El Salvador–Honduras football rivalry

El Salvador–Honduras football rivalry
SportAssociation football
LocationCentral America
Teams El Salvador
 Honduras
First meeting7 November 1927
Friendly
Honduras 1–0 El Salvador
Latest meeting26 March 2024
Friendly
Honduras 1–1 El Salvador
Statistics
All-time record 18–22–39
Largest victory7 December 1928
Friendly
El Salvador 5–0 Honduras
2 September 2000
2002 World Cup qualification
Honduras 5–0 El Salvador
Longest win streakHonduras 5 (1998–2000)
Longest unbeaten streakHonduras 12 (1996–2001)
Current unbeaten streakHonduras 2
El Salvador 1
El Salvador–Honduras football rivalry is located in Central America
El Salvador
El Salvador
Honduras
Honduras

The El Salvador–Honduras football rivalry is a sports rivalry between the El Salvador and Honduras national football teams. The rivalry between the two nations peaked in 1969 when both teams played each other in the 1970 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, and the matches they played between each other, which ultimately saw El Salvador advance to the 1970 FIFA World Cup, were a contributing factor which led to the outbreak of the Football War in July 1969.

History

[edit]

The national teams of El Salvador and Honduras were both established in 1921 and played their first matches in the Independence Centenary Games hosted in Guatemala City, however, El Salvador was defeated 0–7 by Costa Rica and Honduras was defeated 0–9 by Guatemala, and as a result, neither team faced each other during the tournament.[1]

El Salvador and Honduras first played each other on 7 November 1928 in Tegucigalpa, in which Honduras won 1–0.[2] The teams rematched the following day, which ended in a 0–0 draw.[2] El Salvador's first victory came in their next match in San Salvador, where the Salvadorans defeated the Hondurans by a score of 5–0.[2] The 5-score margin of victory remains the largest margin of victory ever between the two teams, and the feat was repeated in 2000 when Honduras defeated El Salvador 5–0 during the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.[3] El Salvador had never beaten Honduras in Honduran soil until 2022, when El Salvador gained their first ever win to Honduras away in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification.[4]

Football War

[edit]

The two teams met during the 1970 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, the first time the two teams ever met in a tournament organized by FIFA.[2][5] The teams played the first match in Tegucigalpa on 8 June 1969, in which Honduras won 1–0, which led to riots instigated by Salvadoran fans.[6] In the second match in San Salvador on 15 June 1969, El Salvador won by a score of 3–0, and before the match, a rag was flown instead of the flag of Honduras.[6] Honduran player Enrique Cardona stated that the Hondurans were "lucky that we lost" because otherwise "we wouldn't be alive today."[6] The loss led to Hondurans attacking Salvadorans and burning down their homes, forcing many Salvadorans to flee back to El Salvador.[6]

As both teams ended on equal points, a third match was played in neutral territory in Mexico City.[6] El Salvador eventually won the match 3–2 after extra time.[6] Before the match and because of the attacks against Salvadorans by Hondurans, the Salvadoran government severed diplomatic relations with Honduras on 26 June 1969, and on 14 July 1969, the Armed Forces of El Salvador invaded Honduras, beginning the Football War.[7][8] After four days of fighting, the Organization of American States (OAS) negotiated a cease fire, ending the war after around 3,000 people, mostly civilians, had died.[9] El Salvador withdrew its soldiers on 2 August 1969.[9]

El Salvador qualified for the 1970 FIFA World Cup after defeating Haiti, however, the team would lose all three of its matches against Mexico, the Soviet Union, and Belgium in the group stage, failing to score a single goal.[10]

Major tournament matches

[edit]

1946 CCCF Championship

[edit]
Honduras 1–3 El Salvador
? ?' Gutiérrez ?', ?', ?'

1953 CCCF Championship

[edit]
El Salvador 0–3 Honduras
Ramírez 7', 40'
Padilla ?'
Referee: William Crawford (England)

1955 CCCF Championship

[edit]
Honduras 3–1 El Salvador
Enamorado 39', 89'
Ramírez Godoy 69'
Ruano 33'
Referee: Reginald Leafe (England)

1961 CCCF Championship

[edit]
El Salvador 1–0 Honduras
Barraza 3'

El Salvador 5–1 Honduras
Merlos 30', 60'
Ruano 55'
Monge 71', 85'
Rodríguez 25'

1963 CONCACAF Championship

[edit]

El Salvador 3–0 Honduras
Monge 10'
Hernández 13', 34'
Attendance: 35,000
Referee: Saúl de la Rosa (Colombia)

1970 FIFA World Cup qualifiers

[edit]
Honduras 1–0 El Salvador
Wells 89'
Attendance: 17,827
Referee: Yamasaki (Mexico)

El Salvador 3–0 Honduras
Martínez 27' (pen.), 41'
Acevedo 29'

El Salvador 3–2 (a.e.t.) Honduras
Martínez 8', 28'
Quintanilla 101'
Cardona 19'
Gómez 50'
Attendance: 15,326
Referee: Abel Aguilar Elizalde (Mexico)

1981 CONCACAF Championship

[edit]

1985 CONCACAF Championship

[edit]

2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup

[edit]

2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup

[edit]
Honduras 4–0 El Salvador
Álvarez 59'
Castillo 65'
Acosta 75'
Izaguirre 90'
Report
Attendance: 22,503
Referee: Fernando Guerrero (Mexico)

List of matches

[edit]

The following is a list of matches played between El Salvador and Honduras since their first meeting in November 1927.[2][5]

No. Date Location Competition Result Series
1 7 November 1927 Tegucigalpa Friendly Honduras  1–0  El Salvador 0–0–1
2 8 November 1927 Honduras  0–0  El Salvador 0–1–1
3 7 December 1928 San Salvador El Salvador  5–0  Honduras 1–1–1
4 29 March 1930 Havana 1930 Central American and Caribbean Games El Salvador  1–4  Honduras 1–1–2
5 28 March 1935 San Salvador 1935 Central American and Caribbean Games El Salvador  3–4  Honduras 1–1–3
6 9 March 1946 San José 1946 CCCF Championship Honduras  1–3  El Salvador 2–1–3
7 11 March 1950 Guatemala City 1950 Central American and Caribbean Games El Salvador  1–2  Honduras 2–1–4
8 15 March 1953 San José 1953 CCCF Championship El Salvador  0–3  Honduras 2–1–5
9 17 August 1955 Tegucigalpa 1955 CCCF Championship Honduras  3–1  El Salvador 2–1–6
10 12 March 1961 San José 1961 CCCF Championship El Salvador  1–0  Honduras 3–1–6
11 19 March 1961 El Salvador  5–1  Honduras 4–1–6
12 27 March 1963 San Salvador 1963 CONCACAF Championship El Salvador  2–2  Honduras 4–2–6
13 5 April 1963 El Salvador  3–0  Honduras 5–2–6
14 14 March 1965 1965 CONCACAF Championship qualification El Salvador  3–1  Honduras 6–2–6
15 21 May 1967 1968 CONCACAF Pre-Olympic qualification El Salvador  1–0  Honduras 7–2–6
16 17 July 1968 Tegucigalpa Friendly Honduras  0–0  El Salvador 7–3–6
17 31 July 1968 San Salvador El Salvador  2–1  Honduras 8–3–6
18 8 June 1969 Tegucigalpa 1970 FIFA World Cup qualification Honduras  1–0  El Salvador 8–3–7
19 15 June 1969 San Salvador El Salvador  3–0  Honduras 9–3–7
20 27 June 1969 Mexico City El Salvador  3–2
(a.e.t.)
 Honduras 10–3–7
21 23 November 1980 San Salvador 1981 CONCACAF Championship qualification El Salvador  2–1  Honduras 11–3–7
22 30 November 1980 Tegucigalpa Honduras  2–0  El Salvador 11–3–8
23 16 November 1981 1981 CONCACAF Championship Honduras  0–0  El Salvador 11–4–8
24 18 April 1982 San Salvador Friendly El Salvador  3–2  Honduras 12–4–8
25 22 April 1982 San Pedro Sula Honduras  1–1  El Salvador 12–5–8
26 10 March 1985 San Salvador 1985 CONCACAF Championship El Salvador  1–2  Honduras 12–5–9
27 14 March 1985 Tegucigalpa Honduras  0–0  El Salvador 12–6–9
28 4 January 1986 Guatemala City 1986 Central American Games El Salvador  0–2  Honduras 12–6–10
29 29 April 1987 Tegucigalpa Friendly Honduras  1–0  El Salvador 12–6–11
30 18 March 1988 Los Angeles El Salvador  0–0  Honduras 12–7–11
31 25 September 1988 El Salvador  0–0  Honduras 12–8–11
32 2 June 1991 San José 1991 UNCAF Nations Cup El Salvador  1–2  Honduras 12–8–12
33 17 March 1992 Los Angeles Friendly El Salvador  1–1  Honduras 12–9–12
34 12 August 1992 El Salvador  0–3  Honduras 12–9–13
35 13 September 1992 San Salvador El Salvador  3–1  Honduras 13–9–13
36 18 September 1992 San Pedro Sula Honduras  1–1  El Salvador 13–10–13
37 9 March 1993 Tegucigalpa 1993 UNCAF Nations Cup Honduras  3–0  El Salvador 13–10–14
38 25 April 1993 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification Honduras  3–0  El Salvador 13–10–15
39 9 May 1993 San Salvador El Salvador  2–1  Honduras 14–10–15
40 14 August 1996 San Pedro Sula Friendly Honduras  2–1  El Salvador 14–10–16
41 21 August 1996 San Salvador El Salvador  1–2  Honduras 14–10–17
42 21 October 1996 Tegucigalpa Honduras  1–1  El Salvador 14–11–17
43 18 April 1997 Guatemala City 1997 UNCAF Nations Cup El Salvador  0–3  Honduras 14–11–18
44 27 April 1997 El Salvador  0–0  Honduras 14–12–18
45 29 January 1998 San Salvador Friendly El Salvador  1–1  Honduras 14–13–18
46 18 November 1998 Los Angeles El Salvador  1–2  Honduras 14–13–19
47 24 March 1999 San José 1999 UNCAF Nations Cup El Salvador  1–3  Honduras 14–13–20
48 9 February 2000 San Pedro Sula Friendly Honduras  5–1  El Salvador 14–13–21
49 16 July 2000 San Salvador 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification El Salvador  2–5  Honduras 14–13–22
50 2 September 2000 San Pedro Sula Honduras  5–0  El Salvador 14–13–23
51 27 May 2001 2001 UNCAF Nations Cup Honduras  1–1  El Salvador 14–14–23
52 15 February 2003 Colón 2003 UNCAF Nations Cup El Salvador  1–0  Honduras 15–14–23
53 29 June 2003 San Pedro Sula Friendly Honduras  1–1  El Salvador 15–15–23
54 3 August 2004 San Salvador El Salvador  0–4  Honduras 15–15–24
55 6 September 2006 Tegucigalpa Honduras  2–0  El Salvador 15–15–25
56 24 March 2007 Fort Lauderdale El Salvador  0–2  Honduras 15–15–26
57 27 March 2007 Cary El Salvador  0–2  Honduras 15–15–27
58 22 August 2007 San Salvador El Salvador  2–0  Honduras 16–15–27
59 26 January 2009 Tegucigalpa 2009 UNCAF Nations Cup Honduras  2–0  El Salvador 16–15–28
60 1 February 2009 Honduras  1–0  El Salvador 16–15–29
61 10 June 2009 San Pedro Sula 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification Honduras  1–0  El Salvador 16–15–30
62 14 October 2009 San Salvador El Salvador  0–1  Honduras 16–15–31
63 4 September 2010 Los Angeles Friendly El Salvador  2–2
(3–4 p)
 Honduras 16–16–31
64 21 January 2011 Panama City 2011 Copa Centroamericana El Salvador  0–2  Honduras 16–16–32
65 29 May 2011 Houston Friendly El Salvador  2–2  Honduras 16–17–32
66 2 June 2012 Washington, D.C. El Salvador  0–3  Honduras 16–17–33
67 18 January 2013 San José 2013 Copa Centroamericana El Salvador  1–1  Honduras 16–18–33
68 12 July 2013 Miami Gardens 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup El Salvador  0–1  Honduras 16–18–34
69 7 September 2014 Dallas 2014 Copa Centroamericana Honduras  0–1  El Salvador 17–18–34
70 31 May 2015 Washington, D.C. Friendly El Salvador  0–2  Honduras 17–18–35
71 25 March 2016 San Salvador 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification El Salvador  2–2  Honduras 17–19–35
72 29 March 2016 San Pedro Sula Honduras  2–0  El Salvador 17–19–36
73 15 January 2017 Panama City 2017 Copa Centroamericana El Salvador  1–2  Honduras 17–19–37
74 27 May 2017 Washington, D.C. Friendly El Salvador  2–2  Honduras 17–20–37
75 25 June 2019 Los Angeles 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup Honduras  4–0  El Salvador 17–20–38
76 5 September 2021 San Salvador 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification El Salvador  0–0  Honduras 17–21–38
77 30 January 2022 San Pedro Sula Honduras  0–2  El Salvador 18–21–38
78 22 March 2023 Los Angeles Friendly Honduras  1–0  El Salvador 18–21–39
79 26 March 2024 Houston Honduras  1–1  El Salvador 18–22–39

Head-to-head

[edit]
  • As of 26 March 2024
Pos. Team Pld. W D L GF GA GD
1  Honduras 79 39 22 18 124 78 +46
2  El Salvador 79 18 22 39 78 124 –46

Statistics

[edit]

Overall

[edit]
Matches Wins Goals
El Salvador Draws Honduras El Salvador Honduras
FIFA World Cup qualification 13 4 2 7 11 23
CONCACAF Gold Cup 2 0 0 2 0 5
CONCACAF Championshipa 8 3 3 2 11 8
CCCF Championship 5 3 0 2 10 8
UNCAF Nations Cup/Copa Centroamericana 13 2 3 8 6 21
Central American and Caribbean Games 3 0 0 3 5 10
Central American Games 1 0 0 1 0 2
CONCACAF Pre-Olympic Tournament 1 1 0 0 1 0
All competitions 46 13 8 25 44 77
Friendly 32 5 13 12 33 46
All matches 78 18 21 39 77 123
a – includes qualification from 1965 and 1981

Individual results at the FIFA World Cup

[edit]
El Salvador FIFA World Cup Honduras
2
(1970, 1982)
Appearances 3
(1982, 2010, 2014)
Group stage
(1970, 1982)
Best result Group stage
(1982, 2010, 2014)
0 Wins 0
0 Draws 3
6 Losses 6
1 Goals for 3
22 Goals against 14
–21 Goal differential –11

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]

Citations

[edit]
  1. ^ Calvo, Rodrigo; Martell, Samuel; Ramos, Ismael (15 October 2020). "Juegos del Centenario de la Independencia de Centroamérica (Guatemala) 1921" [Independence Centenary Games (Guatemala) 1921]. RSSSF. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e Courtney, Barrie (30 June 2016). "El Salvador – List of International Matches". RSSSF. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  3. ^ "Honduras – El Salvador 5:0 (2:0)". FIFA. 2 September 2000. Archived from the original on 16 November 2007. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  4. ^ "Eliminatorias Concacaf: Histórico triunfo de El Salvador en Honduras [VIDEO]". 31 January 2022.
  5. ^ a b Courtney, Barrie (30 June 2016). "Honduras – List of International Matches". RSSSF. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Veytskin, Yuriy; Lockerby, Claire; McMullen, Steven (2009–2013). Schorr, Matthew; Barrett, Lindsey; Leachman, Colby (eds.). "The Soccer War". Soccer Politics. Duke University. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  7. ^ Haggerty 1990, p. 25.
  8. ^ Armstrong & Shenk 1982, p. 57.
  9. ^ a b Haggerty 1990, p. 26.
  10. ^ "1970 FIFA World Cup Mexico – Groups". FIFA. Archived from the original on 24 February 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2022.

Bibliography

[edit]
  • Armstrong, Robert; Shenk, Janet (1982). El Salvador: The Face of Revolution. Boston: South End Press. ISBN 0896081389.
  • Haggerty, Richard A., ed. (1990). El Salvador: A Country Study (PDF). Federal Research Division Library of Congress. Washington, D.C.: The Library of Congress. Retrieved 31 January 2022.