The Central American country of Guatemala loves soccer. Most countries in the world refer to the sport as football. Also, there are some professional soccer players from Guatemala, some of whom play in the United States. This number is a bit smaller than you might expect given the popularity of Guatemala soccer, but the fact remains that soccer is a beloved sport in the Central American country of Guatemala.
Like its fellow Central American country, El Salvador, the national soccer team of Guatemala has a fascinating history. Without further ado, read on to learn about the amazing history of Guatemala’s national soccer team.
The Guatemala Soccer Team Began in 1921
The national soccer team of Guatemala traces its origins back to 1921. Guatemala established its national soccer team in that year and the team quickly started to represent the Central American nation in matches. Guatemala hosted the 1921 Independence Centenary Games in Guatemala city. This competition was a celebration of 100 years of independence in Central America.
The national team got off to a great start, routing Honduras 9-0 in its first international game. This meant they reached the final. However, Costa Rica was far too strong and beat them 6-0.
Guatemala Makes Progress in the 1940s
Overall, the 1940s were a positive decade for Guatemala’s soccer team. They participated in the CCCF Championship on multiple occasions and were runners-up in three consecutive tournaments. Guatemala finished second in the 1943, 1946, and 1948 CCCF Championships. Additionally, Guatemala joined FIFA in 1946, a major step forward for the nation.
Struggles in the 1950s
The 1950s were largely uneventful for Guatemala’s soccer team. They did begin to participate in World Cup qualifying in 1958. However, the experience was a disaster. Guatemala finished bottom of their qualifying group that contained Costa Rica and the Antilles, failing to win a single point.
Guatemala Soccer Improves in the 1960s
The Central American country did better in 1962 World Cup qualifying with draws against Costa Rica and Honduras. However, they still finished at the bottom of their qualifying group. Also, Guatemala could not compete in 1966 World Cup qualifying, since FIFA refused to allow them to participate due to administrative reasons.
Guatemala became a part of CONCACAF in 1961. Soon after, they showed further progress by winning the 1967 Gold Cup. They beat Haiti, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, and Nicaragua in the tournament. The Guatemalans defeated Haiti 2-1 and Mexico 1-0 before drawing 0-0 with Honduras. Following that, they beat Trinidad and Tobago 2-0 before overcoming Nicaragua 2-0 in the final.
Manuel ‘Escopeta’ Recinos was the top scorer for Guatemala in that tournament. Recinos scored four goals in the 1967 Gold Cup, then known as the CONCACAF Championship. This included the winning goal against Mexico. Guatemala continued to play well in the CONCACAF Championship, finishing as runners-up in the 1965 and 1969 editions of the tournament.
Additionally, Guatemala qualified for the 1968 Olympic soccer tournament in Mexico City. The Central Americans beat Czechoslovakia 1-0 and Thailand 4-1 in the first round. They lost their final first-round game 2-1 to Bulgaria. Hungary eliminated them in the next round, beating them 1-0 en route to winning the tournament.
The 1960s didn’t start off too well for Guatemalan soccer, but the decade demonstrated that the country was making progress.
Guatemala Soccer Performs Better in the 2000s
Prior to 2006 World Cup qualifying, Guatemala hadn’t come close to qualification. However, this year marked further progress for the Central American nation. Guatemala finished fifth in their 2006 World Cup qualification group, nearly making the inter-confederation playoffs. They won three games and drew two with five losses.
Additionally, Guatemala finished third at the 2007 UNCAF Cup and made it to the knockout stage of the 2007 Gold Cup. This gave them hope heading into 2010 World Cup qualification. The United States beat Guatemala 1-0 in the first qualifying match and Guatemala endured a frustrating 0-0 draw against Trinidad and Tobago. Guatemala won their final qualifying match 4-1 against Cuba.
However, this was not enough as they finished third in the group and failed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup.
Turmoil for Guatemala Soccer in the 2010s
The 2010s were a turbulent time for Guatemalan soccer. Ever Hugo Almeida became the national team’s new coach in May 2010. Guatemala performed fairly well in 2010 World Cup qualifying, narrowly failing to reach the final qualifying round after a 3-1 loss to the United States. The 2013 Copa Centroamericana provided the nation with a chance for redemption.
However, their inexperienced team drew all three games in the group stage with scores of 1-1 vs. Nicaragua, 0-0 vs. Belize, and 1-1 vs. Costa Rica. Belize qualified directly for the 2013 Gold Cup in place of them. Their 3-1 loss in the fifth-place match against Panama led to Almeida stepping down as coach. The team’s technical director, Victor Hugo Monzon, replaced him.
FIFA added to Guatemala soccer’s issues by suspending the Guatemalan football federation indefinitely after corruption allegations emerged. The Guatemalan football federation managed to convince FIFA to end its suspension on May 31st, 2018. However, this suspension meant that Guatemala could not even attempt to qualify for either the 2017 or 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup tournaments.
Guatemala could participate in 2018 World Cup qualification. They drew with Bermuda in the first leg but defeated them 1-0 in the second leg. They suffered a costly 1-0 loss to Antigua and Barbuda in their next game. Guatemala defeated Antigua and Barbuda 2-0 in the second leg, but it wasn’t enough. A third-place finish in their qualifying group meant they missed the 2018 World Cup.
Mixed Fortunes for Guatemala Soccer in the 2020s
Guatemala enjoyed some victories in the late 2010s and early 2020s, beating Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 10-0, French Guiana 2-0, and El Salvador 4-0. They also suffered some defeats, though. Mexico beat them 3-0 and Panama defeated them 2-0.
However, Guatemala played well in 2022 World Cup qualifying. They defeated Cuba 1-0, then went on to easily beat the British Virgin Islands 3-0 before smashing Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 10-0. A 0-0 draw with Curacao proved to be their downfall, though. This meant Curacao went through to the next qualification round because they scored one more goal than Guatemala.
The 2023 Gold Cup was an excellent tournament for Guatemala, who wore unique jerseys inspired by Mayan culture at the tournament. Victories against Cuba and Guadeloupe along with a draw against Canada meant they advanced to the quarterfinals. However, Jamaica beat them 1-0 in a tightly-contested game.
So far, Guatemala has performed well in 2026 World Cup qualification. The Central American nation’s soccer team defeated Dominica 6-0 in their first qualifying game and later beat the British Virgin Islands 3-0. Time will tell if Guatemala can continue this positive form and qualify for the World Cup for the first time.