Cup finals in their history.
Costa Rica are currently ranked 47th in the FIFA World Rankings, while Nicaragua are ranked 132nd.

Costa Rica vs Nicaragua Prediction

Los Ticos are strong favorites going into this qualification clash, although they will need to improve on their recent lapses to get all three points.

La Azul y Blanco will be satisfied to come away with a point against a much better side, but will need something really special to avoid defeat.

Prediction: Costa Rica 2-1 Nicaragua

Costa Rica vs Nicaragua Betting Tips

Tip 1 - Result: Costa Rica to win

Tip 2 - Goals - Over/under 2.5 - Over 2.5 goals (Six of hosts’ last nine games have produced more than 2.5 goals)

Tip 3 - Both teams to score: Yes (Both teams have gotten on the scoresheet in six of the visitors' last eight games)

About the author

Jedidiah is a European and international football journalist at Sportskeeda, who has been covering match previews for more than 3 years. Currently pursuing an engineering degree from the University of Ibadan, he conducts thorough research and ensures to be up-to-date with football news across the globe to create the most accurate previews.

A Manchester United fan, Jedidiah fell in love with football and the Red Devils since their UEFA Champions League triumph over Chelsea in 2008. He is a big fan of Robert Lewandowski and his historic performances from 2020, but feels that only Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe are capable of replicating the Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo rivalry. His all-time favorite manager is Carlo Ancelotti due to the Italian's remarkable composure in difficult moments of a contest. Spain's 1-0 win over Netherlands in the final of the 2010 FIFA World Cup is etched in his memory forever.

A true student of the game, Jedidiah relishes identifying hidden gems from lower-tiered leagues such as the EFL Championship and the Eredivisie. When not creating previews, he likes playing football and reading books.

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