CINCINNATI — In the first World Cup held since FC Cincinnati gained MLS status, one player has become the first — and only — man to be called to the global stage to represent a qualifying country.
FC Cincinnati defender Ronald Matarrita was named to the final Costa Rican roster on Nov. 3, according to a press release from the club.
Matarrita is the first FC Cincinnati player to be called to join a World Cup roster while still signed with the club, the press release said. He is also the only FC Cincinnati player to grace a World Cup team in 2022.
Matarrita appeared for FC Cincinnati seven times in the 2022 season. This year, he scored one goal for the club and was present in three assists. Overall, he has appeared for FCC 29 times in his career, netting a total of three goals and eight assists since joining the team in December 2020.
He's also no stranger to playing for the Costa Rican National Team, having played 52 international matches with the team, scoring three goals total. He also made 10 appearances for Costa Rica during the team's qualifying campaign for the World Cup.
He'll have the chance to take the pitch on Nov. 23, during Group E's opener against Spain. It will be his first appearance on the team since he was injured in Costa Rica's World Cup qualifying match against Canada in March. In April, the left-footed defender had surgery done on his ankle.
Costa Rica faces a difficult path forward in the group stage of this World Cup; they've been stacked in a group against Spain, Germany and Japan.
In that group, neither Costa Rica nor Japan have ever snagged a World Cup championship; Spain won in 2010 and Germany has won four World Cups since 1954.
