Costa Rica
Description
The Costa Rica national football team, nicknamed Los Ticos, is the national team of Costa Rica and is controlled by the Federación Costarricense de Fútbol. Costa Rica is the third most successful team in CONCACAF after Mexico and the United States, and the most successful team in Central America having qualified for three World Cups, reaching the last sixteen on their debut in Italy 1990 and putting up a solid showing in 2002 where they had the misfortune to be drawn in the same group as eventual champions Brazil and third-place finishing Turkey. Recently Los Ticos qualified for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, where it was the Costa Ricans' worst World Cup finish ever. The team finished 31st out of 32 teams
Costa Rica have been North American champions three times (1963, 1969, 1989 ) and have won the UNCAF Nations Cup six times. Recently, Costa Rica have been invited to participate in three Copa América, making the quarterfinals on their last two visits.