Bryan Ruiz agrees to lead Costa Rica national football team

Bryan Ruiz has expressed his willingness to become the permanent head coach of the Costa Rica national football team. While he previously served in an interim capacity following the departure of Fernando Batista, a formal appointment and contract remain pending. Negotiations between Ruiz and the Costa Rican Football Federation are ongoing regarding contractual terms and the composition of the technical staff. A tentative timeline for the role could extend until 2030 to oversee the World Cup qualifying process.

In recent international play, Ruiz's leadership helped mitigate a significant drop in Costa Rica's global standing. According to FIFA rankings, the team fell to 54th position, dropping three spots since July due to losses against Curaçao and Haiti. However, victories against Nicaragua and Haiti helped stabilize the team's points. Conversely, Costa Rica saw an improvement in the CONCACAF rankings, rising five positions to follow Mexico, the United States, Canada, and Panama, which is critical for determining opponents in the upcoming Gold Cup preliminary series.