Some of these players include: Paulo César Wanchope, formerly of Malaga and Manchester City Gilberto ‘Tuma’ Martínez (Sampdoria, Roma, Saprissa) Walter ‘Pate’ Centeno (AEK Athens, Saprissa) Rolando Fonseca (various), and Álvaro Saborío (MLS). The name says it all, after Gabelo Conejo (GK for Cartagines, Albacete), generations of talented soccer players filled the stadiums of some of the best teams around the world. The iconic image of Claudia holding a tiny Costa Rican flag with tears in her eyes is a lifetime memory that many Ticos cherish. Claudia won gold in the 200 meter freestyle swimming event in Atlanta in 1996. Sylvia the older sister, won the silver-Costa Rica’s first ever Olympic medal-at Seoul’s Olympic Games in 1988. Two of the biggest moments in the Costa Rican sport history were thanks to the performance of the Poll sisters, who earned the first silver and gold medals for Costa Rica in the Olympic Games. In fact, his influence continues to be felt as the goalkeeping coach for the national team and mentor of current superstar Keylor Navas. Perhaps most importantly, he was the first Costa Rican who achieved an outstanding international soccer career and has opened-up doors for a new generation of world-class soccer players (see below). Gabelo was named the best goalkeeper of the World Cup, and is still ranked as one of the 50 best goalkeepers in the history of soccer. He led the team to victory over Scotland and Sweden in the group phase helping the team make it to the round of 16 for the first time in history. This became an epic championship for Costa Rican soccer fans largely due to the performance of Gabelo, the goalkeeper.
Gabelo was the most famous Costa Rican soccer player from the FIFA world cup held in Italy in 1990. Here is the list of the most influential Costa Rican athletes: If you are vacationing in Costa Rica when the national soccer team-‘La Sele’-plays an important match, you will notice people wearing team colors, cheering and honking out on the streets throughout the day as they prepare to watch the game. The country’s overwhelming desire to please always gives visitors a superb impression and makes sure they want to return over and over.Īlthough this tiny country does not have many Olympic medalists or internationally recognized sportsmen, their accomplishments are a point of pride to most Costa Ricans. Ticos are well known for their affable and non-confrontational nature, which makes them ideal providers of customer service, especially in the tourism field.
Elementary school and high school are obligatory for all citizens and the country boasts six public universities ranked among the most prestigious in Latin America. Since the abolition of its army in 1948, the Costa Rican government has put special emphasis in drawing its attention towards education, which is why an impressive 96% of the population is literate. Protestantism and other religions have gained popularity in recent decades and alternative religions and spiritual practices like Scientology and Masonry are more accessible than in other Central American countries. Unlike neighboring countries like Honduras and Guatemala where religious holidays are held in very high esteem, Costa Rica is slightly more liberal. Modern-day Costa Ricans-or Ticos as they like to refer to themselves-do not consider their nationality an ethnicity, but a citizenship with various ethnicities.Ĭatholicism is the country’s official religion, although the doctrines of Catholicism are less popular with younger generations.
Even if the country’s official language is Spanish, several native languages like Bribrí are spoken by indigenous groups. With over 4 million inhabitants, the country’s ethnic pool is mostly conformed by mestizos, castizos and criollos, as well as expats from all over the world, including the United States, Canada, Europe and South American countries like Colombia and Venezuela. With European, Afro-Caribbean and South American influences, Costa Rica has become a true cultural melting pot. What tourists probably don’t know about Costa Ricans is who they are and their impact on the world. They come to visit the amazing beaches, spectacular mountains, impressive volcanoes and fascinating wildlife. Who are Ticos? Greatest Tico Athletes Most Famous Ticos Women of Costa RicaĮach year Costa Rica receives a lot of tourists from all around the world.
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