Herrera tasked to lead Costa Rica to World Cup as former Mexico boss appointed

Costa Rica have appointed former Mexico boss Miguel Herrera as their new head coach.

The Costa Rican Football Federation (FCRF) sacked interim manager Claudio Vivas in November following the country’s exit from the CONCACAF Nations League’s quarter-finals.

Former Mexico defender Herrera, who managed his country to the last 16 at the 2014 World Cup, has subsequently been confirmed as Costa Rica’s new head coach.

“Following an exhaustive selection process that concluded with a final shortlist, the FCRF executive committee, together with new sporting director Ignacio Hierro, made the decision to hire Herrera as the national team’s manager,” said the FCRF statement.

Le damos la bienvenida a Miguel Herrera, nuevo entrenador de la Selección de Costa Rica

¡Muchos éxitos profe! #FCRF #LaSele pic.twitter.com/W39bevqtxm

— FCRF (@fedefutbolcrc) January 7, 2025

Costa Rica currently lead Group B in the second round of CONCACAF qualifying before they resume their campaign in June against the Bahamas and Trinidad and Tobago.

The top two in the section will advance to the decisive third round as they bid to book a fourth World Cup finals appearance in a row.

Reaching the World Cup will be Herrera’s primary aim as the Mexican returns to international football, having also coached club football in Liga MX with Club Tijuana, Tigres and Club America.