Colombia defeated Costa Rica 3:1 in Bogotá and ended its home farewell with a victory ahead of the continuation of preparations for the World Cup
The Colombian national football team defeated Costa Rica 3:1 in a friendly match played on 1 June 2026 at the Estadio Nemesio Camacho El Campín stadium in Bogotá. According to the official calendar of the Colombian Football Federation, the duel was part of the final preparation of Colombia's senior men's national team before leaving for the United States of America and appearing at the 2026 World Cup. Colombia settled the match with goals from Dávinson Sánchez, Luis Díaz and Luis Suárez, while Andrey Soto was the scorer for Costa Rica. The result confirms the basic picture of the match: the home national team was more concrete, more dangerous in the final third and stable enough to control the final part of the encounter after Costa Rica reduced the deficit.
The match also had a symbolic dimension because the Colombian Football Federation had earlier announced it as the national team's home farewell to the public before leaving for the final preparations for the world showcase. According to the FCF announcement, the match had originally been scheduled for 29 May, but was moved to 1 June so that the coaching staff could have a more complete squad available in the period preceding departure from Bogotá. The change of date was also confirmed in communication from the Costa Rican Football Federation, which stated that the match was moved at the request of the Colombian side. In sporting terms, the host obtained a useful test against an opponent from the CONCACAF zone, while Costa Rica continued its work process under head coach Fernando Batista.
Colombia's quick start to the match and two goals in six minutes
The start of the encounter was firm and fragmented, with many duels in the middle of the pitch and without longer periods of clean possession. Costa Rica tried in the early minutes to close the central corridors and slow Colombia's ball progression toward the wing areas, while the home team patiently searched for space through wide positions. According to the report by the EFE agency, carried by El Heraldo, the visitors managed in the opening phase to get close to the Colombian penalty area, and Manfred Ugalde had one of the first more promising situations, but his attempt did not end up in Camilo Vargas's net. Such a start suggested a match in which the rhythm could be slower, but Colombia very quickly found a way to turn the encounter in its favour.
The first goal came in the 17th minute after a set piece. Luis Díaz took the corner kick, and Dávinson Sánchez attacked the space in the penalty area well and sent the ball into the net with his head for 1:0. That goal was important not only because of the lead on the scoreboard, but also because of the way Colombia used the set piece, a segment of play that often has special importance for coaches in preparatory matches. Only a few minutes later, the host further increased the advantage. In the 23rd minute, Luis Díaz finished off an attack with a precise shot after a pass from Jorge Carrascal, giving Colombia a 2:0 lead and control of the result already in the first part of the first half.
The second goal further emphasised Díaz's importance in Colombia's attacking structure. The winger was not only the scorer but also the assister for the opening goal, so his performance gave the match a clear individual mark. Colombia looked most dangerous in that period when it accelerated play after winning the ball and when it could attack the space behind the visiting defence. Costa Rica, however, avoided a complete collapse on the scoreboard and found an answer before the break, which restored a certain uncertainty to the match.
Costa Rica reduced the deficit and showed it can punish a drop in concentration
Costa Rica reached its goal in the 33rd minute. According to Global Sports Archive data, Andrey Soto scored with a header for 2:1 after an assist from Josimar Alcócer. That goal came after a better visiting move and showed that the Colombian defence could not rely solely on its lead and possession of the ball. In the period after Colombia's second goal, the home team had control of the result, but Costa Rica managed to use the space and get back into the match before going to the break. The first half ended with the score at 2:1, which left the host with the advantage, but also opened space for a different second part of the encounter.
The Costa Rican goal was also important for the broader context of the preparatory match. Fernando Batista's team did not present itself in Bogotá merely as a passive opponent in Colombia's farewell, but as a national team trying to build new competitive stability. The Costa Rican federation had earlier announced that the match against Colombia served as a continuation of the senior national team's work in the June FIFA window, and in that process such encounters have value even when the result is not positive. Costa Rica's players had to cope with the host's pressure, the atmosphere at El Campín and the quality of an opponent preparing for the World Cup.
Colombia went into the break with the lead, but also with a warning. Defensive details, especially reactions after crosses and the second wave of attacks, remained a segment that the coaching staff will be able to analyse in the continuation of preparations. In friendly matches the result matters, but coaches often devote even more attention to recurring patterns in play. In that sense, the conceded goal did not significantly change the overall impression of Colombia's victory, but it opened the question of concentration in phases when the match seems under control.
James Rodríguez came on after the break, Luis Suárez confirmed the victory
The second half brought the expected substitutions and a somewhat more broken rhythm. At the beginning of the continuation, Colombia introduced James Rodríguez, Jhon Arias, Jhon Lucumí and Luis Suárez, with which Néstor Lorenzo tested different relationships in midfield and attack. According to the EFE report, play in the continuation was often interrupted by fouls, which made it more difficult to create continuous pressure. Costa Rica managed in one part of the second half to get high into Colombia's half and create a situation that could have brought an equaliser, but the home defence withstood the most dangerous moment.
The key moment of the closing stages came in the 81st minute according to Global Sports Archive, or in the 82nd minute according to the EFE report, when Luis Suárez scored for the final 3:1. He was assisted by James Rodríguez, who opened the space for the striker with a well-timed pass. Suárez used his position in front of the defender and beat goalkeeper Patrick Sequeira with a shot. It was a goal that gave Colombia a calm finish and confirmed that the host had enough individual quality and depth from the bench to respond to phases in which the match did not have a completely clean rhythm.
In the closing stages, both national teams continued with substitutions. Colombia, according to the available match records, used the opportunity to distribute minutes among players from the wider squad, including David Ospina, Yerry Mina, Deiver Machado, Kevin Castaño, Juan Fernando Quintero and Daniel Muñoz. Such rotation in a preparatory match is especially important because it allows the coach to check the readiness of players in different roles and relationships on the pitch. Costa Rica also made changes, trying to maintain intensity and find additional energy in the second half, but Suárez's final goal steered the encounter toward a safe Colombia victory.
Scorers, cautions and the technical framework of the match
According to the Global Sports Archive match record and the EFE report, Colombia took the lead in the 17th minute with a goal by Dávinson Sánchez assisted by Luis Díaz. Luis Díaz made it 2:0 in the 23rd minute after a pass from Jorge Carrascal. Andrey Soto reduced the score in the 33rd minute after an assist from Josimar Alcócer, and Luis Suárez set the final 3:1 in the closing stages after a pass from James Rodríguez. The match was played at the Estadio Nemesio Camacho El Campín stadium in Bogotá, and the main referee was Ecuadorian Guillermo Guerrero. Fernán Faerrón, Willer Ditta, Jeyland Mitchell and Richard Ríos were listed in the record as cautioned.
Colombia started with Camilo Vargas in goal, a defensive line consisting of Santiago Arias, Johan Mojica, Willer Ditta and Dávinson Sánchez, and a midfield and attacking block in which Richard Ríos, Jorge Carrascal, Gustavo Puerta, Andrés Gómez, Luis Díaz and Juan Camilo Hernández played. Costa Rica, according to the EFE report, started with Patrick Sequeira in goal, while Haxzel Quirós, Jeyland Mitchell, Fernán Faerrón, David Araya, Aarón Salazar, Orlando Galo, Andrey Soto, Carlos Mora, Manfred Ugalde and Josimar Alcócer were also in the starting lineup. Those lineups show that both coaches used the match for a serious test, not merely for a formal friendly appearance.
The result itself, 3:1, confirms Colombia's attacking efficiency, but also certain unevenness in the match. The host created an early advantage, then allowed Costa Rica to come back and only fully closed the encounter in the closing stages. For Néstor Lorenzo, it is useful that players of different profiles participated in the goals: a central defender from a set piece, a winger from open play and a central striker after coming off the bench. Such a distribution of output can be important in preparations for tournament football, in which set pieces, transition and the contribution of substitutes are often decisive.
Colombia continues its path toward the World Cup
According to the announcement by the Colombian Football Federation of 25 May, the national team carried out the final part of its home preparations in Bogotá from 25 May to 4 June. After that, departure to San Diego was planned, where Colombia plays a friendly match against Jordan on 7 June. The official FCF calendar states that Colombia then faces its first group match at the World Cup against Uzbekistan on 17 June, a match against DR Congo on 23 June, and a duel against Portugal on 27 June. In that context, the victory over Costa Rica is not only a friendly result, but part of a broader plan to time form ahead of a competition played in Mexico, the United States of America and Canada.
For Colombia, the match in Bogotá also had psychological value. A victory in front of the home crowd allowed the national team to end the home part of preparations in a positive atmosphere, especially after a period in which preparatory matches against stronger opponents had opened questions about efficiency and defensive stability. Still, the coaching staff will probably not draw excessive conclusions from this match. Costa Rica is not an opponent in the same competitive situation as the national teams awaiting Colombia in the World Cup group, and the rhythm of friendly matches differs from tournament pressure.
The greatest gain for Colombia may be confirmation that the key players still have a clear role. Luis Díaz was directly involved in the first two goals, James Rodríguez found the pass for the final goal after coming on, and Luis Suárez took his opportunity in the second half. In addition, Dávinson Sánchez's goal from a set piece is a reminder that Colombia can be dangerous even when it does not build attacks through longer combinations. If such elements are translated into a more stable whole, Lorenzo will have more arguments in the next matches for final decisions on the hierarchy within the team.
Costa Rica in a process of rebuilding and with new tests ahead
For Costa Rica, the defeat in Bogotá is part of a demanding schedule and a process in which the national team is trying to stabilise under the leadership of Fernando Batista. The Costa Rican Football Federation had earlier announced that the June matches are part of the senior national team's international calendar, and the encounter against Colombia served as a test against an opponent of high individual quality. Despite the defeat, Andrey Soto's goal and the periods in which Costa Rica managed to press the host can serve as a basis for analysis. It will be especially important how the team behaves in matches in which it will not be exposed to equally strong early pressure.
Costa Rica showed in Bogotá that it can punish carelessness and organise a good move toward the finish, but at the same time it had problems defending set pieces, playing out under pressure and controlling Colombia's wing attacks. The goal conceded after a corner and the second goal after a lost ball illustrate segments that the coaching staff will have to work on especially. In friendly matches such mistakes have a smaller immediate cost, but in qualifying or competitive encounters they can determine the result. That is why the 3:1 defeat for Costa Rica is above all material for correction, and not only a statistical record.
The match ended without drama in the final minutes, after Suárez's third Colombian goal removed the possibility of a late comeback by the visitors. Colombia thus justified its status as favourite and obtained a result that fitted into the atmosphere of a home farewell. Costa Rica, on the other hand, left El Campín with a defeat, but also with concrete indicators of where its play can improve. In a friendly calendar, such encounters make sense precisely because they simultaneously reveal the difference in quality and provide room for work before the next international obligations.
Sources:
- Original submitted text – basic information about the match, result, venue and brief overview.
- Federación Colombiana de Fútbol – official announcement about the squad gathering and the national team's schedule ahead of the World Cup (link)
- Federación Colombiana de Fútbol – official statement on the change of date of the match in Bogotá (link)
- Federación Colombiana de Fútbol – official calendar of national team matches (link)
- Federación Costarricense de Fútbol – official statement on the change of date of the friendly match (link)
- Global Sports Archive – match record, scorers, minutes, lineups and officials (link)
- El Heraldo / Agencia EFE – match report and course of the encounter (link)