Spain will face Costa Rica in their opening game of the 2022 World Cup on Wednesday afternoon. The two teams have a history of playing each other in international competition, with Spain holding a slight edge over Costa Rica. Costa Rica are one of the many teams that have been on the rise in recent years, and they are looking to make an impact at this year’s World Cup.
The 2010 World Cup champion have not won a single knockout match since the final in Johannesburg. However, Luis Enrique’s youth-centric setup continues making headway, buoyed by reaching the semi-finals of the European Championships and Nations League over the past 18 months.
In 2022, Costa Rica climbed 14 places in the FIFA World Rankings. Nonetheless, they still sit 24 rungs lower than their 7th-place competition, Spain.
Spain vs Costa Rica Match details
- Location: Doha, Qatar
- Stadium: Al Thumama Stadium
- Date: Wednesday 23 November
- Kick-off Time: 16:00 GMT / 11:00 ET / 08:00 PT
Spain vs Costa Rica Line ups
Spain Starting 11 (4-3-3): Simon; Carvajal, Laporte, P Torres, Alba; Pedri, Busquets, Gavi; F Torres, Morata, Williams.
Bench: Sanchez, Raya, Azpilicueta, Garcia, Guillamon, Llorente, Koke, Rodri, Soler, Asensio, Olmo, Pino, Sarabia, Fati.
Costa Rica Starting 11 (4-3-3): Navas; Martinez, Calvo, Duarte, Oviedo; Tejeda, Bennette, Torres; Borges, Contreras, Campbell.
Bench: Alvarado, Sequeira, Vargas, Fuller, Waston, Matarrita, Chaco, Ruiz, Salas, Aguilera, Lopez, Wilson, Hernandez, Zamora, Venegas.
Spain vs Costa Rica Prediction
This matchup features world-renowned teams, with Spain boasting a wealth of experience and talent. Costa Rica, on the other hand, are making their regular World Cup appearance. Costa Rica needs a win to keep its hope alive, while Spain looks to finish as one of the top two teams in Group E and advance to the next round. If Spain can keep Costa Rica at bay early on in the game, they should be able to cruise to a victory in their opening game.
Prediction:
Result – Spain
Game to have over 2.5 goals – Yes
Spain to score first – Yes
