Paulo Wanchope Says Costa Rica Abandoned Youth Development
Paulo Wanchope says Costa Rica missed the World Cup after moving away from the youth-development habits that once produced results. The former Costa Rica striker pointed to a system that no longer searches the country the way it once did. He tied that slide to the national team’s absence from the tournament.
Wanchope and Concacaf
Speaking in the context of a FIFA roundtable organized with the Technical Study Group, Wanchope framed the 2026 World Cup as a different event for Concacaf because it will be played in the region. Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Panama will face a tournament with more teams and more chances to advance.
He also kept the regional pecking order simple. “Siempre los fuertes de esta zona han sido Estados Unidos y México.” Wanchope said Argentina, France, Portugal, and Spain are among the main candidates to win the 2026 World Cup.
Costa Rica’s training gap
The sharper criticism came back home. “Hemos dejado de hacer muchas cosas que en el pasado nos dieron frutos.” Wanchope said Costa Rica used to have youth players training full time from Monday to Thursday or Monday to Friday before being released on weekends to play with their clubs.
He added another problem that reaches beyond training schedules. “No todos los clubes tienen las condiciones para entrenar en campos de entrenamiento y con muy buenos entrenadores.”
For Wanchope, the break with that model is already showing up in the national team pool. “Hemos dejado de buscar ese talento por todo el país y nos está castigando el hecho de no hacer ese proceso.”
Ethan Barley and the next wave
Wanchope pointed to Ethan Barley of LD Alajuelense as one young player with potential. He said Barley will play in the Under-17 World Cup in Qatar, and he added that there are also young Costa Rican players already in Europe.
That leaves Costa Rica with a clear task after missing the World Cup: rebuild the scouting and training chain that once fed its top level. Wanchope’s comments do not dress that up. They point straight to the fields, coaches, and talent search that have to work again if the country wants the same results.
