Why is Joel Campbell not playing for Costa Rica at the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup?

Costa Rica prepare for a tough task ahead as they take on Suriname, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico in the Group A of the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup. The ‘Ticos,’ as they are called, are seeking their first Gold Cup trophy. However, when looking at the players called up for the mission, one heavy name is missing: Joel Campbell.

As plenty of top stars prepare to take the spotlight, Campbell won’t. Costa Rica’s manager, Miguel ‘Piojo’ Herrera, didn’t call the forward as part of the national team. This was a tactical decision due to Campbell’s poor level and low amount of minutes played in the last year.

Campbell was one of the frontmen of a Costa Rica team that has qualified for the last three FIFA World Cups. However, even if other men like Keylor Navas are still on the national team, Campbell’s time as Costa Rica’s main forward seems to be a thing of the past.

What other players were left out of Costa Rica’s selection?

Alongside Campbell, another otherwise key player from Costa Rica is missing. Celso Borges, who actually is a Campbell teammate at LDA in Costa Rica, was also left out of the squad.

Joel Campbell of Costa Rica celebrates scoring his team’s first goal with the ball under his jersey during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group D match between Uruguay and Costa Rica at Castelao on June 14, 2014 in Fortaleza, Brazil.

Borges retired from international football. However, his good level at the domestic scene made people and media wonder if he was going to be a part of Miguel Herrera’s final selection. Navas was also retired from the national team, but the coach managed to convince him to come back.

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How many soccer stars are not going to the 2025 Gold Cup?

The 2025 Gold Cup will miss tons of players, not only Joel Campbell. Injuries, tactical decisions or simply refusals to play are part of the game. Soccer stars have been on a massive fatigue run this year. After finishing what is a long season, some of them had to go to the FIFA Club World Cup. This tournament is played at the same time of the Gold Cup.

Players like Christian Pulisic (USA), Henry Martin (Mexico), Mariano Díaz (Dominican Republic), and Alphonso Davies (Canada) will also miss action. These are just a few of the big names that won’t feature in this soccer tournament.