The 2010 champions Spain will look to get their campaign up and running when they take on Costa Rica in their opening fixture of the FIFA World Cup 2022 on November 23 at the Al Thumama Stadium in Qatar. The match is scheduled to start at 9:30 PM Indian Standard Time (IST).
The Spanish national team has had two underwhelming outings in 2014 and 2018 following their maiden football World Cup triumph in 2010.
They were ousted in the group stage of the 2014 edition as Netherlands, Chile and Australia proved to be too stiff a challenge for Vincent del Bosque’s side.
However, they went one step further in 2018 before their hopes came crashing down yet again with a Round of 16 loss to hosts Russia.
Spain’s recent form has been quite good. They qualified for the UEFA Nations League A 2022 knockouts after finishing top of their group 2. Moreover, they have lost just once in their last nine games across all competitions.
Talking about the players, veteran defender Sergio Ramos was left out of Luis Enrique’s 26-man squad whereas winger Mikel Oyarzabal was ruled out due to injury.
On the other hand, the Costa Rican football team will be playing only their sixth World Cup since the inception of the tournament in 1930, with the 2014 quarter-final finish being their best performance.
They famously eliminated heavyweights Italy and England in the group stage of the 2014 edition. In the Round of 16, they got the better of Greece on penalties before falling short of another upset following a 4-3 shootout defeat to the Netherlands in the quarter-final.
Los Ticos have won eight out of the 11 matches across competitions in the build-up to the big event and hence, they will be looking to go on another giant-killing run this time out, similar to the 2014 campaign.
Spain vs Costa Rica head-to-head
The two sides have never locked horns in a competitive fixture.
The three friendlies in the past have seen Spain emerge victorious twice, with one game ending in a stalemate.
Spain and Costa Rica’s last friendly match saw the former winning it comfortably by 5-0.
Where to watch Spain vs Costa Rica FIFA World Cup 2022 match live in India?
The Spain vs Costa Rica FIFA World Cup 2022 match will be telecast live on Sports18 and Sports18 HD TV channels in India.
Live streaming of Spain vs Costa Rica match in the 2022 FIFA WC will be available on the Jio Cinema app and website.
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Featured photo: AFP
