Top Goal Scorers For Costa Rica Football Team All-Time: Costa Rica is a country in Central America that loves playing football. The national team of Costa Rica has been part of the FIFA World Cup six times. They have also won the CONCACAF Gold Cup three times, in 1963, 1969, and 1989.
Costa Rica has had many great football players. Some of them are Rolando Fonseca, Paulo Wanchope, and Álvaro Saborío. These players have scored a lot of goals for the national team and are considered some of the best Costa Rican footballers ever.
Top Goal Scorers For Costa Rica Football Team All-Time
In this article, we will talk about the top goal scorers for the Costa Rica national football team throughout history.
1. Rolando Fonseca
- Career Span: 1992–2011
- Matches: 113
- Goals: 47
- Average: 0.42
Rolando Fonseca is the highest goal scorer for Costa Rica’s national football team, scoring 47 goals in 113 matches. He started playing for the team in 1992 when he was just 17 years old. Fonseca played in several World Cup qualifiers and even scored a hat trick in a match against Honduras in 1997.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Fonseca was in top form, scoring many goals for Costa Rica. He played in the Copa América in 2001 and also represented Costa Rica in the 2002 World Cup, playing against China and Brazil. Despite a brief period out of the team, he returned and played in the 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup, scoring twice against the United States.
Fonseca’s last international goal, his 47th, was a remarkable strike against Chile. He retired from international play after this game, ending his career as Costa Rica’s all-time leading scorer. His contributions to the team and his skill on the field made him a celebrated player in Costa Rican football history.
2. Paulo Wanchope
- Career Span: 1996–2008
- Matches: 73
- Goals: 45
- Average: 0.62
Paulo Wanchope is the second-highest goal scorer for Costa Rica, scoring 45 goals in 73 matches. He played for various clubs in England, Scotland, and Spain and was part of the Costa Rican national team from 1996 to 2006. Wanchope was known for his speed and his ability to score with both feet.
Wanchope played a crucial role in the Costa Rican national team. He scored his 43rd goal in a 3-0 win against the USA in a World Cup qualifier on October 8, 2005, becoming the record goal scorer for Costa Rica. He had significant achievements with the national team, including participating in the 2002 World Cup and finishing second in the 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He also played a key role in the 2006 World Cup in Germany, scoring both goals for Costa Rica in the opening game against hosts Germany. He had previously scored a goal in the 2002 World Cup in a match against eventual champions Brazil.
After his playing career, Wanchope served as the assistant coach of the Costa Rica national football team from September 2011 to 2014. He later became the national coach and led the team during the 2014 World Cup.
3. Álvaro Saborío
- Career Span: 2002–2019
- Matches: 111
- Goals: 36
- Average: 0.32
Álvaro Saborío is the third-highest goal scorer for Costa Rica, scoring 36 goals in 111 matches. He was known for his aerial abilities and his skill in holding up the ball. Saborío was a key player in the qualifying matches for the 2014 World Cup, scoring eight goals. Unfortunately, he couldn’t participate in the World Cup due to a foot injury.
Saborío reached a significant milestone on July 11, 2015, when he played his 100th international match for Costa Rica, becoming one of the few players to achieve this feat for the country.
In January 2017, after playing 108 international matches and scoring 35 goals, Saborío decided to retire from active international football. Despite his retirement, he made a comeback during the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2019 and scored the first goal in a match against Haiti, although Costa Rica faced a 1-2 defeat in that game.
4. Bryan Ruiz
- Career Span: 2005–2022
- Matches: 147
- Goals: 29
- Average: 0.2
Bryan Ruiz is the fourth-highest goal scorer for Costa Rica, scoring 29 goals in 147 matches. He has played for clubs in Costa Rica, Belgium, the Netherlands, England, and Portugal.
Ruiz began his journey in Costa Rica’s national football team as a youth player before making it to the senior team. He played in the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2005, where his team reached the quarter-finals but lost to Honduras. In the 2014 World Cup, he was the captain and scored a crucial goal against Italy, helping Costa Rica advance to the knockout rounds. In the round of 16 against Greece, he scored again, contributing to the team’s victory in a penalty shootout. However, they were eliminated by the Netherlands in the quarter-finals.
Ruiz also led Costa Rica in the 2018 World Cup, where they faced tough matches against Serbia and Brazil. In their final game against Switzerland, Ruiz’s penalty kick hit the crossbar bounced off the Swiss goalkeeper’s head, and went into the goal, but it was counted as an own goal, resulting in Costa Rica’s elimination from the tournament.
In the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Ruiz scored a goal against Mexico, but his team lost in a penalty shootout during the quarter-finals. He was later selected for the 2022 World Cup squad after Costa Rica successfully qualified under the coaching of Luis Fernando Suárez.
5. Juan Ulloa
- Career Span: 1955–1970
- Matches: 27
- Goals: 27
- Average: 1
Juan Ulloa scored an impressive 27 goals in 27 international matches for the Costa Rica national team. He held the title of the national team’s all-time leading goal scorer until Rolando Fonseca surpassed his record in 2001.
Ulloa was a prolific goal scorer in the Primera División, leading in goals three times in 1959, 1960, and 1966. He scored a remarkable total of 140 goals in the Costa Rica Primera División and an overall record of 247 goals in various competitions, including league, cup, national team, and internal club matches.
Additionally, he represented Costa Rica in 7 FIFA World Cup qualification matches, showcasing his talent on the international stage.
6. Celso Borges
- Career Span: 2008–present
- Matches: 163
- Goals: 27
- Average: 0.17
Celso Borges has scored 27 goals in 163 international matches for the Costa Rica national football team, making him the country’s sixth-highest goal scorer.
In his early years with CD Saprissa, Borges played as a supplementary player during the team’s championship win in 2006. He later became a regular player during their title wins in 2007 and 2008. Borges also represented Costa Rica in the U-20 World Championships in 2007, where he was recognized for his versatility and offensive abilities.
In 2008, Borges and his club participated in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, reaching the finals against Mexican champions CF Pachuca. Despite a 1-1 draw in the first leg, they lost 1-2 in the second leg, missing out on the international title. That same year, Borges made his debut for the Costa Rican senior national team, marking the beginning of his successful international career.
7. Joel Campbell
- Career Span: 2011–present
- Matches: 131
- Goals: 27
- Average: 0.21
Joel Campbell has scored 27 goals in 131 matches for the Costa Rica national football team, ranking him as the 7th-highest goal scorer in the country’s history. He made his debut in the senior team under coach Ricardo La Volpe during the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup in June. In his first appearance against Nigeria, he came on as a substitute in a friendly match.
During the Gold Cup tournament in Guatemala, Campbell played in the first group game against Cuba. He replaced Marco Ureña in the 58th minute and scored a goal 13 minutes later, contributing to Costa Rica’s 5-0 victory.
After the Gold Cup, he also played for the Costa Rican junior team in the 2011 Junior World Cup held in Colombia from June to August 2011.
8. Rónald Gómez
- Career Span: 1993–2008
- Matches: 91
- Goals: 24
- Average: 0.26
Rónald Gómez scored 24 goals in 91 matches for the Costa Rica national football team, making him the 8th-highest goal scorer in the country’s history.
Gómez represented Costa Rica in 27 FIFA World Cup qualification matches and participated in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups. He also played in several UNCAF Nations Cups (1993 and 2001), CONCACAF Gold Cup tournaments (1993, 2000, and 2002), and Copa América tournaments (1997, 2001, and 2004).
His international career concluded in a friendly match against Peru in March 2008. Gómez’s contributions to the Costa Rican national team are remembered as part of the country’s football history.
9. Walter Centeno
- Career Span: 1995–2009
- Matches: 137
- Goals: 24
- Average: 0.18
Walter Centeno scored 24 goals in 137 matches for the Costa Rica national football team, making him the 9th-highest goal scorer in the country’s history. He played his first game for Costa Rica against Jamaica on 27 September 1995 and became a regular member of the team for thirteen years.
Centeno participated in various tournaments, including the Pan American Games in 1995, Copa América tournaments in 1997, 2001, and 2004, as well as the FIFA World Cup in 2002 and 2006.
He served as the captain of the Costa Rica national football team during the later stages of the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifications. Centeno played his final game for the national team on 18 November 2009, scoring a goal in a 1-1 draw, marking the end of the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying stage. After this match, he announced his retirement from international football.
10. Jorge Monge
- Career Span: 1955–1961
- Matches: 27
- Goals: 23
- Average: 0.85
Jorge Monge is the 10th-highest goal scorer in Costa Rica’s football history. He made his debut for the national squad when he was just 17 years old and played a significant role during his time with the team. In 27 matches, he scored 23 goals, a remarkable achievement that still places him among the top 10 goal scorers in the Costa Rica national football team.
Monge also played in the qualifying rounds of the 1962 FIFA World Cup and was a member of the renowned Chaparritos de Oro team, which finished third in the 1956 Panamerican Championship.
Unfortunately, Monge’s career came to an abrupt end in 1968 due to injuries sustained in a car accident. He was only 30 years old when he had to retire from professional football. Throughout his career, he played 136 league games for Saprissa, scoring an impressive total of 93 goals.
