Costa Rica’s U-20 women’s national team returns to the field this afternoon for the first of two friendlies against Canada, using the matches as part of its buildup to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland later this year. The game is scheduled for 3 p.m. local time at the FCRF-Plycem Sports Complex.
The second match in the series is set for Thursday, April 16, also at 3 p.m. at the same venue. For Costa Rica, the two games offer a timely test against one of the region’s strongest sides as preparations intensify ahead of the World Cup, which will run from September 5 to September 27 in Poland.
Costa Rica got its place in the 2026 tournament by finishing second in Group A at the 2025 Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship. Canada also qualified and arrives in Costa Rica after winning that same regional tournament, beating Mexico 3-2 after extra time in the final to claim its first U-20 women’s Concacaf title since 2008.
The upcoming World Cup will mark Costa Rica’s fifth appearance at the tournament. The Ticas previously played in Germany in 2010, Canada in 2014, Costa Rica in 2022, and Colombia in 2024, giving this year’s squad a chance to add another chapter to the country’s growing record in the women’s youth game.
Canada’s camp in Costa Rica includes an extended 30-player roster as its coaching staff continues evaluating talent before the World Cup. That gives Monday’s match added weight for Costa Rica as well, with both teams expected to treat the series as a serious measuring stick rather than a routine exhibition.
With fewer than five months to go before kickoff in Poland, Monday’s friendly gives Costa Rica a clear chance to see where it stands against elite regional opposition. A second meeting on Thursday should offer an even fuller picture of where the squad is heading before one of the biggest events on its 2026 calendar.
