Costa Rica to host U-20 FIFA World Cup in 2022

Costa Rica will host the U-20 Women’s World Cup in August 2022, FIFA announced Thursday.

The 16-team soccer tournament will be held across the Central American country from August 10-28, 2022, the dates approved by the FIFA Council.

Costa Rica was originally set to co-host the 2020 U-20 World Cup alongside Panama. That tournament was postponed and ultimately canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, and Panama withdrew as hosts, citing infrastructure deficiencies during the health crisis.

At the time, Costa Rica expressed its willingness to “host the entire tournament,” as indicated by the Costa Rican Organizing Committee.

“Costa Rica has the organization, human resources, sports infrastructure, logistics, technology and accommodation to serve with excellence all the delegations and other activities that the World Cup demands,” the Costa Rican Soccer Federation said.

While most details about the 2022 World Cup remain to-be-determined, Costa Rica had planned to use the National Stadium and Alejandro Morera Soto Stadium in Alajuela as the primary venues in 2020.

As hosts, Costa Rica will also earn an automatic classification to the tournament.