SAN JOSE, Costa Rica – The Final Round of the Concacaf Qualifiers to the 2026 FIFA World Cup continued with Costa Rica and Haiti playing to a 3-3 draw in Group C on Tuesday at Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Los Ticos wasted no time as they forced an early takeaway which led to Kenneth Vargas scoring the opening goal just one minute into the match.
Vargas was a key part of Costa Rica’s second score as he chipped the ball over the defense for Alonso Martínez to double the lead in the 35’.
Costa Rica was firmly in control throughout the first 45 minutes as Haiti had just one shot going into half time.
The Haitians flipped the script in the second half as they were rewarded a penalty kick in the 55’ after a VAR review. Haiti’s all-time leading scorer Duckens Nazon stepped up from the spot and was initially blocked by legendary goalkeeper Keylor Navas, but Nazon was able to pounce on the rebound and put it in the back of the net.
Just minutes later in the 58’, Nazon got his second of the night with a stunning equalizing bicycle kick in between a pair of defenders.
Nazon completed the hat trick to stun the hosts in the 86’ off a nifty backheel pass from Duke Lacroix.
Costa Rica bounced right back in the 90’+1’ when Manfred Ugalde sent a long ball over the top and Juan Pablo Vargas stretched out to get his left foot on it for the late equalizer in a wild six-goal spectacle.
Haiti will visit Nicaragua in the next qualifying window on October 9. Costa Rica faces Honduras on the same day.
This will be the 16th match between the nations with Costa Rica leading the series with eight wins, six draw and one loss. Haiti’s only victory over Costa Rica, a 2-1 result, came in the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup.
Costa Rica has won all four of their previous meetings against Haiti in World Cup Qualifiers. The most recent encounter between the two was during the Russia 2018 qualifiers, a 1-nil Costa Rica win with a goal from Randall Azofeifa.
