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El Salvador national football team facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
This page is about the men's team. For the women's team, see El Salvador women's national football team.
Quick facts for kids
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)
Association Federación Salvadoreña de Fútbol (FESFUT)
Confederation CONCACAF (North America)
Sub-confederation UNCAF (Central America)
Head coach Hernán Darío Gómez
Captain Julio Sibrián
Most caps
  • Darwin Cerén (101)
Top scorer Raúl Díaz Arce (39)
Home stadium Estadio Cuscatlán
Estadio Jorge "El Mágico" González
FIFA code SLV
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 73 Decrease 3 (7 February 2019)
Highest 49 (April 2012)
Lowest 169 (November 2006)
Elo ranking
Current 93 Decrease 1 (3 March 2019)
Highest 40 (December 1943)
Lowest 125 (April 2007)
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
Appearances 2 (first in 1970)
Best result Group stage (1970, 1982)
CONCACAF Championship / Gold Cup
Appearances 20 (first in 1963)
Best result Runners-up (1963, 1981)
CCCF Championship
Appearances 7 (first in 1941)
Best result Champions (1943)
Medal record
CONCACAF Championship
Silver 1963 El Salvador Team
Silver 1981 Honduras Team
Bronze 1977 Mexico Team
Copa Centroamericana
Bronze 1995 El Salvador Team
Bronze 1997 Guatemala Team
Bronze 2001 Honduras Team
Bronze 2003 Panama Team
Bronze 2013 Costa Rica Team
Bronze 2017 Panama Team
CCCF Championship
Gold 1943 El Salvador Team
Silver 1941 Costa Rica Team
Silver 1961 Costa Rica Team
Central American and Caribbean Games
Gold 1954 Mexico Team
Bronze 1935 El Salvador Team

The El Salvador national football team represents the country of El Salvador in international soccer games. The team is known by several nicknames. These include La Selecta (which means "The Select Team") and La Azul y Blanco ("The Blue and White"). The team is managed by the Federación Salvadoreña de Fútbol (FESFUT).

El Salvador has played in two FIFA World Cup tournaments, in 1970 and 1982. Their best performances in their region's main tournament, the CONCACAF Gold Cup, were when they finished as runners-up in 1963 and 1981. The team's official home stadium is the Estadio Cuscatlán in San Salvador.

History of the Team

The El Salvador national team has a long and exciting history, with big wins and tough challenges.

Early Years and First Trophies

Independence Centenary Games, Costa Rica vs El Salvador
The first match of the El Salvador national team, 14 September 1921.

The team played its first official game in 1921. They were invited to a tournament in Guatemala to celebrate 100 years of Central American independence. Their first win came in 1928, when they beat their rivals Honduras 5–0.

In the 1940s and 1950s, El Salvador began to win major tournaments. In 1943, they won the CCCF Championship, which was a tournament for teams from Central America and the Caribbean. This was their first international title. In 1954, they won the gold medal at the Central American and Caribbean Games.

The World Cup Years

The most famous moments for La Selecta came when they qualified for the FIFA World Cup.

1970 World Cup

To qualify for the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, El Salvador had to play against their rivals, Honduras. The games were very intense. This was because of existing tensions between the two countries. The situation became known as the Football War. El Salvador won a final playoff match in Mexico City to qualify for the World Cup for the first time.

In the World Cup, El Salvador played against Belgium, Mexico, and the Soviet Union. They did not win any games, but it was a huge achievement for the country to be there.

1982 World Cup

El Salvador qualified for the World Cup again in 1982, which was held in Spain. This tournament is remembered for a few reasons. They suffered a record 10–1 loss to Hungary. However, in that same game, Luis Ramírez Zapata scored El Salvador's first-ever World Cup goal.

The 1982 team also featured one of the country's greatest players, Jorge "Mágico" González. He was known for his amazing skills and creativity on the field. After the World Cup, he became a star in Spain, playing for the club Cádiz CF.

Recent History

Since the 1980s, El Salvador has not returned to the World Cup. However, they have had some success in regional tournaments like the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Players like Raúl Díaz Arce, the team's all-time top scorer, became heroes in the 1990s.

In recent years, the team has been working to rebuild. They hired coach Hugo Pérez in 2021, who brought in new, young players. The team has shown improvement and continues to compete in tournaments like the CONCACAF Nations League and Gold Cup. As of February 2025, the team is coached by Hernán Darío Gómez.

Fair Play and Challenges

In 2013, the team went through a very difficult time. An investigation found that some players had not been playing fairly in certain matches. This is known as match-fixing.

As a result, fourteen players were banned from playing football for life. Others received shorter bans. This was a sad moment for Salvadoran football because it went against the spirit of sportsmanship. The team had to rebuild and focus on playing with honor and integrity.

Stadium

Canchas y Estadio ES
An aerial view of the Estadio Cuscatlán, El Salvador's national stadium.

El Salvador's main home stadium is the Estadio Cuscatlán in the capital city, San Salvador. It is nicknamed "El Coloso de Montserrat" (The Colossus of Montserrat). It opened in 1976 with a friendly match between El Salvador and the German team Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Before the Estadio Cuscatlán was built, the team played at the Estadio Jorge "Mágico" González. This stadium was named after the famous Salvadoran player. It is still used by the team for some games.

Team Kit and Colors

El Salvador's traditional home kit is blue with white details. This is why one of their nicknames is La Azul y Blanco (The Blue and White). Their away kit is usually the opposite, with a white shirt and blue details.

The team's logo is on the chest of the jersey. It shows the letters "E" and "S" for El Salvador. The country's flag is also shown on the sleeve. The current kits are made by the English company Umbro.

Results and fixtures

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

2025

19 March Hybrid friendly Houston Dynamo 2–1  El Salvador Houston, United States
19:00 UTC−5
  • González Goal 6'
  • Escobar Goal 43'
  • Henríquez Goal 4'
 Stadium: Shell Energy Stadium
22 March Hybrid friendly El Salvador  1–1 Pachuca San Salvador, El Salvador
18:30 UTC−6
  • Mauricio Goal 58'
  • Hernández Goal 41' (pen.)
 Stadium: Estadio Jorge "El Mágico" González
31 May Friendly El Salvador  1–1  Guatemala Chattanooga, United States
20:00 UTC−5
  • Ramírez Goal 89'
  • Lom Goal 40'
 Stadium: Finley Stadium
7 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Anguilla  0–3  El Salvador The Valley, Anguilla
15:00 UTC−4
  • Ortiz Goal 30'
  • Gil Goal 45+5'
  • Alvarado Goal 77'
 Stadium: Raymond E. Guishard Technical Centre
Attendance: 543
Referee: Filip Dujic (Canada)
10 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification El Salvador  1–1  Suriname San Salvador, El Salvador
19:00 UTC−6
  • Gil Goal 32'
  • Lonwijk Goal 19'
 Stadium: Estadio Cuscatlán
Attendance: 20,675
Referee: Jon Freemon (United States)
17 June 2025 Gold Cup GS Curaçao  0–0  El Salvador San Jose, United States
17:15 UTC−7 Stadium: PayPal Park
Attendance: 13,042
Referee: Katia García (Mexico)
21 June 2025 Gold Cup GS Honduras  2–0  El Salvador Houston, United States
21:00 UTC−5
  • Quioto Goal 33'
  • Ramírez Goal 90+5'
 Stadium: Shell Energy Stadium
Attendance: 20,536
Referee: Walter López (Guatemala)
24 June 2025 Gold Cup GS Canada  2–0  El Salvador Houston, United States
21:00 UTC−5
Stadium: Shell Energy Stadium
Attendance: 19,417
Referee: Joe Dickerson (United States)
4 September 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Guatemala  v  El Salvador Guatemala City, Guatemala
20:00 UTC−6 Stadium: Estadio Cementos Progreso
8 September 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification El Salvador  v  Suriname San Salvador, El Salvador
18:30 UTC−6 Stadium: Estadio Cuscatlán
10 October 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification El Salvador  v  Panama El Salvador
--:--  Stadium: TBD
14 October 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification El Salvador  v  Guatemala El Salvador
--:--  Stadium: TBD
13 November 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Suriname  v  El Salvador Suriname
--:--  Stadium: TBD
18 November 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Panama  v  El Salvador Panama
--:--  Stadium: TBD

Coaching staff

As of February 2025

Position Staff
Head coach Colombia Hernán Darío Gómez
Assistant coach Colombia Édgar Carvajal
Assistant coach El Salvador Juan Carlos Serrano
Fitness coach Colombia Mauricio Roldán
Goalkeeping coach El Salvador Álvaro Misael Alfaro
Director of football Vacant
Coordinator of football El Salvador Juan Carlos Serrano

Players

Current squad

The following players were called up for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup on 5 June 2025.

Caps and goals as of 17 June 2025, after the match against Curaçao.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Mario González (1997-05-20) 20 May 1997 (age 28) 43 0 El Salvador Alianza
18 1GK Kevin Carabantes (1993-02-06) 6 February 1993 (age 32) 7 0 El Salvador FAS
22 1GK Benji Villalobos (1988-07-18) 18 July 1988 (age 37) 19 0 El Salvador Águila
2 2DF Julio Sibrián (1996-07-17) 17 July 1996 (age 29) 15 0 El Salvador Águila
3 2DF Roberto Domínguez (1997-05-09) 9 May 1997 (age 28) 65 1 El Salvador Isidro Metapán
4 2DF Jorge Cruz (2000-01-24) 24 January 2000 (age 25) 16 0 El Salvador FAS
5 2DF Diego Flores (2001-07-01) 1 July 2001 (age 24) 8 1 El Salvador Luis Ángel Firpo
13 2DF Alexander Larín (1992-06-27) 27 June 1992 (age 33) 85 7 El Salvador Águila
16 2DF Henry Romero (1991-10-17) 17 October 1991 (age 33) 26 1 El Salvador Alianza
21 2DF Bryan Tamacas (1995-02-21) 21 February 1995 (age 30) 81 3 El Salvador FAS
8 3MF Bryan Landaverde (1995-05-27) 27 May 1995 (age 30) 28 1 El Salvador Luis Ángel Firpo
10 3MF Enrico Dueñas (2001-02-23) 23 February 2001 (age 24) 19 1 Netherlands TOP Oss
14 3MF Elvin Alvarado (1998-08-23) 23 August 1998 (age 26) 4 1 El Salvador Isidro Metapán
15 3MF Jefferson Valladares (2002-12-08) 8 December 2002 (age 22) 5 0 El Salvador Municipal Limeño
17 3MF Jairo Henríquez (1993-08-31) 31 August 1993 (age 31) 53 5 El Salvador Águila
20 3MF Harold Osorio (2003-08-20) 20 August 2003 (age 21) 9 0 United States Chicago Fire
23 3MF Melvin Cartagena (1999-07-30) 30 July 1999 (age 26) 21 0 El Salvador Isidro Metapán
3MF Mauricio Cerritos (2003-10-17) 17 October 2003 (age 21) 1 0 El Salvador Luis Ángel Firpo
24 4FW Brandon Ramírez (2008-09-05) 5 September 2008 (age 16) 1 1 El Salvador Turín FESA
7 4FW Rafael Tejada (2003-03-12) 12 March 2003 (age 22) 8 2 El Salvador FAS
9 4FW Brayan Gil (2001-06-28) 28 June 2001 (age 24) 12 4 Russia Baltika Kaliningrad
11 4FW Nathan Ordaz (2004-01-12) 12 January 2004 (age 21) 4 0 United States Los Angeles
12 4FW Santos Ortiz (1990-01-22) 22 January 1990 (age 35) 18 2 El Salvador Águila
19 4FW Emerson Mauricio (2002-08-27) 27 August 2002 (age 22) 8 2 El Salvador Alianza

Recent call-ups

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 Tomás Romero (2000-12-19) 19 December 2000 (age 24) 18 0 United States New York City FC v.  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 13 October 2024
GK Óscar Pleitez (1993-02-06) 6 February 1993 (age 32) 1 0 El Salvador Isidro Metapán v.  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 13 October 2024
DF Ronald Rodríguez (1998-09-22) 22 September 1998 (age 26) 29 0 El Salvador C.D. Águila v.  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 13 October 2024
DF Kevin Reyes (1999-08-28) 28 August 1999 (age 25) 20 0 El Salvador C.D. Águila v.  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 13 October 2024
DF Rudy Clavel (1996-10-10) 10 October 1996 (age 28) 17 1 El Salvador FAS v.  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 13 October 2024
DF Nelson Blanco (1995-02-18) 18 February 1995 (age 30) 17 0 United States San Antonio FC v.  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 13 October 2024
DF Tereso Benítez (2002-03-15) 15 March 2002 (age 23) 10 1 El Salvador Municipal Limeño v.  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 13 October 2024
DF Melvin Cruz (2001-01-15) 15 January 2001 (age 24) 8 0 El Salvador Águila v.  Bonaire, 8 September 2024
MF Darwin Cerén (1989-12-31) 31 December 1989 (age 35) 100 5 El Salvador Águila v.  Guatemala, 31 May 2025
MF Narciso Orellana (1995-01-28) 28 January 1995 (age 30) 73 1 El Salvador Alianza v.  Guatemala, 31 May 2025INJ
MF Leonardo Menjívar (2001-10-24) 24 October 2001 (age 23) 16 0 El Salvador Alianza v.  Guatemala, 31 May 2025
MF Christian Martínez (1994-08-12) 12 August 1994 (age 31) 38 0 Costa Rica Cartaginés v.  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 13 October 2024
MF Kevin Santamaría (1991-01-11) 11 January 1991 (age 34) 23 1 Peru Deportivo Llacuabamba v.  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 13 October 2024
MF Adán Clímaco (2001-01-05) 5 January 2001 (age 24) 10 0 Costa Rica Santos de Guápiles v.  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 13 October 2024
MF Ezequiel Rivas (1998-05-20) 20 May 1998 (age 27) 2 1 El Salvador Alianza v.  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 13 October 2024
FW Steven Guerra (2005-03-12) 12 March 2005 (age 20) 3 0 El Salvador Isidro Metapán v.  Guatemala, 31 May 2025
FW Nelson Bonilla (1990-09-11) 11 September 1990 (age 34) 64 20 Malaysia Terengganu v.  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 13 October 2024
FW Styven Vásquez (2002-10-29) 29 October 2002 (age 22) 11 2 El Salvador Luis Ángel Firpo v.  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 13 October 2024
FW Francis Castillo (2005-11-07) 7 November 2005 (age 19) 4 1 Spain Cádiz v.  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 13 October 2024
FW Javier Fermán (1996-05-07) 7 May 1996 (age 29) 4 0 El Salvador Municipal Limeño v.  Guatemala, 28 July 2024

INJ Player withdrew from the current squad due to injury.
PRE Preliminary squad.
RET Player had announced retirement from international football.
SUS Player is serving a suspension.
WD Withdrawn.

Player records

Players in bold are still active with El Salvador.

Most appearances

Ceren at Avaya
Darwin Cerén is El Salvador's most capped player with 100 appearances.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Darwin Cerén 100 5 2012–present
2 Alfredo Pacheco 85 7 2002–2013
Alexander Larín 85 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 Bryan Tamacas 80 3 2016–present
8 Rudis Corrales 78 17 1999–2011
Ramón Sánchez 78 2 2003–2012
10 Osael Romero 77 16 2007–2013

Top goalscorers

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 66 0.3 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

FIFA World Cup

Main article: El Salvador at the FIFA World Cup

El Salvador has qualified for the World Cup finals twice but has never advanced past the first round.

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 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 18
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 4 2 2 0 7 2
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 To be determined To be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total Group stage 2/20 6 0 0 6 1 22 — 164 72 35 57 267 189

CONCACAF Gold Cup

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
Canada United States 2025 15th 3 0 1 2 0 4 Squad 6 5 0 1 12 6
Total Runners-up 20/28 77 22 21 34 81 111 — 108 49 22 37 143 107

FIFA ranking history

The following chart shows the average FIFA ranking of El Salvador each year.


Honours

Continental

  • CONCACAF Championship
    • 2 Runners-up (2): 1963, 1981
    • 3 Third place (1): 1977

Regional

  • CCCF Championship
    • 1 Champions (1): 1943
    • 2 Runners-up (2): 1941, 1961
    • 3 Third place (1): 1946
  • Copa Centroamericana
    • 3 Third place (6): 1995, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2013, 2017
  • Central American and Caribbean Games
    • 1 Gold medal (1): 1954
    • 3 Bronze medal (1): 1935

See also

Kids robot.svg 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
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