El Salvador–Honduras football rivalry

For the war fought between the two countries, see Football War.

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.

El Salvador–Honduras football rivalry

Sport	Association football
Location	Central America
Teams	El Salvador  Honduras
First meeting	7 November 1927 Friendly Honduras 1–0 El Salvador
Latest meeting	26 March 2024 Friendly Honduras 1–1 El Salvador
Next meeting	21 June 2025
Statistics
All-time record	18–22–39
Largest victory	7 December 1928 Friendly El Salvador 5–0 Honduras 2 September 2000 2002 World Cup qualification Honduras 5–0 El Salvador
Longest win streak	Honduras 5 (1998–2000)
Longest unbeaten streak	Honduras 12 (1996–2001)
Current unbeaten streak	Honduras 2 El Salvador 1
El Salvador Honduras

History

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

Further information: Football War

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

1946 CCCF Championship

Honduras	1–3	El Salvador
? ?'		Gutiérrez ?', ?', ?'

9 March 1946

Estadio Nacional, San José, Costa Rica

1953 CCCF Championship

El Salvador	0–3	Honduras
		Ramírez 7', 40' Padilla ?'

15 March 1953

Estadio Nacional, San José, Costa Rica

Referee: William Crawford (England)

1955 CCCF Championship

Honduras	3–1	El Salvador
Enamorado 39', 89' Ramírez Godoy 69'		Ruano 33'

17 August 1955

Estadio Nacional, Tegucigalpa, Honduras

Referee: Reginald Leafe (England)

1961 CCCF Championship

El Salvador	1–0	Honduras
Barraza 3'

12 March 1961

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

19 March 1961

1963 CONCACAF Championship

El Salvador	2–2	Honduras
Reynosa 30' Hernández 65'		Guerra 16' Suazo 27'

27 March 1963

Estadio Nacional Flor Blanca, San Salvador, El Salvador

Referee: Saúl de la Rosa (Colombia)

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El Salvador	3–0	Honduras
Monge 10' Hernández 13', 34'

5 April 1963

Estadio Nacional Flor Blanca, San Salvador, El Salvador

Attendance: 35,000

Referee: Saúl de la Rosa (Colombia)

1970 FIFA World Cup qualifiers

Honduras	1–0	El Salvador
Wells 89'

8 June 1969

Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino, Tegucigalpa, Honduras

Attendance: 17,827

Referee: Yamasaki (Mexico)

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

15 June 1969

Estadio Nacional Flor Blanca, San Salvador, El Salvador

Attendance: 36,470

Referee: Van Rosberg (Netherlands Antilles)

---

El Salvador	3–2 (a.e.t.)	Honduras
Martínez 8', 28' Quintanilla 101'		Cardona 19' Gómez 50'

27 June 1969

Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico

Attendance: 15,326

Referee: Abel Aguilar Elizalde (Mexico)

1981 CONCACAF Championship

Honduras	0–0	El Salvador

14 March 1985

Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino, Tegucigalpa, Honduras

Referee: Luis Paulino Siles (Costa Rica)

1985 CONCACAF Championship

El Salvador	1–2	Honduras
Rivas 63'		Bailey 1' Laing 77'

10 March 1985

Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador

Referee: David Socha (United States)

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Honduras	0–0	El Salvador

14 March 1985

Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino, Tegucigalpa, Honduras

Referee: Tony Evangelista (Canada)

2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup

Honduras	1–0	El Salvador
Claros 90+2'	Report

12 July 2013

21:30

Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, United States

Attendance: 28,713

Referee: Jair Marrufo (United States)

2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup

Honduras	4–0	El Salvador
Álvarez 59' Castillo 65' Acosta 75' Izaguirre 90'	Report

25 July 2019

22:30

Banc of California Stadium, Los Angeles, United States

Attendance: 22,503

Referee: Fernando Guerrero (Mexico)

List of matches

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
80	21 June 2025	Houston	2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup	Honduras	v	El Salvador

Head-to-head

• 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

Overall

	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

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

• List of association football rivalries