Costa Rica vs Haiti: the stakes, history and lineup news

The match closed a Nations League group stage with different stakes for each team and a long winless run for Costa Rica against Haiti.

SportsOctober 6, 20263 min readHow Sureno writes this

The short version

Costa Rica and Haiti met in Group A of the 2026-27 CONCACAF Nations League, in the final group-stage round. ¹
Before the match, Haiti had won its first three games; Costa Rica had no chance to reach the next round. ¹
Haiti won the teams’ earlier group-stage meeting 2-0. ¹
Costa Rica’s most recent official win over Haiti was in September 2016, La Nación reported. ³

What was at stake in Costa Rica vs Haiti?

The match was the final Group A fixture for Costa Rica and Haiti in League A of the 2026-27 CONCACAF Nations League. ¹

The teams arrived with sharply different prospects. TUDN reported that Haiti had already qualified for the quarterfinals after winning its first three matches, while Costa Rica was eliminated and could not advance. ¹

Why did Haiti’s qualification status sound unclear?

Some pre-match reports described Haiti as already qualified. Others said a draw against Costa Rica would guarantee its place. TUDN said Haiti had qualified, while La Nación and Yahoo Sports described a draw as enough to secure qualification. ¹³⁴

La Nación reported that Haiti and Curaçao each had nine points, with Curaçao ahead on goal difference, and that a point would put Haiti beyond the reach of the Dominican Republic. ³ The supplied reports do not explain why they phrase the qualification situation differently.

What happened when the teams met earlier?

Haiti won the earlier group-stage game 2-0 in Kingston, Jamaica. Haiti was the administrative home team for that match. ¹

The fixture also attracted interest because of the teams’ longer record. La Nación reported that Costa Rica had not beaten Haiti in an official match since September 2, 2016, when Randall Azofeifa scored the only goal in a World Cup qualifying game. ³

What lineup changes were reported for Costa Rica?

La Teja reported that coach Bryan Ruiz made changes to Costa Rica’s starting team. Its reported lineup included goalkeeper Keylor Navas and defenders Ronald Matarrita, Francisco Calvo, Juan Pablo Vargas and Yerlan Sosa. ²

The report named Sebastián Acuña, Andrey Mora and Celso Borges in midfield, with Carlos Mora, Orlando Sinclair and Kenyel Michel in attack. This was a pre-match report; it should not be taken as confirmation of the final lineup or result. ²

Where could viewers find match coverage?

TUDN published a guide to the match time and channel, and Yahoo Sports published a viewing guide. The source details provided here do not include the full broadcast information, which may differ by country. ¹⁴

For an ordinary viewer, the key point is that this was a group-stage match with unequal qualification stakes: Haiti was pursuing or confirming a quarterfinal place, while Costa Rica could no longer advance. ¹³

What is still unknown from these reports?

The supplied articles are published before the match and do not give its final score. They therefore cannot establish how the game ended or whether Costa Rica ended its winless official-match run against Haiti. ¹²³⁴

They also do not provide a complete, country-by-country list of broadcasters. Viewers looking for current coverage should check CONCACAF or a local broadcaster’s official listings.

What we don't know yet

The supplied sources do not include the final match score.
The reports differ on whether Haiti was already qualified or still needed a draw to secure its place.
The sources do not establish a complete broadcast list for all countries.

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Questions people ask

Was Haiti through to the Nations League quarterfinals before playing Costa Rica?

TUDN said Haiti had already qualified after winning its first three matches. La Nación and Yahoo Sports said a draw against Costa Rica would secure qualification. The supplied reports do not explain the difference. ¹³⁴

What was the score in the earlier Costa Rica-Haiti game?

Haiti beat Costa Rica 2-0 in their earlier group-stage meeting. The match took place in Kingston, Jamaica, with Haiti listed as the administrative home team. ¹

When was Costa Rica’s last official win over Haiti?

La Nación reported that Costa Rica last beat Haiti in an official match on September 2, 2016. Randall Azofeifa scored the lone goal in a World Cup qualifying match. ³

Who was named in Costa Rica’s reported lineup?

La Teja’s pre-match report listed Keylor Navas in goal and named Celso Borges among the midfielders and Yerlan Sosa among the defenders. It also reported Bryan Ruiz as coach. ²

How can I find where to watch Costa Rica vs Haiti?

TUDN and Yahoo Sports both published viewing guides for the fixture. The supplied source details do not state all channel information, and availability can vary by country. ¹⁴

Sources

A qué hora y dónde ver el Costa Rica vs. Haití de Nations League — TUDN, 2026-10-04
Bryan Ruiz sorprende con importantes cambios en la alineación para enfrentar a Haití — La Teja
La Selección de Costa Rica busca romper una larga sequía ante Haití; vea cuándo fue el último triunfo — La Nación
How to watch Costa Rica vs Haiti: Live stream CONCACAF Nations League, TV channel — Yahoo Sports

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