Nicaragua national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Nicaragua

Nickname(s)	La Azul y Blanco (The Blue and White) Los Pinoleros (The Pinoleros)
Association	Federación Nicaragüense de Fútbol (FENIFUT)
Confederation	CONCACAF (North America)
Sub-confederation	UNCAF (Central America)
Head coach	Marco Antonio Figueroa
Captain	Juan Barrera
Most caps	Josué Quijano (99)
Top scorer	Juan Barrera (25)
Home stadium	Estadio Nacional de Fútbol
FIFA code	NCA
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	128 1 (7 February 2019)
Highest	92 (December 2015)
Lowest	193 (May 2001)
Elo ranking
Current	141 2 (3 March 2019)
Highest	126 (3 July 2017)
Lowest	204 (May–November 2001)
First international
El Salvador 9–0 Nicaragua  (San Salvador, El Salvador; 1 May 1929)
Biggest win
Turks and Caicos Islands 0–7 Nicaragua  (San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic; 27 March 2021)
Biggest defeat
Honduras 10–0 Nicaragua  (San José, Costa Rica; 13 March 1946)  Curaçao 11–1 Nicaragua  (Guatemala City, Guatemala; 2 March 1950)
CONCACAF Championship / Gold Cup
Appearances	5 (first in 1963)
Best result	Sixth place (1967)
Medal record CCCF Championship Bronze 1951 Panama Team

The Nicaragua national football team (called Selección de fútbol de Nicaragua in Spanish) plays for Nicaragua in men's international soccer games. The team is managed by the Nicaraguan Football Federation. In 2009, Nicaragua made history by qualifying for a big international tournament, the 2009 Gold Cup. They won against Guatemala to earn their spot. However, the team has never made it to the FIFA World Cup.

In Nicaragua, baseball is more popular than soccer. This is because of the history of American influence in the country.

History of the Team

Nicaragua played its first international soccer game on May 1, 1929. They traveled to El Salvador and lost 9–0 to the home team. After that, they did not play another match for over 12 years. Their next games were in 1941 for the 1941 CCCF Championship in Costa Rica. They lost all four games they played. This meant they finished last in their group.

Recent Games

Nicaragua qualified for the 2019 Gold Cup by doing well in the Nations League qualifiers. But in the Gold Cup, they finished last in their group. They lost to Costa Rica, Haiti, and Bermuda.

The team also qualified for the 2023 Gold Cup and were set to move up to a higher division in the Nations League. However, on June 12, 2023, they were disqualified. This happened because they used a player who was not allowed to play. As a result, Trinidad and Tobago took their place in the Gold Cup. Nicaragua also had to stay in the lower division of the Nations League.

Team Gear

Kit Sponsors

The team's uniform supplier has changed over the years.

Kit supplier	Period
Joma	2004–2021
Keuka	2022–2024
Orion	2024- Present

Latest Results and Upcoming Games

Here are the results of Nicaragua's soccer matches from the last year. It also shows any games they have planned for the future.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024 Matches

In 2024, Nicaragua played several friendly matches and World Cup qualifiers. They had a mix of wins, losses, and draws. For example, they won against Montserrat and Belize in World Cup qualifiers. They also played in the CONCACAF Nations League, winning against French Guiana and drawing with Cuba.

• Peru 2–0 Nicaragua (Friendly, March 22) - Loss
• Nicaragua 0–1 Cuba (Friendly, March 26) - Loss
• Guatemala 1–1 Nicaragua (Friendly, May 26) - Draw
• Nicaragua 4–1 Montserrat (World Cup Qualifier, June 5) - Win
• Belize 0–4 Nicaragua (World Cup Qualifier, June 8) - Win
• French Guiana 0–1 Nicaragua (Nations League, September 6) - Win
• Cuba 1–1 Nicaragua (Nations League, September 10) - Draw
• Nicaragua 0–2 Jamaica (Nations League, October 10) - Loss
• Nicaragua 3–2 French Guiana (Nations League, October 14) - Win

2025 Matches

Nicaragua has upcoming matches in 2025 for the CONCACAF Gold Cup qualification and FIFA World Cup qualification.

• Guadeloupe vs Nicaragua (Gold Cup Qualification, March)
• Nicaragua vs Guadeloupe (Gold Cup Qualification, March)
• Nicaragua vs Guyana (World Cup Qualification, June 6)
• Panama vs Nicaragua (World Cup Qualification, June 10)

Coaching Staff

Here are the people who help coach and manage the Nicaragua national football team.

Position	Name
Head coach	Marco Antonio Figueroa
Technical director	Roger Rodriguez
Assistant coach	Tyron Acevedo
Goalkeeping coach	Carlos Mendieta
Physical coordinator	Jaime Ruiz
Doctor	Dr. Cupertino Borrell
Physiotherapist	Zamir Cerna
Team coordinator	Cesar Castro Trinidad
Team coordinator	Nestor Díaz

Players

Current Squad

These are the players who were recently called to play for the team in October 2024. The number of games played (caps) and goals scored are correct as of October 14, 2024.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
	1GK	Miguel Rodríguez	(2003-06-13) 13 June 2003 (age 22)	13	0	SJK
	1GK	Alyer López	(1999-05-16) 16 May 1999 (age 26)	4	0	Managua
	1GK	Jason Vega	(1995-11-06) 6 November 1995 (age 29)	3	0	Real Estelí
	2DF	Josué Quijano	(1991-03-10) 10 March 1991 (age 34)	99	3	Real Estelí
	2DF	Marvin Fletes	(1997-11-12) 12 November 1997 (age 27)	37	2	Real Estelí
	2DF	Óscar Acevedo	(1997-03-18) 18 March 1997 (age 28)	29	2	Real Estelí
	2DF	Juan Luis Pérez	(1999-06-29) 29 June 1999 (age 25)	15	3	Diriangén
	2DF	Christian Reyes	(1998-01-03) 3 January 1998 (age 27)	12	0	AD Municipal Liberia
	2DF	Justing Cano	(2002-03-02) 2 March 2002 (age 23)	3	0	Diriangén
	2DF	Anyelo Velásquez	(2004-12-22) 22 December 2004 (age 20)	1	0	Diriangén
	3MF	Juan Barrera (captain)	(1989-05-02) 2 May 1989 (age 36)	93	26	Managua
	3MF	Jason Coronel	(1993-10-06) 6 October 1993 (age 31)	32	0	Diriangén
	3MF	Matías Moldskred Belli	(1997-08-12) 12 August 1997 (age 27)	29	7	Sandnes Ulf
	3MF	Harold Medina	(2002-01-30) 30 January 2002 (age 23)	27	3	Real Estelí
	3MF	Henry Niño	(1997-10-03) 3 October 1997 (age 27)	25	1	Real Estelí
	3MF	Junior Arteaga	(1999-12-09) 9 December 1999 (age 25)	18	2	Diriangén
	3MF	Jacob Montes	(1998-12-20) 20 December 1998 (age 26)	11	4	RWD Molenbeek
	4FW	Jaime Moreno	(1995-03-30) 30 March 1995 (age 30)	42	13	SJK
	4FW	Byron Bonilla	(1993-08-30) 30 August 1993 (age 31)	35	6	Real Estelí
	4FW	Widman Talavera	(2003-01-12) 12 January 2003 (age 22)	15	3	Real Estelí
	4FW	Bancy Hernández	(2000-06-27) 27 June 2000 (age 24)	14	2	Real Estelí
	4FW	Ariel Arauz	(2001-05-30) 30 May 2001 (age 24)	3	0	CS Herediano
	4FW	Edgar Castillo	(2002-05-21) 21 May 2002 (age 23)	1	0	CS Sebaco
	4FW	Ronald Palacios	(2002-09-09) 9 September 2002 (age 22)	1	0	Managua

Team Records

Here are some of the top records for the Nicaragua national football team. Players whose names are in bold are still playing for the team.

Most Games Played

Josué Quijano has played the most games for Nicaragua, with 99 international appearances.

Top Goal Scorers

Juan Barrera is Nicaragua's top scorer of all time, with 26 goals.

Tournament History

Nicaragua has played in several major soccer tournaments over the years.

FIFA World Cup

The Nicaragua national football team has never qualified for the World Cup. They have tried many times, but have not yet made it to the final tournament.

FIFA World Cup record										Qualification record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1930	Not a FIFA member									Not a FIFA member
1934
1938
1950	Did not enter									Declined participation
1954
1958
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994	Did not qualify									2	0	0	2	1	10
1998										2	0	0	2	1	3
2002										4	0	0	4	0	10
2006										2	0	1	1	3	6
2010										2	0	0	2	0	3
2014										4	2	0	2	5	7
2018										6	5	0	1	15	5
2022										3	2	0	1	10	1
2026	Qualification in progress									2	2	0	0	8	1
2030	To be determined									To be determined
2034
Total	–	0/19	–	–	–	–	–	–		27	11	1	15	43	46

CONCACAF Gold Cup

The CONCACAF Gold Cup is the main soccer tournament for teams in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Nicaragua has played in this tournament several times.

CONCACAF Championship & Gold Cup record											Qualification record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1963	Group stage	8th	4	0	0	4	2	15	Squad		Qualified automatically
1965	Did not qualify										2	1	0	1	2	4
1967	Sixth place	6th	5	0	1	4	3	12	Squad		2	1	0	1	4	4
1969	Did not enter										Did not enter
1971	Did not qualify										2	0	0	2	2	4
1973	Did not enter										Did not enter
1977
1981
1985
1989
1991	Did not qualify										2	0	0	2	2	5
1993											2	0	0	2	0	8
1996											2	0	0	2	0	7
1998											2	0	0	2	2	11
2000											2	0	0	2	0	2
2002											3	0	0	3	2	19
2003											5	1	0	4	1	11
2005											3	1	0	2	2	9
2007											4	1	0	3	6	14
2009	Group stage	11th	3	0	0	3	0	8	Squad		4	1	2	1	5	6
2011	Did not qualify										4	0	1	3	2	7
2013											3	0	1	2	2	5
2015											3	0	0	3	0	6
2017	Group stage	10th	3	0	0	3	1	7	Squad		7	2	1	4	9	9
2019		15th	3	0	0	3	0	8	Squad		4	3	0	1	9	2
2021	Did not qualify										6	2	1	3	9	11
2023	Disqualified										6	4	2	0	15	5
Total	Sixth place	5/27	18	0	1	17	6	50	—		68	17	8	43	74	149

CONCACAF Nations League

The CONCACAF Nations League is a newer competition for teams in the CONCACAF region. Nicaragua has participated in this league.

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	D	6	2	1	3	9	11			2021	Ineligible
2022–23	B	C	6	4	2	0	15	5			2023
2023–24	B	B	6	5	1	0	17	1			2024
2024–25	A	B	4	2	1	1	5	5			2025	Did not qualify
Total	—	—	22	13	5	4	46	22	—		Total	0 Titles	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

Copa Centroamericana

The Copa Centroamericana was a soccer tournament for Central American teams. Nicaragua regularly took part in this competition.

Copa Centroamericana record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1991	Preliminary round	5th	2	0	0	2	2	5
1993	Preliminary round	5th	2	0	0	2	0	8
1995	Preliminary round	7th	2	0	0	2	0	7
1997	First round	6th	2	0	0	2	2	11
1999	First round	5th	2	0	0	2	0	2
2001	First round	7th	3	0	0	3	2	19
2003	Sixth place	6th	5	1	0	4	1	11
2005	Fifth place	5th	3	1	0	2	2	9
2007	Sixth place	6th	4	1	0	3	6	14
2009	Fifth place	5th	4	1	2	1	5	6
2011	Sixth place	6th	4	0	1	3	2	7
2013	Seventh place	7th	3	0	1	2	2	5
2014	Sixth place	6th	3	0	0	3	0	6
2017	Fifth place	5th	5	1	1	3	5	6
Total	Fifth place	14/14	44	5	5	34	29	116

CCCF Championship

The CCCF Championship was an older soccer tournament for teams in Central America and the Caribbean. Nicaragua won a bronze medal in this competition once.

CCCF Championship record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1941	Fifth place	5th	4	0	0	4	5	29
1943	Fourth place	4th	6	0	0	6	7	39
1946	Sixth place	6th	5	1	0	4	5	31
1948	Did not enter
1951	Third place	3rd	4	0	0	4	4	22
1953	Sixth place	6th	6	1	0	5	4	18
1955	Did not enter
1957
1960
1961	Ninth place	9th	3	0	0	3	3	18
Total	Third place	6/10	28	2	0	26	28	157

Pan American Games

The Pan American Games are a big sports event for countries in the Americas. Soccer is one of the sports played.

Pan American Games record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1951	Did not enter
1955
1959
1963
1967
1971
1975	Preliminary round	13th	3	0	0	3	2	23
1979	Did not enter
1983
1987
1991	Preliminary round	8th	3	0	0	3	1	20
1995	Did not qualify
1999
2003
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023
Total	Preliminary round	2/19	6	0	0	6	3	43

Central American and Caribbean Games

These games are a multi-sport event for countries in Central America and the Caribbean. Soccer is a popular sport in these games.

Central American and Caribbean Games record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1930	Did not qualify
1935
1938
1946
1950	Group stage	8th	3	0	0	3	4	19
1954	Did not qualify
1959
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982	Group stage	7th	3	0	1	2	2	6
1986	Did not qualify
1990
1993
1998	Quarter-finals	8th	4	1	0	3	3	13
2002	Quarter-finals	8th	3	1	0	2	2	7
2006	Did not qualify
2010
2014
2018
Total	Quarter-finals	4/22	13	2	1	10	11	45

Awards and Achievements

Regional Awards

• CCCF Championship
  • Third place (1): 1951

Game Records Against Other Teams

This table shows how Nicaragua has played against other national teams. It includes wins, draws, and losses. As of October 14, 2024, after the match against  French Guiana.

      Positive Record       Neutral Record       Negative Record

Opponents	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD
Anguilla	3	3	0	0	14	0	+14
Argentina	1	0	0	1	1	5	−4
Bahamas	2	2	0	0	6	0	+6
Barbados	4	3	0	1	10	2	+8
Belize	14	6	4	4	24	14	+10
Bermuda	5	2	0	3	5	7	−2
Bolivia	3	0	1	2	4	6	−2
Canada	1	1	0	0	3	1	+2
Cayman Islands	1	1	0	0	1	0	+1
Colombia	1	0	0	1	2	7	−5
Costa Rica	19	1	1	17	10	72	−62
Cuba	15	4	4	7	17	26	−9
Curaçao	8	0	1	7	3	34	−31
Dominica	4	4	0	0	10	1	+9
Dominican Republic	4	1	1	2	2	4	−2
El Salvador	31	1	3	27	21	120	−99
French Guiana	2	2	0	0	4	2	+2
Ghana	1	0	0	1	0	1	−1
Guadeloupe	1	0	0	1	0	2	−2
Guatemala	28	2	5	21	18	74	−56
Haiti	9	1	2	6	9	16	−7
Honduras	25	1	3	21	16	80	−64
Iran	1	0	0	1	0	1	−1
Jamaica	3	1	0	2	3	6	−3
Martinique	2	0	0	2	0	4	−4
Mexico	3	0	0	3	1	10	−9
Montserrat	3	3	0	0	10	1	+9
Panama	28	5	1	22	26	79	−53
Paraguay	1	0	0	1	0	2	−2
Peru	1	0	0	1	0	2	−2
Puerto Rico	5	3	1	1	9	6	+3
Qatar	1	0	0	1	1	2	−1
Saint Kitts and Nevis	2	0	2	0	0	0	0
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	7	2	3	2	12	11	+1
Suriname	5	2	0	3	6	11	−5
Trinidad and Tobago	7	2	2	3	7	12	−5
Turks and Caicos Islands	1	1	0	0	7	0	+7
United States	1	0	0	1	0	3	−3
Uruguay	1	0	0	1	1	4	−3
Venezuela	1	0	1	0	1	1	0
Total (40)	255	54	35	166	263	629	−366

See also

• Nicaragua national under-20 football team
• List of football clubs in Nicaragua