Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers match.
In this upcoming fixture, the involvement of Bahamas will be largely ceremonial. All signs point to a dominant performance by Costa Rica. However, a simple win for the visitors offers little return, so what’s the smarter angle for punters?
Bahamas
Bahamas are currently ranked 204th in the FIFA standings, placing them in the bottom tier globally. Only five teams sit beneath them, four of which also compete within the CONCACAF region. This low standing is the only reason they bypassed the initial knockout round of qualification. Regardless, their elimination seems inevitable once the early rounds conclude. Bahamas currently sit bottom of their group, trailing even smaller island nations such as Grenada and Saint Kitts and Nevis. They have already suffered a 0:1 defeat away to Saint Kitts and Nevis. In a home clash against Trinidad and Tobago, a regular contender in the final stages of World Cup qualification, they conceded seven goals. Their only response came deep in stoppage time.
Costa Rica
Is it realistic to expect Costa Rica to fare worse than Trinidad and Tobago? Highly doubtful. Costa Rica have already proved superior. Just last summer, Costa Rica held Brazil to a goalless draw at the Copa América — an impressive feat by any standard. Naturally, Costa Rica will feature in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, but prior to that, Costa Rica had to tackle the preliminary rounds — something Costa Rica navigated with ease. Belize, ranked 179th in the FIFA standings, were dismantled with emphatic scorelines of 6:1 and 7:0.
Bahamas vs Costa Rica Prediction
We are confident Bahamas will face a similar outcome here. Home advantage is unlikely to offer any resistance. A heavy defeat looks inevitable before the squad returns to more relaxed surroundings.
