Soccer is the most popular sport in the world and it is extremely popular in both Central and South America. Naturally, it is the most popular sport in the nation of El Salvador. El Salvador is far from the strongest national team in Central America. Both Honduras and Costa Rice have enjoyed more success. However, El Salvador soccer has a fascinating history that should be explored.
El Salvador has competed at most of the Olympic Games, although its soccer team did not compete in the most recent Olympics in 2024. Regardless, its national team enjoys a rich history. Without further ado, here is the full history of the soccer team from El Salvador.
El Salvador Soccer Team and Its Origins
The origins of the Salvadoran soccer team date back to 1921 when the nation formed an official soccer team. That same year, they were invited to participate in the Independence Centenary Games. These games celebrated 100 years of independence in Central America. Costa Rica, Honduras, and Guatemala also played in these games.
As one might expect, the team was not great initially. Costa Rica beat them 7-0 in their first international match. This was a poor start to their national team, but it was only the beginning. Costa Rica defeated El Salvador 3-0 in their first international friendly and Honduras beat them 1-0 in their second friendly. El Salvador did manage a 0-0 draw against Honduras in their third friendly, though.
First International Win
El Salvador won their first international match on December 7th, 1928. They defeated Honduras 5-0. Gustavo ‘Taviche’ Marroquin scored all five of El Salvador’s goals in that game. The team began to take shape as the 1930s began.
El Salvador hired its first official coach for the national team in the early 1930s, selecting Mark Scott Thompson for the job. This was necessary to help them prepare to compete in the 1930 Central American and Caribbean Games In Havana, Cuba. In addition to the hosts Cuba and El Salvador themselves, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Honduras, and Guatemala participated. El Salvador finished fourth in the tournament.
Five years later in 1935, El Salvador formed the Salvadoran Football Federation. Pablo Ferre Elias from Spain now coached the national team and El Salvador hosted the 1935 Central American and Caribbean Games at the Estadio Flor Bianca. The team performed a bit better this time. They finished third and won the bronze medal.
The Salvadoran Football Federation joined FIFA in 1938. El Salvador played in the 1938 Central American and Caribbean Games in Panama and finished fourth once again. The 1930s were a time of ups and downs for El Salvador’s national team, but there were signs of progress.
El Salvador Wins Its First International Trophy
El Salvador started the 1940s in promising fashion, finishing as runners-up in the first Central American and Caribbean Championship in Costa Rica in 1941. They hosted the 1943 Central American and Caribbean Championship in San Salvador. They earned the same amount of points as Guatemala. However, Guatemala did not attend the deciding play-off and El Salvador won their first international trophy.
El Salvador set a new record for goals scored in one match in their 10-1 against Nicaragua in that tournament. Miguel ‘Americano’ Cruz scored five goals in that game, becoming the second Salvadoran to score five goals in an international match. Several years later, El Salvador finished third in the 1946 Central American and Caribbean Championship. However, the team performed worse in the 1948 CCCF, finishing in fifth place.
Regardless, it is undeniable that the 1940s were a good decade for the team.
Mixed Fortune for El Salvador Soccer in the 1950s and 1960s
El Salvador had mixed fortune in the 1950s, finishing in fifth place in both the 1950 and 1953 CCCF. However, they did far better in the 1954 CCCF. El Salvador drew with Colombia, then defeated Cuba, Mexico, and Panama to win their second international trophy. Their 3-2 win against Mexico marked the first time a Central American team had beaten Mexico.
They finished fourth in the 1955 CCCF. In the 1960s, El Salvador finished as runners-up in the 1961 CCCF. This was the final CCCF and it was replaced with the CONCACAF Championship. El Salvador finished as runners-up in the first edition of the CONCACAF Championship in 1963, They finished fourth in the 1965 edition. El Salvador soccer had a major achievement in 1968 as they qualified for the Olympics for the first time.
They followed that up by qualifying for the 1970 World Cup via the playoffs.
El Salvador Plays in the World Cup
El Salvador played in the World Cup for the first time in 1970. However, the team struggled, losing all three of their group stage games. They only made it to the first stage of both the 1971 and 1974 CONCACAF Championship. El Salvador played in the 1975 Pan American games and finished third in their group after a loss to Brazil and a scoreless draw with Costa Rica.
The 1977 CONCACAF Championship was better for El Salvador soccer. The team finished third, but followed that up with a ninth-place finish in the 1978 Central American and Caribbean Games.
El Salvador Qualifies for Its Second World Cup
El Salvador competed in the 1981 CONCACAF Championship. The final round served as World Cup qualification and El Salvador finished second. They would play in the 1982 World Cup.
‘Pipo’ Rodriguez managed them at the 1982 World Cup. They lost all of their group stage games again but did score a goal against Hungary. El Salvador finished last in the final round of the 1989 CONCACAF Championship, their worst-ever performance in the tournament. The 1990s were a poor decade for El Salvador, as they failed to qualify for the World Cup and played poorly at various international tournaments.
The 2000s Brings New Hope
El Salvador performed better in the 2000s. They made it to the quarterfinals of the 2001 Gold Cup before reaching the semifinals of the 2007 UNCAF Cup. They finished fourth. El Salvador exited the 2009 UNCAF Nations Cup and CONCACAF Gold Cup at the group stage.
However, the team once again failed to qualify for the World Cup during this decade.
A Historic Win in the 2010s for El Salvador Soccer
El Salvador defeated Anguilla 16-0 on aggregate in 2010 World Cup qualifying, their biggest ever win. However, they failed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup after finishing in fifth place in the final qualifying round. El Salvador faced controversy after the FIFA Emergency Committee suspended the Salvadoran Football Federation in 2010 for government interference.
This suspension was lifted 18 days after it was put in place. El Salvador reached the quarterfinals of the 2011 Gold Cup, losing to Panama on penalties. El Salvador played well in 2014 World Cup qualification until a 1-0 defeat to Costa Rica ended their hopes of qualifying. They finished third in the 2013 Copa Centroamericana and made it to the quarterfinals of the 2013 Gold Cup.
El Salvador played worse in 2018 World Cup qualifying. They reached the fourth round group stage, but finished at the bottom of a group with Honduras, Canada, and Mexico.
El Salvador Soccer in Current Times
El Salvador reached the final qualifying round in 2022 World Cup qualification, but finished second-bottom in this group. They bounced back by reaching the quarterfinals of the 2021 Gold Cup. However, Qatar beat them 3-2 to end their run.
This was their most recent international tournament.