El Salvador national football team facts for kids
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| Nickname(s) | La Selecta (The National Team) Los Cuscatlecos (The Cuscatlecos) La Azul y Blanco (The Blue and White) La ES (The ES) |
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| Association | Federación Salvadoreña de Fútbol (FESFUT) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Confederation | CONCACAF (North America) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sub-confederation | UNCAF (Central America) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Head coach | David Dóniga | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Captain | Nelson Bonilla | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Most caps |
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| Top scorer | Raúl Díaz Arce (39) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Home stadium | Estadio Jorge "El Mágico" González | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FIFA code | SLV | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| FIFA ranking | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current | 73  3 (7 February 2019) |
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| Highest | 49 (April 2012) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lowest | 169 (November 2006) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Elo ranking | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current | 93 1 (3 March 2019) |
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| Highest | 40 (December 1943) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lowest | 125 (April 2007) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First international | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Costa Rica 7–0 El Salvador  (Guatemala City, Guatemala; 14 September 1921) |
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| Biggest win | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
El Salvador 12–0 Anguilla  (San Salvador, El Salvador; 6 February 2008) |
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| Biggest defeat | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Hungary 10–1 El Salvador (Elche, Spain; 15 June 1982) |
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| World Cup | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Appearances | 2 (first in 1970) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Best result | Group stage (1970, 1982) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| CONCACAF Championship / Gold Cup | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Appearances | 19 (first in 1963) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Best result | Runners-up (1963, 1981) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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The El Salvador national football team (called Selección de fútbol de El Salvador in Spanish) is also known as La Selecta, which means "the National Team". This team represents El Salvador in international football games. The Salvadoran Football Federation (FESFUT) manages the team.
El Salvador's first official match was in September 1921. They were invited to a special tournament to celebrate 100 years of Central American Independence.
The team has played in the FIFA World Cup twice: in 1970 and 1982. However, they have never made it past the first round. They won the CCCF Championship in 1943. They also finished second in the CONCACAF regional tournaments in 1963 and 1981. La Selecta also competes in the UNCAF Nations Cup and the Central American and Caribbean Games, where they have won two gold medals.
The Estadio Cuscatlán is the official home stadium for the team. It is also known as "El Coloso de Montserrat." Raúl Díaz Arce has scored the most goals for the team, with 39 goals. Darwin Cerén has played the most games, with 97 appearances.
Contents
Team History: How El Salvador's Football Began
Early Days of Salvadoran Football (1920s-1930s)
El Salvador formed its official national team in 1921. This happened when players like José Pablo Huezo and Santiago Barrachina helped football grow in the country. In September 1921, El Salvador played in the Independence Centenary Games in Guatemala. This tournament celebrated 100 years of Central American independence.
Their first game was against Costa Rica. El Salvador lost 7–0. In 1928, El Salvador got its first win, beating Honduras 5–0. Gustavo "Taviche" Marroquín scored all five goals!
In the 1930s, El Salvador got its first official coach, Mark Scott Thompson from America. The Salvadoran Football Federation was started in 1935. The team played in blue jerseys for the first time at the 1935 Central American and Caribbean Games. They won a bronze medal. In 1938, the Salvadoran Football Federation joined FIFA.
Winning Titles and World Cup Dreams (1940s-1960s)
In 1941, El Salvador finished second in the first CCCF Championship. This tournament was for Central American and Caribbean teams. In 1943, El Salvador hosted the CCCF Championship and won their first international title! They beat Nicaragua 10–1, which was a record for most goals in one game.
El Salvador did not play in World Cup qualifiers for many years. But they had a strong team with players like Manuel "Tamalón" Garay. In 1954, El Salvador won their second international title at the Central American and Caribbean Games. They even beat Mexico for the first time ever!
The CCCF Championship ended in 1961. It was replaced by the CONCACAF Championship. In the first CONCACAF Championship in 1963, El Salvador hosted the tournament and finished second. In 1968, El Salvador played in the Olympic Games for the first time.
The Road to the World Cup (1970s-1980s)
El Salvador tried to qualify for the 1970 World Cup for the first time. They won their group and then played against their rivals, Honduras. The games were very intense and even led to a conflict called the Football War. El Salvador won the play-off game 3–2 and qualified for the World Cup!
At the 1970 World Cup, El Salvador was in a group with Belgium, Mexico, and the Soviet Union. They lost all their games. One game against Mexico had a controversial goal that made the Salvadoran players upset.
El Salvador qualified for the 1982 World Cup after a tough qualifying round. They were one of the top two teams from their region.
At the 1982 World Cup in Spain, El Salvador faced Hungary, Belgium, and Argentina. They lost their first game to Hungary 10–1, which was a World Cup record for the biggest loss. However, Luis Ramírez Zapata scored El Salvador's first ever World Cup goal in that game! The team had some problems before and during the tournament, like not having enough players or training balls. Despite the losses, Jorge "Mágico" González was seen as the best player.
Modern Era and Recent Challenges (1990s-Present)
In the 1990s, a new tournament called the UNCAF Nations Cup started for Central American teams. It also served as a way to qualify for the CONCACAF Gold Cup. El Salvador made their first Gold Cup appearance in 1996.
The team continued to try and qualify for World Cups and Gold Cups. In the 2000s, they reached the quarter-finals of the Gold Cup for the first time in 2002 and again in 2003.
In 2010, the Salvadoran Football Federation faced a temporary suspension from FIFA due to government issues. This was later resolved. In 2021, Hugo Pérez became the new coach and brought in many new players. The team reached the final round of World Cup qualifiers for the first time in over 10 years. They also made it to the quarter-finals of the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Recently, in September 2023, Rubén de la Barrera from Spain became the coach, followed by David Dóniga in January 2024.
Match Fixing Allegations
There have been times when some national team players were accused of purposely losing matches for money. In 2013, many players received lifetime bans from football because of these accusations. This was a very serious issue for the team. In 2016, the team even turned down an offer to fix a game against Canada.
Home Stadium: Where La Selecta Plays
El Salvador's main stadium is the Estadio Cuscatlán in San Salvador. It opened in 1976.
Before the Estadio Cuscatlán, the team played at the Campo Marte and then the Estadio Nacional de la Flor Blanca. The Flor Blanca stadium opened in 1932 and was the biggest stadium in the country at the time.
The Estadio Cuscatlán held its first game on July 24, 1976. It was a friendly match between El Salvador and the German team Borussia Mönchengladbach. Since then, El Salvador has played almost all its major home games at this stadium.
Team Look: Kits and Colors
El Salvador's main uniform colors are blue with white details. Their away uniform is white with blue details. The current uniforms are made by Umbro. They feature curved designs and show the national emblem of El Salvador. The national flag is also on the right sleeve.
From 2009 to 2017, Mitre Sports International made the team's kits. Before that, other brands like Pony, Adidas, and Kappa also supplied their uniforms.
Player Records: Top Players
Most Games Played
The player who has played the most games for El Salvador is Darwin Cerén, with 99 appearances. Other players with many games include Alfredo Pacheco (85 games) and Alexander Larín (85 games).
Top Goal Scorers
The player who has scored the most goals for El Salvador is Raúl Díaz Arce, with 39 goals. Other top scorers include Rodolfo Zelaya (23 goals) and Jorge "Mágico" González (21 goals). Nelson Bonilla is also a top scorer with 20 goals.
Team Achievements: What They've Won
El Salvador has won several important football titles.
Major Competitions
- CONCACAF Championship/Gold Cup
- Second Place (2): 1963, 1981
- Third Place (1): 1977
Regional Competitions
- CCCF Championship (This was an older tournament for Central American and Caribbean teams)
- Champions (1): 1943
- Second Place (2): 1941, 1961
- Copa Centroamericana
- Third Place (6): 1995, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2013, 2017
- Central American and Caribbean Games
- Gold Medal (1): 1954
- Bronze Medal (1): 1935
Fun Facts About El Salvador Football
- El Salvador was the first Central American team to qualify for a FIFA World Cup (in 1970). They were also the first to qualify twice (in 1982).
- They were the first Central American team to score a goal in a FIFA World Cup on June 15, 1982.
- El Salvador was the first Central American country to send its football team to the Olympic Games (in Mexico in 1968).
- They were the first Central American team to win the Central American and Caribbean Games (in Mexico in 1954).
- El Salvador was also the first Central American team to host the Central American and Caribbean Games (1935) and the first ever CONCACAF Championship (1963).
- They were the first Central American team to beat Mexico in Mexico City. This happened with a score of 3–2 at the 1954 Central American and Caribbean Games.
Images for kids
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The first match of the El Salvador national team, 14 September 1921.
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Aerial view of the Estadio Cuscatlán, El Salvador's national stadium
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Darwin Cerén is El Salvador's most capped player with 99 appearances.
See also
In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de El Salvador para niños
- El Salvador national under-23 football team
- El Salvador national under-21 football team
- El Salvador national under-17 football team
- List of football clubs in El Salvador
- Primera División de Fútbol Profesional
