Soccer in Costa Rica

A common saying in Costa Rica is that every community in the country—whether a city, town, village, or something even smaller—has two things: a church (facing West) and a soccer field. There might not be anything else, but to be a community in Costa Rica, a place needs a church and a soccer field (some also say a bar). This speaks volumes about Costa Rican culture.

Soccer—or football, or, as it’s said in Spanish, fútbol—holds significant cultural importance in Costa Rica. The sport is deeply ingrained in the nation's identity and acts as a unifying element across different segments of society, bringing together Ticos from all backgrounds and regions.