- Costa Rica beat New Zealand 4-0 the only time the teams met in the past
- Tonight’s winner will become the final participant at the 2022 World Cup
- Winner will slot into Group E with Spain, Germany and Japan
- 31st- ranked Costa Rica bidding to reach third consecutive World Cup
- New Zealand have managed two World Cup appearances in the past
5 mins ago (17:36 GMT)
New Zealand assistant coach aiming for second World Cup
Current New Zealand assistant coach Rory Fallon was a player when New Zealand played at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The 40-year-old will be in line to go to a second World Cup if the All Whites win tonight.
Fallon’s former club Plymouth Argyle wish him the best.
🏆 Good luck to Rory Fallon and his @NZ_Football side tonight.
They take on Costa Rica at 7pm for a place at the #FIFAWorldCup 2022 🌍#pafc pic.twitter.com/sCzUup7FCD
— Plymouth Argyle FC (@argyle) June 14, 2022
6 mins ago (17:34 GMT)
‘Need to be careful’, Costa Rican fan warns
At the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, Manuel Escobar fancies Costa Rica’s chances tonight.
“They need to give it their 100 percent. They need to be very careful,” Escobar told Al Jazeera. “Peru thought it would be an easy game [yesterday] against a lower-ranked team, and let their guard down.”
Escobar’s son Gianluca, 10, said the team really needs to “know their positions and passes”.
The family of four came to Doha from the Costa Rica capital San Jose just for the playoff.
“We love football,” Escobar said.
“Which Costa Rican doesn’t?” his son chirped.
12 mins ago (17:29 GMT)
Auckland City send well wishes to NZ
The New Zealand Premiership’s most successful team, Auckland City have sent in their well wishes to the All Whites. Interestingly, there are no Auckland City players in New Zealand’s lineup for today’s crucial game.
⚽️ ONE LAST PUSH!
Best wishes to the #AllWhites from everyone at Auckland City FC as you take on Costa Rica for the final place @FIFAWorldCup in Qatar!!! #StrengthInUnity
🇳🇿💙⚪️ pic.twitter.com/aLsXQYrdl7
— Auckland City FC (@AucklandCity_FC) June 14, 2022
21 mins ago (17:20 GMT)
Lineups are out
New Zealand: Sail, Pijnaker, Reid, Tuiloma, Cacace, Kirwan, Bell, Lewis, Garbett, Greive, Wood
Costa Rica: Navas, Fuller, Duarte, Calvo, Oviedo, Tejeda, Borges, Campbell, Bennette, Torres, Contreras
37 mins ago (17:04 GMT)
Get ready
We are less than an hour away before kickoff. We will know who is the 32nd and final team at the 2022 World Cup in a matter of hours.
There’s one final World Cup spot up for grabs!
Who will take it? @fedefutbolcrc 🇨🇷 or @NZ_Football 🇳🇿?
⤵️ Watch tonight’s game LIVE on FIFA+
*In selected regions, check your local listings
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 14, 2022
42 mins ago (16:59 GMT)
Costa Rican fans taking over the stadium
Thousands of Costa Rican fans have descended on to the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium to cheer for their national team. They are singing and dancing. Fans draped in the Costa Rica flags were seen taking pictures with family members, friends and locals, while blowing trumpets and playing the drums. In comparison, it is difficult to pick out any New Zealand supporters outside or inside the stadium (much like yesterday but then we all remember who had the last laugh) – Usaid Siddiqui at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium.
53 mins ago (16:48 GMT)
Final World Cup spot up for grabs
New Zealand and Costa Rica will fight it out for the final World Cup 2022 spot in Doha in what will be the last match of the extended qualifying campaign for the 2022 World Cup that kicks off in November.
Costa Rica are ranked 31 while New Zealand sit at 101 in the FIFA rankings.
Read our match preview here.
1 hour ago (16:39 GMT)
Reaching third World Cup ‘an obsession’
Should Costa Rica qualify for the 2022 World Cup, it will be coach Luis Fernando Suarez’s third appearance at the World Cup and first with Costa Rica.
He was with Ecuador at the 2006 World Cup and Honduras in 2014.
“The word I’ve used most in all these interviews over the last few days is ‘obsession’, a word that’s sometimes frowned upon. I don’t see it like that. There are good obsessions. And my third World Cup is an obsession for me,” said Suarez.
Can @fedefutbolcrc 🇨🇷 secure the final spot at the World Cup?
⤵️ In an interview with FIFA+, head coach Luis Fernando Suarez has revealed that he has a special note on his fridge door reminding him of the challenge ahead
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 14, 2022
1 hour ago (16:36 GMT)
Message for Costa Rica
Former Costa Rica winger Harold Wallace has sent a strong message to the current players.
“This jersey isn’t for everyone, so if you’re not ready to defend these colours please hand it over to someone who is willing to die for the country,” said Wallace who described playing at the 2018 World Cup as being one of the greatest moments of his career.
“Everything that I had worked for within the game of soccer had all come down to this one moment. When the Costa Rica national anthem began to play, I couldn’t hold back tears of joy – that’s how much it means, especially on the World Cup stage,” he said.
1 hour ago (16:20 GMT)
‘Don’t die wondering’
New Zealand football legend Ryan Nelson has encouraged the All Whites to “give it their all”.
“One shot for glory is just awesome. You can’t get through a game like this on your own. You need your team-mates. Only you as a player know if you’ve given everything. Make sure that you can look at the mirror and know that you’ve given everything,” said Nelson, who helped New Zealand qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Former All Whites captain Ryan Nelsen has a message for the current squad ahead of their match against Costa Rica.
🎥 | @skysportnz pic.twitter.com/BB5d4j49Lj
— New Zealand Football (@NZ_Football) June 14, 2022
Aljazera
