Article by Maria Olteanu – Published Thursday, May 28, 2026, 6:40 p.m. / Updated Thursday, May 28, 2026, 6:40 p.m.
The Costa Rican national team has been rocked by an indiscipline scandal that has resulted in the immediate exclusion of three players for future action. Kenneth Vargas, Warren Madrigal and Alejandro Bran have been removed from training camp due to a serious incident involving firearms that is already under investigation by local authorities.
The incident took place at dawn earlier this week near a bar in the Los Yoses neighborhood of San José. An alleged discussion in public degenerated into violence, and Alejandro Bran's car was hit by several gunshots. Considering the seriousness of the situation, the Costa Rican Football Federation (FCRF) reacted firmly, confirming that the necessary conditions did not exist for the athletes to continue in the squad, according to abola.pt.
Photo: X @LDAEnjoyer
Scandal at the Costa Rican national team, the players miss the friendlies in June
Costa Rican soccer's supreme body avoided giving details about the armed incident, but issued several official statements stressing that discipline and respect for the rules are mainstays for those who represent the country. As a direct consequence, the three players will miss warm-up matches against Colombia on June 1 in Bogotá and England on June 10 in Orlando.
The repercussions also extended to the clubs. LD Alajuelense imposed internal sanctions and immediately suspended Bran and Vargas. Striker Kenneth Vargas belongs to the Scottish club Hearts and is on temporary loan to the team in his native country.
This crisis comes at a time of transition for Costa Rican soccer, which missed out on qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. New coach Fernando Batista, hired in March with a project that runs until 2030, now faces the challenge of keeping the locker room calm.
The last match of the Costa Rican national team, since the end of March, it was a stinging failure with Iran, score 0-5.
