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El Salvador national football team

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This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see El Salvador women's national football team.

El Salvador
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)La Selecta (The National Team)
Los Cuscatlecos (The Cuscatlecos)
La Azul y Blanco (The Blue and White)
La ES (The ES)
AssociationFederación Salvadoreña de Fútbol (FESFUT)
ConfederationCONCACAF (North America)
Sub-confederationUNCAF (Central America)
Head coachDavid Dóniga
CaptainNelson Bonilla
Most caps
Top scorerRaúl Díaz Arce (39)[1]
Home stadiumEstadio Jorge "El Mágico" González
FIFA codeSLV
First colours
Second colours
Third colours
FIFA ranking
Current 83 Decrease 3 (24 October 2024)[2]
Highest49 (April 2012)
Lowest169 (November 2006[3])
First international
 Costa Rica 7–0 El Salvador 
(Guatemala City, Guatemala; 14 September 1921)
Biggest win
 El Salvador 12–0 Anguilla 
(San Salvador, El Salvador; 6 February 2008)
Biggest defeat
 Hungary 10–1 El Salvador 
(Elche, Spain; 15 June 1982)
World Cup
Appearances2 (first in 1970)
Best resultGroup stage (1970, 1982)
CONCACAF Championship / Gold Cup
Appearances19 (first in 1963)
Best resultRunners-up (1963, 1981)
Medal record
CONCACAF Gold Cup
Silver medal – second place 1963 El Salvador Team
Silver medal – second place 1981 Honduras Team
Bronze medal – third place 1977 Mexico Team
Copa Centroamericana
Bronze medal – third place 1995 El Salvador Team
Bronze medal – third place 1997 Guatemala Team
Bronze medal – third place 2001 Honduras Team
Bronze medal – third place 2003 Panama Team
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Costa Rica Team
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Panama Team
CCCF Championship
Gold medal – first place 1943 San Salvador Team
Silver medal – second place 1941 San José Team
Silver medal – second place 1961 San José Team
Central American and Caribbean Games
Gold medal – first place 1954 Mexico City Team
Gold medal – first place 2002 San Salvador Team
Bronze medal – third place 1935 San Salvador Team

The El Salvador national football team (Spanish: Selección de fútbol de El Salvador), known as La Selecta ("the National Team"), represents El Salvador in international football, and is governed by the Salvadoran Football Federation (FESFUT).[5]

The national team's first match was played in September 1921, when they were invited to participate in a tournament to celebrate 100 years of Central American Independence.

El Salvador has made two FIFA World Cup appearances: first in 1970 and again in 1982, but have never progressed beyond the first stage of a finals tournament. They were the 1943 CCCF champions, and finished in second place in the 1941 and 1961 championships. They have competed in the CONCACAF regional tournaments fourteen times, finishing as runners-up in 1963 and 1981. La Selecta also competes in the biennial UNCAF Nations Cup, the Pan American Games, the Olympics, and have won two gold medals in the Central American and Caribbean Games.[6]

The Estadio Cuscatlán, also known as "El Coloso de Montserrat" and "La Catedral del Espectáculo", is the official home stadium of the El Salvador national football team. Since 2017, the national team has had a kit sponsorship contract with England-based supplier Umbro. Raúl Díaz Arce is the all-time top-scorer for the national team, with 39 goals, while Darwin Cerén has the most caps, with 97 appearances.

History

[edit]

Beginnings

[edit]
The first match of the El Salvador national team, 14 September 1921.

Although El Salvador played a few games in the early part of the twentieth century,[citation needed] they did not form an official national team until 1921, when players such as José Pablo Huezo, Carlos Escobar Leiva or Santiago Barrachina revolutionised football in the country.[7] In September 1921, El Salvador were invited to Guatemala to take part in the Independence Centenary Games, to celebrate 100 years of Central American Independence.[8][9] The tournament was contested by Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, and El Salvador. The Guatemalans and Costa Ricans had more experience than the Salvadorans and Hondurans.[10] It was a knockout tournament with Guatemala playing Honduras and El Salvador playing Costa Rica. El Salvador, wearing white shorts and black shirts, used a classic 2–3–5 scheme with their team consisting of Carlos Escobar Leyva; Spanish resident Santiago Barrachina, José Pablo Huezo; Benjamín Sandoval, Emilio Dawson, and Frenchman Emilio Detruit; Víctor Recinos, brothers Guillermo and José E. Alcaine, Guillermo Sandoval and Enrique Lindo. By half-time Costa Rica led 3–0, and at the final whistle, after two 40-minute halves, won 7–0.[11]

El Salvador's other matches in the 1920s were friendlies against Costa Rica and Honduras. They lost their first friendly 3–0 against Costa Rica, while the second and third ended in a 1–0 loss and 0–0 draw against Honduras.[11] On 7 December 1928, El Salvador recorded their first ever win, 5–0 over Honduras, the team that would become their traditional rivals, with Gustavo "Taviche" Marroquín scoring every goal. The game was played at Campo Marte, San Salvador, and was also the first time the team had scored in an international match.[11]

1930s

[edit]

In the early 1930s, El Salvador appointed their first official national coach, the American Mark Scott Thompson, in preparation for the 1930 Central American and Caribbean Games in Havana.[12] El Salvador finished in fourth place at the games.[13] The Salvadoran Football Federation was founded in 1935. By this time, El Salvador were coached by the Spaniard, Pablo Ferre Elías.[12] The 1935 Central American and Caribbean Games took place in El Salvador's new government-funded Estadio Flor Blanca, at that time the biggest stadium in the country. The Salvadoran squad consisted of Edmundo Majano as goalkeeper; Tobias Rivera and Raúl Castro in defence; Américo Gonzalez and Napoleon Cañas as midfielders; and Álex Morales, Rogelio Aviles, Fidel Quintanilla, Miguel "Americano" Cruz, and Andrés Hernández as strikers. Previously the national team had worn black and white striped jerseys and this was the first time they turned out in a blue strip. The team finished in third place as bronze medal winners.[13][14]

In 1938, the Salvadoran Football Federation became affiliates of FIFA.[15] El Salvador participated in the 1938 Central American and Caribbean Games, hosted in Panama, which were won by Mexico, with Costa Rica in second place. El Salvador won two and lost three of their five matches. A match for third place against Colombia was cancelled because of the bad state of the players, and El Salvador finished in fourth place.[13][16]

1940s

[edit]

On 26 April 1940, the first national football federation was approved, with Dr. Luis Rivas Palacios as president.[citation needed] In 1941, the first Central American and Caribbean Championship (CCCF) took place in Costa Rica, organised by CONCACAF, the international governing body for football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean. El Salvador competed alongside Costa Rica, Curaçao, Nicaragua and Panama. El Salvador were runners-up, recording two wins, one draw and one loss.[17]

The 1943 CCCF Championship took place in San Salvador with the participation of Costa Rica, Guatemala and Nicaragua. El Salvador were coached by the former national player Américo González. El Salvador and Guatemala finished with the same number of points, Guatemala failed to attend a deciding play-off, resulting in El Salvador winning their first international title. El Salvador's 10–1 win over Nicaragua set the team's record for the most goals scored in a single game. It was also the second time a Salvadoran player (Miguel "Americano" Cruz) had scored five goals in a match.[18] El Salvador defended their title in the 1946 CCCF Championship in Costa Rica alongside six other participants and finished in third place, winning three matches and losing two. In the 1948 CCCF Championship, hosted in Guatemala, Costa Rica won the championship for the third time, with El Salvador finishing in fifth place.

1950s

[edit]

El Salvador did not participate in qualification for the World Cups in 1954, 1958, 1962 and 1966. During these years El Salvador had a good squad, including goalkeeper Manuel "Tamalón" Garay, Rafael "Chapuda" Reyes, Conrado Miranda, Miguel "Americano" Cruz, Rafael Corado and Mando Rivas.

In the group stage of the 1950 Central American and Caribbean Games in Mexico, El Salvador recorded two wins, one draw and one loss. They began the final round by beating Curaçao 3–1, but lost their other two matches, leaving them in fifth place.[13] In 1953, El Salvador took part in their fifth CCCF Championship. The hosts, Costa Rica, became champions for the fourth time, and El Salvador finished in fifth place again.

At the 1954 Central American and Caribbean Games, El Salvador won their second international title under the Carbilio Tomasino, with a team consisting of Yohalmo Aurora, Manuel "Tamalón" Garay, Hugo Moreno, Armando Larín, Luis Regalado, Conrado Miranda, Fernando Barrios, Ramón "Pezote" Chávez, José Hernández, Mario Montoya, Juan Francisco "Cariota" Barraza, Ricardo "Chilenito" Valencia, Alfredo "Baiza" Ruano, and Obdulio Hernández.[citation needed] They began with a 2–2 draw against Colombia, and then beat Cuba 3–1, Mexico 3–2 and Panama 1–0 with a goal by Barraza. The win against Mexico, with two goals from Montoya and one from Valencia, was the first by a Central American team against Mexico.[13]

In the 1955 CCCF Championship, hosted in Honduras, Costa Rica became champions for the fifth time, with El Salvador finishing fourth. El Salvador did not participate in the 1957 and 1960 CCCF Championships.

1960s

[edit]

El Salvador returned to participate in the 1961 CCCF Championship, hosted in Costa Rica, alongside nine other national teams. El Salvador were placed in a four-team first group with Honduras, the Netherlands Antilles, and Nicaragua, which they topped with two wins and a draw. In the final round they finished in second place behind Costa Rica, who won their seventh CCCF Championship. Afterwards the tournament was dissolved and replaced with the CONCACAF Championship.

In the first CONCACAF Championship, in 1963, El Salvador hosted both the qualification round and the final tournament. Costa Rica became the first champions, and El Salvador finished as runners-up.[19] In 1964, the Chilean Hernán Carrasco Vivanco, who would later revolutionize Salvadoran football, became the coach of the national team. He led the national team for the first time at the 1965 CONCACAF Championship, hosted in Guatemala, where they won two games, drew one and lost two, finishing in fourth place. In 1966, El Salvador took part in the Central American and Caribbean Games for the sixth time, in Puerto Rico. They finished in fourth place.[13]

In 1968, El Salvador qualified for the Olympic Games for the first time.[20] They lost 4–0 to Hungary,[21] 3–1 to Israel,[22] and drew 1–1 with Ghana.[23] The coach at this time was Rigoberto Guzmán.

Gregorio Bundio and his assistant José Santacolomba coached the team in the qualifying stages for the 1970 World Cup. This was the first time that El Salvador participated in World Cup qualifying. As hosts, Mexico qualified automatically, leaving one further qualification spot available for the CONCACAF region. El Salvador won Group 3, winning three and losing one. They qualified for a play-off against their traditional rivals, the Group 2 winners Honduras. The first game, on 8 June 1969 in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa, was won 1–0 by the home team and was followed by crowd violence. El Salvador won the second game 3–0 a week later in San Salvador, which was followed by even greater violence.[24] A play-off match took place in Mexico City on 26 June, which El Salvador won 3–2 after extra time. On 14 July, as a result of existing tensions being exacerbated by these matches, the two countries began the hundred-hour-long conflict known as the Football War. As a result, El Salvador and Honduras were both disqualified from entering 1969 CONCACAF Championship qualification.

In the deciding World Cup qualifier, El Salvador faced Haiti. El Salvador won the away leg 2–1, with goals from Elmer Acevedo and Mauricio "Pipo" Rodríguez, but lost the second leg 3–0 at home. El Salvador finally won the play-off on 8 October with a goal by Juan Ramón "Mon" Martínez in extra time, allowing them to qualify for the World Cup finals at the first attempt.

"El Pajaro Picón Picón" was a Colombian song written by Eliseo Herrera which was very popular in El Salvador during the World Cup qualifying stages. During a radio show, Mauricio Bojórquez parodied the song, which he named "Arriba con la Selección". That parody became so famous that it became the official anthem of the El Salvador national football team.[25]

1970s

[edit]

In the World Cup finals El Salvador were drawn into a group with Belgium, Mexico and the Soviet Union. El Salvador lost their first game 3–0 to Belgium in Mexico City on 3 June.[26] The second match, against Mexico on 7 June, was marred by a controversial call near the end of the first half, with the score still at 0–0. The Egyptian referee Ali Kandil appeared to signal for a free kick to El Salvador in their own half. However, a Mexican player took the kick, passing to Javier Valdivia, who scored. The Salvadoran players protested vigorously, to the extent of physically jostling the Bermudan linesman, Keith Dunstan,[citation needed] but the goal was allowed to stand. El Salvador restarted the game by kicking the ball into the crowd in protest. They eventually lost 4–0.[27] The team's third game took place on 10 June, with El Salvador losing 2–0 to the Soviet Union to finish at the bottom of Group A.[28]

El Salvador advanced from the first round of 1971 CONCACAF Championship qualification by beating Nicaragua 4–2 on aggregate. In the second round, they withdrew from their play-off against Honduras, allowing their opponents to qualify by default. The national team also took part in the 1973 CONCACAF Championship qualification, which doubled as qualification for the 1974 World Cup, but they did not advance to the final stage after they were eliminated by Guatemala 2–0 on aggregate (1–0, 1–0).[note 1][29] The team was managed by Hector D'Angelo.[12]

El Salvador participated at the Pan American Games for the first time in 1975 in Mexico. They began with a 4–1 win against Nicaragua on 14 October, with a hat-trick from "Pajarito" Huezo, on the début of Francisco "Paco" Jovel. They then lost 2–0 to Brazil and drew 0–0 against Costa Rica, with "Pelé" Zapata missing a penalty. They finished in third place in Group D and failed to advance to the next round.[30]

In 1977 CONCACAF Championship qualification, El Salvador finished second in their group, behind Guatemala and ahead of Costa Rica and Panama, to qualify for the final tournament, hosted in Mexico. They finished in third place, behind Haiti and Mexico, with the hosts winning the tournament.[29] El Salvador participated in the 1978 Central American and Caribbean Games, hosted in Colombia. Cuba were crowned champions for the fourth time and El Salvador finished ninth.[13]

1980s

[edit]

El Salvador played Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and Panama in 1981 CONCACAF Championship qualification, in a home-and-away round-robin group with the top two teams advancing to the final tournament. El Salvador and Honduras finished with equal points at the top of the group, with Honduras winning the group on goal difference. Once again the finals doubled up as World Cup qualification, this time for the 1982 World Cup, with the top two of the six teams qualifying. Going into the final matches, El Salvador had four points and were in third place on goal difference, with Mexico and Canada both also having four points, behind Honduras with seven. On 19 November 1981, El Salvador beat Haiti 1–0, with a penalty by Norberto Huezo. On 21 November, Canada drew 2–2 with Cuba and were eliminated. In the decisive match the following day, Honduras and Mexico drew 0–0, meaning El Salvador qualified for the World Cup for the second time.

El Salvador took a 20-man squad to Spain, two players short of the maximum number allowed, as a controversial cost–saving measure. They were coached by "Pipo" Rodríguez.[31][32] In their first match on 15 June in Elche, they were defeated 10–1 by Hungary, a World Cup Finals record margin of victory.[33] A silver lining was that Luis Ramírez Zapata scored the country's first World Cup goal during the game, albeit when the Salvadorans were already 5–0 down.[34][35] When Zapata scored, some Salvadorans cried out not to celebrate the goal because it might make the Hungarians angry and encourage them to score more.[36] Displaying much-improved levels of organisation and commitment, El Salvador lost 1–0 to Belgium on 19 June in Elche and 2–0 to the world champions, Argentina, on 23 June in Alicante.[37][38]

There were several reasons the tournament went so badly for El Salvador. First of all, their reduced squad meant that they omitted Gilberto Quinteros and Miguel González. According to Luis Guevara Mora, the 20-year-old goalkeeper, the Salvadoran Football Federation decided to take members of the Federation, as well as their friends and family, and spent so much money they could not afford to bring a full squad.[citation needed] The team took many stops throughout Europe under the direction of the Federation, taking three days to arrive in Spain and were the last team to do so. Once they arrived, there was more trouble. Adidas sent four white and three blue uniforms for each player, but only three white and one blue arrived. The remaining uniforms were said to have been taken away by the association.[citation needed] They decided to play with the white uniform and keep the blue as a keepsake. Next, someone stole the balls that the team needed to train with. The day before the match against Hungary, the Hungarians had the 25 balls the organization had given them while El Salvador had none and were unable to train.[citation needed] To make things even worse, El Salvador had never seen Hungary play, and the only knowledge that they had about the team was an outdated video that they had bought.[citation needed] On the field there were more problems. Hungary's fourth goal was caused by Francisco Jovel's sudden deafness after he had received a heavy blow on the cheek. When Guevara Mora called to him to stop a ball, the defender did not hear him, and the ball went past Jovel in front of the net.[citation needed] After the match, the Salvadoran squad had a tense meeting with the coaching staff and Federation. The coach was dismissed immediately and the matches against Belgium and Argentina were managed by players Jovel, Huezo and Fagoaga.[39] Although the tournament overall was a big disappointment, Jorge "Mágico" González was considered by the national and international press as the best player,[citation needed] and he stayed in Spain to play for Cádiz CF and Real Valladolid.

In 1985 CONCACAF Championship qualification, El Salvador beat Puerto Rico 8–0 on aggregate (5–0, 3–0) to qualify for the final tournament. They were placed in a group with Honduras and Suriname, with the top team advancing. They finished second in the group with five points,[29] one point behind Honduras. In 1989 CONCACAF Championship qualification they eliminated the Netherlands Antilles 6–0 on aggregate (1–0, 5–0). El Salvador finished last, with just two points, in the round-robin final tournament.[29]

1990s

[edit]

At a CONCACAF congress, held in Guatemala on 26 January 1991, a new tournament, called the UNCAF Nations Cup, was conceived for Central American teams. The inaugural tournament was hosted in 1991, hosted by Costa Rica. The tournament also doubled as qualification for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, a new tournament which replaced the CONCACAF Championship.[40][41] In qualification, La Selecta defeated Nicaragua 5–2 on aggregate (3–2, 2–0) and advanced to the final tournament. In the finals, they played three games, drawing one and losing two, finishing in last place and failing to advance to the 1991 CONCACAF Gold Cup.[40] The 1993 UNCAF Nations Cup once again served as qualification to the Gold Cup, this time for the 1993 CONCACAF Gold Cup.[40] Coached by Jorge Vieira, La Selecta advanced to the final tournament automatically. There they played three games, once again drawing one and losing two to finish last and fail to advance to the Gold Cup.[40]

In 1994 World Cup qualification, El Salvador eliminated Nicaragua 10–1 on aggregate (5–0, 5–1) in the first round, then finished first in a group composed of Bermuda (0–1, 4–1), Canada (1–1, 3–2), and Jamaica (2–0, 2–1) in the second round. In the third round, El Salvador began with a win against Mexico at home, but lost their next four games, including two defeats against Canada. They beat Honduras 2–1 at home in their final game, but finished third in the group and were eliminated.

El Salvador hosted the 1995 UNCAF Nations Cup. In their first round, they topped a group containing Costa Rica and Belize, and lost 1–0 to Guatemala in the knockout round. They won the third place match 2–1 against Costa Rica and advanced to the 1996 CONCACAF Gold Cup alongside Guatemala and the tournament winners, Honduras.[42] This was their first appearance at the Gold Cup.[40][43] At the finals of the 1996 Gold Cup, El Salvador defeated Trinidad and Tobago 3–2, with goals from Raúl Díaz Arce (2) and Ronald Cerritos in their first game, but then lost 2–0 to the United States and did not advance from the first round.[44][45]

At the 1997 UNCAF Nations Cup, hosted in Guatemala, El Salvador lost 3–0 to Honduras in their first match but defeated Panama 2–0 in their second. In the second group stage they finished in third place, losing 1–0 to both Guatemala and Costa Rica, and drawing 0–0 against Honduras. They advanced to the 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup, hosted in the United States.[40][46] El Salvador were coached by Kiril Dojcinovski. In the group stage, they drew 0–0 with Guatemala, and lost to Brazil (4–0) and Jamaica (2–0).[44][47]

In 1998 World Cup qualification, El Salvador received a bye to the third round, where they were drawn into a group with Canada, Cuba, and Panama. They finished second behind Canada and advanced to the six-team final round. El Salvador finished in fifth place with two wins, four draws, and four defeats.[29] This was the closest they had come to qualifying for a World Cup since 1982.

At the 1999 UNCAF Nations Cup, hosted in Costa Rica, El Salvador drew 1–1 with Guatemala and defeated Nicaragua 1–0 in the first round, with Magdonio Corrales scoring in both games. In the second group stage, they lost 3–1 to Honduras, 1–0 Guatemala and 4–0 to Costa Rica to finish bottom of the group, and failed to advance to the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup. They were coached by Mario Peres Ulibarri.[48]

2000s

[edit]

In 2002 World Cup qualification, El Salvador topped a first round group ahead of Belize and Guatemala, but finished third behind and Jamaica in the second round, and were eliminated.[49]

In the 2001 UNCAF Nations Cup in Honduras, El Salvador topped their first-round group, defeating Nicaragua 3–0, Panama 2–1, and drawing 1–1 with the hosts. In the final round they drew all their games to finish third and advance to the 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup. They were coached by Carlos Recinos.[40][50] In the Gold Cup, El Salvador lost their first match in Group A to Mexico (1–0), but defeated Guatemala by the same score, with a goal from Santos Cabrera. This allowed them to advance to the quarter-finals of the Gold Cup for the first time, but they lost 4–0 at that stage to the eventual champions, the United States.[44][51]

At the 2003 UNCAF Nations Cup in Panama, El Salvador finished third again, with Juan Ramón Paredes as head coach. In the tournament, they won 2–1 against Panama, lost 1–0 to Costa Rica, beat Nicaragua 3–0 and Honduras 1–0, and lost 2–0 against Guatemala. They qualified for the 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup,[52] where they were drawn into Group C with Martinique and the United States. El Salvador 2–0 lost to the United States but beat Martinique 1–0 with a goal from Marvin González. In the quarter-finals, they were beaten 5–2 by Costa Rica, with three of the seven goals coming from penalty kicks.[44][53]

The 2006 World Cup qualifiers and 2005 UNCAF Nations Cup, hosted in Guatemala, were both huge disasters for El Salvador. In the former they received a bye to the second round, where they inched past Bermuda 4–3 on aggregate (2–1, 2–2). In the third round they finished last in a group that contained Jamaica, Panama and the United States, with just four points from six games.[54] In the 2005 UNCAF Nations Cup they went out in the first round after losing against Panama (1–0) and Costa Rica (2–1), which meant they also failed to qualify for the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup. They were coached by Carlos Cavagnaro.[55]

Coached by Carlos de los Cobos, El Salvador hosted the 2007 UNCAF Nations Cup, and won their first-round group after 2–1 wins over Belize and Nicaragua, and a 0–0 draw with Guatemala. In the semi-finals, they lost 1–0 to the eventual champions, Costa Rica, and finished the tournament in fourth after Guatemala beat them by the same scored in the third place play-off.[56] This allowed them to qualify for the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup, where they began with a 2–1 win against Trinidad and Tobago 2–1, with goals from Ramón Sánchez and Dennis Alas. They lost their next two matches against Guatemala (1–0) and the United States (4–0) and exited the tournament.[57]

On 16 June 2007, El Salvador met Hungary at the Estadio Cuscatlán in a repeat of their match at the 1982 World Cup. Many of the same players that had played the original World Cup match played again. The match was drawn 2–2, with goals from Lázár Szentes and Ferenc Csongrádi for Hungary and two goals from Luis Ramírez Zapata for El Salvador.[58]

At the 2009 UNCAF Nations Cup in Honduras, El Salvador finished second in their group after Belize 4–1, drawing 1–1 with Nicaragua and losing 2–0 to Honduras, and Nicaragua. Their semi-final against Costa Rica was called off after 60 minutes, with Costa Rica leading 1–0, when El Salvador were reduced to six players. Alexander Escobar and Eliseo Quintanilla were sent off in the first half, while Deris Umanzor, Rodolfo Zelaya and their goalkeeper Juan José Gómez were injured and had to leave the field after El Salvador had already used their three substitutions. The game was awarded as a 3–0 win to Costa Rica. In the third place play-off, they lost 1–0 to Honduras after a goal by Roger Espinoza.[59] At the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup, El Salvador began by beating Costa Rica 2–1, with two goals by Osael Romero. However, they lost 1–0 against Canada and Jamaica and were eliminated.[60]

2010s

[edit]

In 2010 World Cup qualification El Salvador beat Anguilla 16–0 on aggregate and Panama 3–2 on aggregate in the first two rounds. In their third round group, they finished second in the group behind Costa Rica, ahead of Haiti and Suriname, to advance to the Hexagonal round. Despite drawing against the United States and beating Mexico, El Salvador finished in fifth place and were eliminated. Rudis Corrales was their top scorer in qualification with 8 goals.[61]

On 11 May 2010, the FIFA Emergency Committee suspended the Salvadoran Football Federation (FESFUT) on account of government interference, as the statutes ratified by the FESFUT general assembly in August 2009 had not been entered in the country's official register, and that the government had failed to acknowledge the authority of the Normalisation Committee set up to represent FESFUT.[62] The suspension was lifted by 28 May, allowing La Selecta to participate in international tournaments. El Salvador's under-21 team qualified for the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games (CAC) in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. However, CONCACAF decided to suspend football at the 2010 CAC shortly after. El Salvador were also able to participate in the qualifying tournament for the 2012 Summer Olympics.[63]

In the 2011 Copa Centroamericana, the new version of the reorganized UNCAF Nations Cup, El Salvador qualified from their first-round group in second place after defeating Nicaragua 2–0 and Belize 5–2, and losing 2–0 against Panama. In the semi-finals they lost 2–0 to Honduras, and lost 5–4 in a penalty shootout to Panama, after a 0–0 draw. This performance qualified El Salvador for the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup. The team was coached by José Luis Rugamas. Forward Rafael Burgos jointly received the Golden Boot with Costa Rica's Marco Ureña, with three goals.[64]

In April 2011, two months before the start of the Gold Cup, José Luis Rugamas was replaced as coach by Rubén Israel.[65] At the Gold Cup, El Salvador began with a 5–0 defeat to Mexico.[66] They drew 1–1 with Costa Rica, with Rodolfo Zelaya's 25-yard free-kick opener being equalised by a Costa Rican goal in injury time,[67] and beat Cuba 6–1 to reach the knockout stage for the first time since 2003.[68][69] In the quarter-finals they drew 1–1 with Panama, with Panama scoring a controversial equaliser through Luis Tejada one minute from the end. Their coach Israel called the decision an "error of haste."[70] Panama won the penalty shoot-out 5–3.[71]

In 2014 World Cup qualification, El Salvador received a bye to the second round, where they began with a 3–2 win against the Dominican Republic, with goals scored by Rodolfo Zelaya (2) and Cristián Bautista.[72] They then beat the Cayman Islands 4–1 with goals from Bautista, Luis Anaya (2) and Xavier García[73] before winning the return against the Dominican Republic 2–1.[74] They beat the Cayman Islands 4–0 at home, with goals by Víctor Turcios, Steve Purdy, Jaime Alas and Herbert Sosa. The last of these was the thousandth goal scored by the national team.[75] Two comfortable wins over Suriname gave them a perfect record of six wins in six matches.

In the next round, El Salvador snatched a draw against Costa Rica in San José after being 2–0 down, but a home defeat against Mexico four days later precipitated the departure of Israel, whose poor relations with Jaime Rodríguez, the president of the National Institute of Sport Salvador (INDES) were widely known. The Salvadoran Football Association (FESFUT) named the Mexican Juan de Dios Castillo as his replacement.

Despite a good start, a 1–0 win in a friendly match against Guatemala, a 2–2 draw at the Estadio Cuscatlán in a qualifier against modest Guyana earned him the wrath of the public.[citation needed] A 3–2 victory in Georgetown, with a penalty saved by El Salvador's goalkeeper Dagoberto Portillo in additional time, kept their qualifying hopes alive, but these were ended by a 1–0 home defeat against Costa Rica. Juan de Dios Castillo was sacked in November 2012 and replaced on 17 December by the Peruvian Agustín Castillo, a five-time national champion with C.D. FAS.

El Salvador finished third in the 2013 Copa Centroamericana, allowing them to qualify for the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup in the United States. In that tournament, a 1–0 win over Haiti allowed them to qualify from the group stages in third place, but they lost 5–1 to the host nation in the quarter-finals.[76]

In 2018 World Cup qualification, El Salvador won knockout ties against Saint Kitts and Nevis and Curaçao to reach the fourth round group stage, but they finished bottom of a group containing Mexico, Honduras and Canada with two draws and four defeats from their six matches.

2020s

[edit]

After Covid-19 restrictions had loosened up a bit, El Salvador organized a friendly match against the US in December 2020 to start things off again. However, they lost 6–0 to the CONCACAF giants. 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification were soon on the horizon and El Salvador had to play against Grenada and Montserrat in the March 2021 calendar. El Salvador won at home against Grenada in a 2–0 victory and tied with Montserrat in a grueling 1–1 match. This was when El Salvador needed a change fast and they soon sacked Carlos de los Cobos. They hired a Hugo Pérez as their new coach, who was also coaching the El Salvador Sub-23s in the Olympic Qualifiers in the same year. Hugo Perez made radical changes to the team and called up more newer players to help represent El Salvador. When June rolled by, El Salvador's next opponents were the US Virgin Islands and Antigua & Barbudas. El Salvador crushed the Virgin Islands with a 7–0 victory away and won again at home against Antigua in a 3–0 win; El Salvador were on their way to the second round of qualifications. El Salvador then faced off against Saint Kitts & Nevis in a round robin format. El Salvador managed to pull off a 0–4 victory away and a 2–0 victory at home, which got them to the final round of qualifications for the first time in over 10 years. In preparation for the upcoming 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup, El Salvador organized three friendlies. On June 26, El Salvador played against Guatemala to a 0–0 standstill. However, Hugo Perez was trying to experiment with more younger and less or known players at the time to form an underwhelming B Team. El Salvador then flew to Croatia to face their next opponents. On July 2, La Selecta faced off against NK Istra 1961 to a 2–1 defeat. On July 4, El Salvador faced the Asian Cup winners, Qatar, to a 1–0 defeat.

On July 11, El Salvador played their first game in the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup against their Central American rivals, Guatemala, to a 2–0 victory. On July 14, El Salvador faced Trinidad & Tobago to another 2–0 victory to land El Salvador in the Quarter-Finals and gain 6 points for the first time in the Gold Cup. On July 18, El Salvador played their last game against Mexico to prove how much they've grown or not. El Salvador lost to Mexico in a tense 1–0 defeat. In the quarter-finals, El Salvador faced off against Qatar and lost once again in a 3–2 defeat, ending their Gold Cup run.

On September 19, 2023, FESFUT hired Spanish manager Rubén de la Barrera to coach to the El Salvador national team.[77]

Barrera would leave after 3 months and David Dóniga would take over on January 2, 2024.

Match fixing

[edit]

The national team has had accusations of several players losing matches on purpose in exchange for monetary rewards. Some of these allegations involved games against Venezuela, Mexico, USA, and Costa Rica. Fourteen players were handed lifetime bans from football on 20 September 2013: Luis Anaya, Osael Romero, Ramón Sánchez, Christian Castillo, Miguel Granadino, Miguel Montes, Dagoberto Portillo, Dennis Alas, Darwin Bonilla, Ramón Flores, Alfredo Pacheco, José Mardoqueo Henríquez, Marvin González, and Reynaldo Hernández. Carlos Monteagudo received a ban of 18 months. Eliseo Quintanilla and Víctor Turcios received six-month bans. Alexander Escobar, Christian Sánchez, and under-20 goalkeeper Yimmy Cuellar received bans of 30 days. After a further 20-day investigation, Rodrigo Martínez was sentenced to a ban of five years, Rodolfo Zelaya to a ban of one year, and Benji Villalobos to a ban of six months.

On 6 September 2016, the team revealed that they had turned down an offer to ensure that their result against Canada saw Honduras progress to the next round of World Cup qualification.[78] Their coach Ramon Maradiaga was later fined 20,000 Swiss francs and banned from football for two years for not disclosing the approach.[79]

Stadium

[edit]
Main articles: Estadio Jorge "Mágico" González, Estadio Cuscatlán, and Estadio Nacional de El Salvador
Aerial view of the Estadio Cuscatlán, El Salvador's national stadium

El Salvador's national stadium is the Estadio Cuscatlán in San Salvador, which saw its first game in 1976.

During the national team's early history, the national stadium was the Campo Marte, 16 acres of land that housed a small stadium, now known as Parque Infantil, between 1928 and 1934.[80] Succeeding, El Salvador played at the Estadio Nacional de la Flor Blanca, now known as Estadio Jorge "Mágico" González, also in San Salvador. It was opened on 19 April 1932 during the presidency of Maximiliano Hernández Martínez in preparation for the 1935 Central American and Caribbean Games. On 24 March 1935 El Salvador played its first game at the Flor Blanca against Cuba and won 4–1.[81] El Salvador played at this stadium during qualification for the 1970 World Cup.[81] On 15 November 2000, a one-off game was played at the stadium, to commemorate a major refurbishment, against Jamaica in the 2002 World Cup qualifiers.[81]

In 1969, EDESSA (Estadios Deportivos de El Salvador Sociedad Anónima) proposed the idea of a new national stadium.[82] This resulted in construction of the Estadio Cuscatlán, with the president of El Salvador, General Fidel Sánchez Hernández, breaking ground on 24 March 1971. The stadium held its first game on 24 July 1976, a friendly between El Salvador and the German Bundesliga champions, Borussia Mönchengladbach. It ended in a 2–0 victory to the German side. The Borussia squad featured players from their 1974 World Cup winning squad, including Berti Vogts, Rainer Bonhof, Wolfgang Kleff and Jupp Heynckes, alongside Allan Simonsen, who later won the 1977 Ballon d'Or and joined Barcelona. El Salvador's team was Tomás Pineda (Mauricio "Tarzán" Alvarenga), Guillermo "Billy" Rodríguez Bou, Ramón Fagoaga, Humberto "Imacasa" Recinos, Eduardo "Conejo" Valdés, Víctor "Pato" Valencia, Warner Solís, Félix "Garrobita" Pineda (César "Piscucha" Acevedo), Luis "Pelé" Ramírez Zapata (Abraham Coreas) & Ismael "Cisco" Díaz (David Cabrera). Borussia also fielded Wolfgang Kneib, Hans-Jürgen Wittkamp, Horst Wohlers, Dietmar Danner, Hans Klinkhammer, Carsten Nielsen and Uli Stielike.[83] Since that match, El Salvador has used the stadium for almost every major home game, and it is also the home ground of Alianza.[84] On 25 May 1978, EDESSA agreed to sign a 99-year lease of the stadium to CLIMA (Asociación de Clubes de Liga Mayor A) to operate and control which events are held there.[85]

Team image

[edit]

El Salvador's traditional first kit colour is blue with white trim, their second kit being white with blue trim. The current home and away kit features the traditional colours with the exception of bold curved trims that run from the center of the neck and open to the sides, forming two panels on the chest that contain the Umbro logo and emblem of the Salvadoran Football Federation. At the center of the kit El Salvador national emblem, once again, is shown. The right sleeve shows the national flag.[86]

El Salvador and Mitre announced a new partnership in 2008 that saw them supply the Central American national football team with home and away kits, training, and bench wear until August 2010. Mitre, and their Panamanian partner, The Harari Group, designed the kit that El Salvador used. The kit was showcased by the team on February 11, 2009, as they started their FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign against Trinidad & Tobago in the CONCACAF (Central-American Football Union) Hexagonal Cup.[87]

On 22 October 2010, the FESFUT extended the contract with Mitre by four years.[88] The first home and away kit made by Mitre feature a watermark of the country's national shield on the center of the shirt and some horizontal stripes along the kit. The current kit featured white remains along the neck, at the bottom of the kit, and over the shoulders. When this kit was introduced in 2009 it also introduced a new logo that replaced the typical logo of an "E" and an "S" surrounded by a circle.[89] Umbro has become the new kit supplier of the El Salvador national football team. Replacing Mitre, the first Umbro El Salvador football kits were released 15 June 2017, and were debuted in the 2017 Gold Cup.

Kit sponsorship

[edit]
Kit supplier Period
United States Pony 1980–1982
West Germany Adidas 1982–1987
United States Pony 1988–1988
Japan Mikasa 1989–1991
United States Pony 1991–1992
El Salvador Galaxia 1992–1992
United States Score 1992–1995
United States Reebok 1996
Italy Lanzera 1996–1998
Italy Kappa 1999–2000
Spain Joma 2001–2002
El Salvador Galaxia 2003
Mexico Atletica 2004–2007
El Salvador Milán 2007
Mexico Atletica 2007–2009
United Kingdom Mitre 2009–2017
United Kingdom Umbro 2017–present

Results and fixtures

[edit]
Main article: El Salvador national football team results (2020–present)

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixture

2023

[edit]
16 November Friendly Curaçao  1–1  El Salvador Willemstad, Curaçao
20:00 UTC−4
  • J. Bacuna 3'
 Report
Stadium: Ergilio Hato Stadium
Referee: Janeishka Caban (Puerto Rico)
20 November Friendly Curaçao  1–1  El Salvador Willemstad, Curaçao
20:00 UTC−4
Report
Stadium: Ergilio Hato Stadium
Referee: Janeishka Caban (Puerto Rico)

2024

[edit]
19 January Hybrid friendly El Salvador  0–0 Inter Miami CF San Salvador, El Salvador
18:00 UTC−4 Report Stadium: Estadio Cuscatlán
Referee: Iván Cisneros (El Salvador)
2 February Friendly Costa Rica  2–0  El Salvador San José, Costa Rica
20:00 UTC−6
Report Stadium: Estadio Nacional
Referee: Steven Madrigal (Costa Rica)
20 March Non-FIFA friendly El Salvador  1–1  Bonaire Washington, D.C., United States
19:00 UTC−4
Report
Stadium: Audi Field
22 March Friendly Argentina  3–0  El Salvador Philadelphia, United States
20:00 UTC−4
Report Stadium: Lincoln Financial Field
Referee: Victor Rivas (United States)
26 March Friendly El Salvador  1–1  Honduras Houston, United States
19:30 UTC−5
Report
Stadium: Shell Energy Stadium
Referee: Rubiel Vazquez (United States)
6 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification El Salvador  0–0  Puerto Rico San Salvador, El Salvador
20:30 UTC−6 Report Stadium: Estadio Cuscatlán
Attendance: 10,851
Referee: Saíd Martínez (Honduras)
9 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Saint Vincent and the Grenadines  1–3  El Salvador Paramaribo, Suriname
16:00 UTC−3
Report
Stadium: Franklin Essed Stadion
Attendance: 200
Referee: Shavin Greene (Guyana)
14 June Friendly El Salvador  0–1  Peru Philadelphia, United States
20:30 UTC−4 Report
Stadium: Lincoln Financial Field
Referee: Kwinsi Williams (Trinidad and Tobago)
27 July Friendly Guatemala  0–1  El Salvador Carson, United States
19:30 UTC−7 Report
Stadium: Dignity Health Sports Park
Referee: Oliver Vergara (Panama)
5 September 2024–25 Nations League Montserrat  1–4  El Salvador Rincon, Bonaire
16:00 UTC−4
Report
Stadium: Stadion Antonio Trenidat
Referee: Benjamín Pineda (Costa Rica)
8 September 2024–25 Nations League El Salvador  2–1  Bonaire Rincon, Bonaire
21:00 UTC−4
Report
Stadium: Stadion Antonio Trenidat
Referee: Steven Madrigal (Costa Rica)
10 October 2024–25 Nations League Saint Vincent and the Grenadines  2–3  El Salvador Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
21:00 UTC−4
Report
Stadium: Arnos Vale Stadium
Referee: Oshane Nation (Jamaica)
13 October 2024–25 Nations League El Salvador  1–2  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
20:00 UTC−4
Report
Stadium: Arnos Vale Stadium
Referee: Tristley Bassue (St. Kitts and Nevis)
14 November 2024–25 Nations League Bonaire  v  El Salvador El Salvador
--:-- UTC−6 Stadium: TBD
17 November 2024–25 Nations League El Salvador  v  Montserrat El Salvador
--:-- UTC−6 Stadium: TBD

2025

[edit]
13 January Friendly El Salvador  v  Thailand Charlotte, United States
--:-- UTC−5 Stadium: Bank of America Stadium
7 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Anguilla  v  El Salvador Anguilla
--:-- UTC−4
10 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification El Salvador  v  Suriname El Salvador
--:-- UTC−6

Coaching staff

[edit]

As of October 2024 [1]

Position Staff
Head coach Spain David Dóniga
Assistant coach Spain Fernando Triana
Assistant coach El Salvador Juan Carlos Serrano
Fitness coach El Salvador Edgar Escobar Guzmán
Goalkeeping coach El Salvador Alvaro Misael Alfaro
Director of Football Portugal TBD
Coordinator of Football El Salvador Juan Carlos Serrano

Coaching history

[edit]

Since the creation of the national team in 1921, several coaches have been in charge of managing El Salvador. From 1930 to 1935, Mark Scott Thompson was appointed as El Salvador's first ever manager. As of January 2012, the El Salvador national football team has presented itself with 60 managers in the national team. It is reported that all 3 titles (1943,[18] 1954[90] and 2002[91]) have been won by Salvadoran born managers. Conrado Miranda has managed in 4 different occasions and Armando Contreras Palma in 3. Chilean Hernán Vivanco was manager when El Salvador competed at their first World Cup.[92] Mauricio Rodríguez managed to qualify El Salvador to another World Cup. Rodríguez participated at the 1970 FIFA World Cup.

Players

[edit]

Current squad

[edit]

The following players were called up for the 2024–25 CONCACAF Nations League B matches against Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on 10 and 13 October 2024.[93]

Caps and goals as of 13 October 2024, after the match against  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK Mario González (1997-05-20) 20 May 1997 (age 27) 40 0 El Salvador Alianza
1GK Tomás Romero (2000-12-19) 19 December 2000 (age 23) 18 0 United States New York City FC
1GK Óscar Pleitez (1993-02-06) 6 February 1993 (age 31) 1 0 El Salvador Isidro Metapán
2DF Alexander Larín (1992-06-27) 27 June 1992 (age 32) 84 7 El Salvador Águila
2DF Ronald Rodríguez (1998-09-22) 22 September 1998 (age 26) 29 0 El Salvador C.D. Águila
2DF Kevin Reyes (1999-08-28) 28 August 1999 (age 25) 20 0 El Salvador C.D. Águila
2DF Rudy Clavel (1996-10-10) 10 October 1996 (age 28) 17 1 El Salvador FAS
2DF Nelson Blanco (1995-02-18) 18 February 1995 (age 29) 17 0 United States San Antonio FC
2DF Jorge Cruz (2000-01-24) 24 January 2000 (age 24) 12 0 El Salvador Once Deportivo
2DF Julio Sibrián (1996-07-17) 17 July 1996 (age 28) 12 0 El Salvador Águila
2DF Tereso Benítez (2002-03-15) 15 March 2002 (age 22) 10 1 El Salvador Municipal Limeño
3MF Darwin Cerén (1989-12-31) 31 December 1989 (age 34) 97 5 El Salvador Águila
3MF Jairo Henríquez (1993-08-31) 31 August 1993 (age 31) 51 5 United States Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
3MF Christian Martínez (1994-08-12) 12 August 1994 (age 30) 38 0 Costa Rica Cartaginés
3MF Brayan Landaverde (1995-05-27) 27 May 1995 (age 29) 26 1 El Salvador Municipal Limeño
3MF Kevin Santamaría (1991-01-11) 11 January 1991 (age 33) 23 1 Peru Deportivo Llacuabamba
3MF Melvin Cartagena (1999-07-30) 30 July 1999 (age 25) 17 0 El Salvador Águila
3MF Santos Ortiz (1990-01-22) 22 January 1990 (age 34) 14 1 El Salvador Águila
3MF Adán Clímaco (2001-01-05) 5 January 2001 (age 23) 10 0 Costa Rica Santos de Guápiles
3MF Ezequiel Rivas (1998-05-20) 20 May 1998 (age 26) 2 1 El Salvador Alianza
4FW Nelson Bonilla (1990-09-11) 11 September 1990 (age 34) 64 20 Malaysia Terengganu
4FW Styven Vásquez (2002-10-29) 29 October 2002 (age 22) 11 2 El Salvador Luis Ángel Firpo
4FW Rafael Tejada (2003-03-12) 12 March 2003 (age 21) 5 1 El Salvador FAS
4FW Francis Castillo (2005-11-07) 7 November 2005 (age 19) 4 1 Spain Cádiz

Recent call-ups

[edit]

The following players have been called up within the last 12 months.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Benjí Villalobos (1988-07-18) 18 July 1988 (age 36) 17 0 El Salvador C.D. Águila v.  Bonaire, 8 September 2024
GK Kevin Carabantes (1993-02-06) 6 February 1993 (age 31) 5 0 El Salvador FAS v.  Peru, 15 June 2024
GK Sergio Sibrián (2004-07-08) 8 July 2004 (age 20) 0 0 El Salvador Alianza v.  Curaçao, 20 November 2023
DF Melvin Cruz (2001-01-15) 15 January 2001 (age 23) 8 0 El Salvador Águila v.  Bonaire, 8 September 2024
DF Roberto Domínguez (1997-05-09) 9 May 1997 (age 27) 62 1 El Salvador FAS v.  Guatemala, 28 July 2024
DF Diego Flores (2001-07-01) 1 July 2001 (age 23) 7 1 El Salvador Luis Ángel Firpo v.  Guatemala, 28 July 2024
DF Bryan Tamacas (1995-02-21) 21 February 1995 (age 29) 76 0 El Salvador C.D. FAS v.  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 9 June 2024
DF German Fuentes (1998-02-27) 27 February 1998 (age 26) 1 0 Republic of Ireland Athlone Town v.  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 9 June 2024
DF Juan Barahona (1995-02-12) 12 February 1995 (age 29) 22 1 El Salvador Dragón v.  Costa Rica, 2 February 2024
DF Rómulo Villalobos (1997-09-01) 1 September 1997 (age 27) 6 1 El Salvador Dragón v.  Costa Rica, 2 February 2024
DF José Guevara (1998-07-24) 24 July 1998 (age 26) 0 0 El Salvador FAS v.  Costa Rica, 2 February 2024
DF Walmer Martínez (1998-08-07) 7 August 1998 (age 26) 21 2 United States Monterey Bay FC v.  Curaçao, 20 November 2023
DF Eduardo Vigil (1996-08-07) 7 August 1996 (age 28) 11 0 El Salvador Fuerte San Francisco v.  Curaçao, 20 November 2023
DF Jonathan Jiménez (1992-07-12) 12 July 1992 (age 32) 15 0 El Salvador Alianza v.  Martinique, 17 October 2023
MF Leonardo Menjívar (2001-10-24) 24 October 2001 (age 23) 16 0 El Salvador Alianza v.  Bonaire, 8 September 2024
MF Narciso Orellana (1995-01-28) 28 January 1995 (age 29) 72 1 El Salvador Alianza v.  Peru, 15 June 2024
MF Pablo Punyed (1990-04-18) 18 April 1990 (age 34) 31 4 Iceland Víkingur Reykjavík v.  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 9 June 2024
MF Joaquín Rivas (1992-04-26) 26 April 1992 (age 32) 31 4 United States El Paso Locomotive FC v.  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 9 June 2024
MF Amando Moreno (1995-09-10) 10 September 1995 (age 29) 9 0 United States El Paso Locomotive FC v.  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 9 June 2024
MF Mayer Gil (2003-09-07) 7 September 2003 (age 21) 2 0 Colombia Alianza v.  Honduras, 26 March 2024
MF Isaac Portillo (1994-11-08) 8 November 1994 (age 30) 14 0 El Salvador Isidro Metapán v.  Costa Rica, 2 February 2024
MF Marcelo Díaz (2000-12-19) 19 December 2000 (age 23) 2 0 El Salvador Águila v.  Costa Rica, 2 February 2024
MF Óscar Rodríguez (1995-04-16) 16 April 1995 (age 29) 0 0 El Salvador Alianza v.  Costa Rica, 2 February 2024
MF Andrés Hernández (2000-02-20) 20 February 2000 (age 24) 0 0 El Salvador Alianza v.  Costa Rica, 2 February 2024
MF Elmer Bonilla (2003-05-10) 10 May 2003 (age 21) 0 0 El Salvador Dragón v.  Costa Rica, 2 February 2024
MF Harold Osorio (2003-08-20) 20 August 2003 (age 21) 2 0 United States Chicago Fire v.  Curaçao, 20 November 2023
MF Vinicio Muñoz (2001-11-12) 12 November 2001 (age 23) 0 0 El Salvador Platense v.  Curaçao, 20 November 2023
MF Carlos Ortiz (2000-06-05) 5 June 2000 (age 24) 0 0 El Salvador Firpo v.  Curaçao, 20 November 2023
MF Elvin Alvarado (1998-08-23) 23 August 1998 (age 26) 1 0 El Salvador Municipal Limeño v.  Martinique, 17 October 2023
MF Alejandro Henríquez (2002-08-28) 28 August 2002 (age 22) 1 0 El Salvador Isidro Metapán v.  Martinique, 17 October 2023
MF Kevin Román (2002-04-17) 17 April 2002 (age 22) 0 0 El Salvador Once Deportivo v.  Martinique, 17 October 2023
FW Brayan Gil (2001-06-28) 28 June 2001 (age 23) 11 3 Russia Nizhny Novgorod v.  Bonaire, 8 September 2024
FW Emerson Mauricio (2002-08-27) 27 August 2002 (age 22) 6 2 El Salvador Alianza v.  Bonaire, 8 September 2024
FW Javier Fermán (1996-05-07) 7 May 1996 (age 28) 4 0 El Salvador Municipal Limeño v.  Guatemala, 28 July 2024
FW Nathan Ordaz (2004-01-12) 12 January 2004 (age 20) 0 0 United States Los Angeles FC v.  Honduras, 26 March 2024
FW Steven Guerra (2005-03-12) 12 March 2005 (age 19) 2 0 El Salvador Dragón v.  Costa Rica, 2 February 2024
FW Isaac Esquivel (2003-12-30) 30 December 2003 (age 20) 0 0 El Salvador Isidro Metapán v.  Costa Rica, 2 February 2024
FW Jefferson Valladares (2002-12-08) 8 December 2002 (age 21) 2 0 El Salvador Municipal Limeño v.  Curaçao, 20 November 2023

INJ Player withdrew from the current squad due to injury.
COV Player withdrew due to testing positively for COVID-19 or having to self-isolate because of it.
PRE Preliminary squad.
RET Player had announced retirement from international football.
SUS Player is serving a suspension.
WD Withdrawn.

Player records

[edit]
As of 13 October 2024[94]
Players in bold are still active with El Salvador.

Most appearances

[edit]
Darwin Cerén is El Salvador's most capped player with 97 appearances.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Darwin Cerén 97 5 2012–present
2 Alfredo Pacheco 85 7 2002–2013
3 Alexander Larín 84 7 2012–present
4 Dennis Alas 83 3 2001–2012
5 Leonel Cárcamo 82 0 1988–2000
6 Marvin González 81 1 2002–2011
7 Rudis Corrales 78 17 1999–2011
Ramón Sánchez 78 2 2003–2012
Bryan Tamacas 78 3 2016–present
10 Osael Romero 77 16 2007–2013

Top goalscorers

[edit]
Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Raúl Díaz Arce 39 72 0.54 1991–2000
2 Rodolfo Zelaya 23 52 0.44 2008–2019
3 Jorge "Mágico" González 21 62 0.34 1976–1998
4 Nelson Bonilla 20 64 0.31 2012–present
5 Juan Francisco Barraza 19 40 0.48 1953–1969
José María Rivas 19 47 0.4 1979–1989
7 Rudis Corrales 17 78 0.22 2001–2011
8 Luis Ramírez Zapata 16 58 0.28 1971–1989
Osael Romero 16 77 0.21 2007–2013
10 Miguel Cruz 15 14 1.07 1935–1950
Eliseo Quintanilla 15 68 0.22 2006–2012
Guillermo Rivera 15 76 0.2 1988–2000

Competitive record

[edit]

FIFA World Cup

[edit]
Main article: El Salvador at the FIFA World Cup

El Salvador has never advanced beyond the first round of the finals competition. El Salvador declined to participate at the 1950 FIFA World Cup.[note 2]

FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
Uruguay 1930 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
Italy 1934
France 1938 Did not enter Did not enter
Brazil 1950 Withdrew[note 2] Withdrew
Switzerland 1954 Did not enter Did not enter
Sweden 1958
Chile 1962
England 1966
Mexico 1970 Group stage 16th 3 0 0 3 0 9 Squad 10 7 0 3 19 12
West Germany 1974 Did not qualify 2 0 0 2 0 2
Argentina 1978 11 4 4 3 18 16
Spain 1982 Group stage 24th 3 0 0 3 1 13 Squad 13 7 4 2 14 6
Mexico 1986 Did not qualify 6 4 1 1 15 2
Italy 1990 8 2 2 4 8 8
United States 1994 14 8 1 5 28 11
France 1998 16 5 5 6 23 22
South Korea Japan 2002 10 6 1 3 23 15
Germany 2006 8 2 2 4 6 14
South Africa 2010 20 8 3 9 39 21
Brazil 2014 12 7 2 3 28 16
Russia 2018 10 3 3 4 12 16
Qatar 2022 20 7 5 8 27 19
Canada Mexico United States 2026 Qualification in progress 2 1 1 0 3 1
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 To be determined To be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total Group stage 2/20 6 0 0 6 1 22 — 162 71 34 57 263 181

CONCACAF Gold Cup

[edit]
Main article: El Salvador at the CONCACAF Gold Cup
CONCACAF Championship & Gold Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
El Salvador 1963 Runners-up 2nd 7 3 3 1 17 11 Squad Qualified as hosts
Guatemala 1965 Fourth place 4th 5 2 1 2 7 9 Squad 2 2 0 0 7 1
Honduras 1967 Did not enter Did not enter
Costa Rica 1969 Banned Banned
Trinidad and Tobago 1971 Withdrew Withdrew
Haiti 1973 Did not qualify 2 0 0 2 0 2
Mexico 1977 Third place 3rd 5 2 1 2 8 9 Squad 6 2 3 1 10 7
Honduras 1981 Runners-up 2nd 5 2 2 1 2 1 Squad 8 5 2 1 12 5
1985 Fourth place 4th 4 2 1 1 7 2 Squad 2 2 0 0 8 0
1989 Fifth place 5th 6 0 2 4 2 8 Squad 2 2 0 0 6 0
United States 1991 Did not qualify 5 2 1 2 7 11
Mexico United States 1993 3 0 1 2 1 5
United States 1996 Group stage 6th 2 1 0 1 3 4 Squad 4 3 0 1 7 3
United States 1998 8th 3 0 1 2 0 6 Squad 5 1 1 3 2 5
United States 2000 Did not qualify 8 1 2 5 6 15
United States 2002 Quarter-finals 8th 3 1 0 2 1 5 Squad 6 2 4 0 8 4
Mexico United States 2003 6th 3 1 0 2 3 7 Squad 5 3 0 2 6 4
United States 2005 Did not qualify 2 0 0 2 1 3
United States 2007 Group stage 9th 3 1 0 2 2 6 Squad 5 2 1 2 4 5
United States 2009 9th 3 1 0 2 2 3 Squad 5 1 1 3 5 8
United States 2011 Quarter-finals 7th 4 1 2 1 8 8 Squad 5 2 1 2 7 6
United States 2013 7th 4 1 1 2 4 8 Squad 4 1 2 1 2 2
Canada United States 2015 Group stage 9th 3 0 2 1 1 2 Squad 4 2 0 2 4 3
United States 2017 Quarter-finals 8th 4 1 1 2 4 6 Squad 5 2 1 2 5 4
Costa Rica Jamaica United States 2019 Group stage 9th 3 1 1 1 1 4 Squad 4 3 0 1 7 2
United States 2021 Quarter-finals 6th 4 2 0 2 6 4 Squad 6 5 0 1 10 1
Canada United States 2023 Group stage 14th 3 0 2 1 3 4 Squad 4 1 2 1 6 5
Total Runners-up 19/27 74 22 20 32 81 107 — 102 44 22 36 131 101

CONCACAF Nations League

[edit]
CONCACAF Nations League record
League Finals
Season Division Group Pld W D L GF GA P/R Year Result Pld W D L GF GA Squad
2019–20 B B 6 5 0 1 10 1 Rise United States 2021 Ineligible
2022–23 A D 4 1 2 1 6 5 Same position United States 2023 Did not qualify
2023–24 A A 4 0 1 3 2 6 Fall United States 2024
2024–25 B A In progress 2025 Ineligible
Total — — 14 6 3 5 18 12 — Total 0 Titles — — — — — — —

Copa Centroamericana

[edit]
Copa Centroamericana record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
Costa Rica 1991 Fourth place 4th 3 0 1 2 2 9
Honduras 1993 Fourth place 4th 3 0 1 2 1 5
El Salvador 1995 Third place 3rd 4 2 0 2 5 5
Guatemala 1997 Third place 3rd 5 3 1 1 5 5
Costa Rica 1999 Fourth place 4th 5 1 1 3 3 9
Honduras 2001 Third place 3rd 6 2 4 0 8 4
Panama 2003 Third place 3rd 5 3 0 2 6 4
Guatemala 2005 Group stage 6th 2 0 0 2 1 3
El Salvador 2007 Fourth place 4th 5 2 1 2 4 5
Honduras 2009 Fourth place 4th 5 1 1 3 5 6
Panama 2011 Fourth place 4th 5 2 1 2 7 6
Costa Rica 2013 Third place 3rd 4 1 2 1 2 2
United States 2014 Fourth place 4th 4 2 0 2 4 3
Panama 2017 Third place 3rd 5 2 1 2 5 4
Total Third place 14/14 57 19 14 24 54 67

CCCF Championship

[edit]
CCCF Championship record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
Costa Rica 1941 Runners-up 2nd 4 2 1 1 15 8
El Salvador 1943 Champions 1st 6 4 1 1 28 11
Costa Rica 1946 Third place 3rd 5 3 0 2 15 11
Guatemala 1948 Fifth place 5th 8 2 1 5 6 17
Panama 1951 Did not enter
Costa Rica 1953 Fifth place 5th 6 2 1 3 10 14
Honduras 1955 Fourth place 4th 6 3 0 3 8 13
Netherlands Antilles 1957 Did not enter
Cuba 1960 Withdrew
Costa Rica 1961 Runners-up 2nd 6 4 1 1 18 7
Total 1 Title 7/10 41 20 5 16 100 81

Olympic Games

[edit]
Olympic Games record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad
France 1900 Only club teams participated
United States 1904
United Kingdom 1908 No national representative
Sweden 1912
Belgium 1920
France 1924
Netherlands 1928
Nazi Germany 1936 Not an IOC member
United Kingdom 1948 Did not participate
Finland 1952
Australia 1956
Italy 1960
Japan 1964
Mexico 1968 Group stage 15th 3 0 1 2 2 8 Squad
West Germany 1972 Did not participate
Canada 1976
Soviet Union 1980
United States 1984
South Korea 1988 Did not qualify
Since 1992 See El Salvador national under-23 football team
Total Group stage 1/11 3 0 1 2 2 8 —

Pan American Games

[edit]
Pan American Games record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
Argentina 1951 Did not qualify
Mexico 1955
United States 1959
Brazil 1963
Canada 1967
Colombia 1971
Mexico 1975 Preliminary round 10th 3 1 1 1 4 3
Puerto Rico 1979 Did not qualify
Venezuela 1983
United States 1987 Preliminary round 7th 3 1 1 1 1 1
Cuba 1991 Did not qualify
Argentina 1995
Since 1999 See El Salvador national under-23 football team
Total Preliminary round 2/12 6 2 2 2 5 4

Central American and Caribbean Games

[edit]
Central American and Caribbean Games record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
Cuba 1930 Fourth place 4th 5 1 0 4 13 25
El Salvador 1935 Third place 3rd 5 2 0 3 15 20
Panama 1938 Fourth place 4th 5 2 0 3 7 19
Colombia 1946 Did not qualify
Guatemala 1950 Fourth place 4th 3 1 0 2 4 5
Mexico 1954 Champions 1st 4 3 1 0 9 5
Venezuela 1959 Did not qualify
Jamaica 1962
Puerto Rico 1966 Fourth place 4th 5 1 2 2 5 9
Panama 1970 Did not qualify
Dominican Republic 1974
Colombia 1978 Group stage 9th 5 1 0 4 2 21
Cuba 1982 Did not qualify
Dominican Republic 1986
Mexico 1990
Puerto Rico 1993
Venezuela 1998
El Salvador 2002 Champions 1st 5 5 0 0 10 1
Colombia 2006 Quarter-finals 5th 3 1 0 2 9 7
Puerto Rico 2010 Quarter-finals 5th 2 1 1 0 1 0
Mexico 2014 Group stage 5th 3 1 0 2 3 5
Colombia 2018 Group stage 6th 3 1 0 2 1 4
El Salvador 2023 Fourth place 4th 4 0 2 2 4 6
Total 2 Titles 13/23 52 20 6 26 83 127

Central American Games

[edit]
Central American Games record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
Guatemala 1973 Third place 3rd 4 1 2 1 2 4
El Salvador 1977 Champions 1st 6 4 1 1 17 2
Guatemala 1986 Fourth place 4th 3 0 1 2 0 4
Honduras 1990 Did not participate
El Salvador 1994 Runners-up 2nd 3 3 0 0 12 2
Honduras 1997 Fourth place 4th 4 2 0 2 5 2
Guatemala 2001 Group stage 6th 2 0 0 2 0 5
Honduras 2006 Not held
Panama 2010
Costa Rica 2013 Third place 3rd 6 2 0 4 6 23
Nicaragua 2017 Fourth place 4th 4 1 2 1 2 1
Total 1 Title 9/11 32 13 6 13 44 43

Head-to-head record

[edit]
Main article: El Salvador national football team records and statistics

As of 13 October 2024 after the match against  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.[95]

  Positive Record   Neutral Record   Negative Record

  1. ^ Includes matches against  Netherlands Antilles.
  2. ^ Includes matches against  Soviet Union.
  3. ^ Includes matches against  Yugoslavia.

FIFA ranking history

[edit]

The following is a chart of the yearly averages of El Salvador's FIFA ranking.

Honours

[edit]

Major competitions

[edit]

Continental

[edit]

Regional

[edit]

Summary

[edit]
Senior Competition 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Total
CONCACAF Gold Cup 0 2 1 3
CCCF Championship1 1 2 1 4
Total 1 4 2 7
  1. According to FIFA statutes, official major competition organized by CCCF for senior national teams. It was the predecessor confederation of CONCACAF and affiliated with FIFA as the governing football body in Central America and Caribbean from 1938 to 1961.

Facts

[edit]
  • El Salvador were the first Central American team to qualify for a FIFA World Cup, in 1970, and the first Central American team to qualify twice which they achieved with entry into the 1982 World Cup. They were the first Central American team to ever score a goal in a FIFA World Cup on June 15, 1982.
  • They were the first Central American country to qualify their football team to the Olympic Games (Mexico 1968).
  • They were the first Central American team to sign up for a World Cup qualifier (France 1938).
  • They were the first Central American team to be champions of the Central American and Caribbean Games (Mexico 1954).
  • They were also the first Central American team to organize the Central American and Caribbean Games (1935) and the first ever CONCACAF Championship (1963). * El Salvador were also the first Central American team to beat Mexico in Mexico City; by a score of 3–2 at the 1954 Central American and Caribbean Games. Scorers of that game are as follows: Mario Montoya 16' (0–1), Antonio Jasso 27' (1–1), Mario Montoya 36' (1–2), Ricardo Valencia 37' (1–3), Rafael Gutierrez 64' (2–3).[90] The 1st goal in a World Cup qualifier was scored by Joel Estada on 12 December 1968 against Dutch Guiana.
  • The 50th goal in a World Cup qualifier was scored by Ever Hernández in a 1–0 victory—on 2 December 1981—against Mexico. The 100th goal in a World Cup qualifier was scored by Jorge "Mágico" González on 2 May 1993 against Canada.
  • The 150th goal in a World Cup qualifier was scored by Víctor Velásquez in a 2–1 victory—on 13 June 2004—against Bermuda. The 200th goal in a World Cup qualifier was scored by defender Xavier García in a 4–1 victory—on 6 September 2011—against the Cayman Islands.[96]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Some notes in this article indicate the two scores that add to the aggregate score; for example, (2–0,1–1) results in an aggregate score of 3–1—2–0 being the first match played and 1–1 being the second match played.
  2. ^ a b El Salvador turned down an invitation from Brazil.

References

[edit]
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