Honduras at the CONCACAF Gold Cup
# Honduras at the CONCACAF Gold Cup

The CONCACAF Gold Cup is North America's major tournament in senior men's football and determines the continental champion. Until 1989, the tournament was known as CONCACAF Championship. It is currently held every two years. From 1996 to 2005, nations from other confederations have regularly joined the tournament as invitees. In earlier editions, the continental championship was held in different countries, but since the inception of the Gold Cup in 1991, the United States are constant hosts or co-hosts.

From 1973 to 1989, the tournament doubled as the confederation's World Cup qualification. CONCACAF's representative team at the FIFA Confederations Cup was decided by a play-off between the winners of the last two tournament editions in 2015 via the CONCACAF Cup, but was then discontinued along with the Confederations Cup.

Since the inaugural tournament in 1963, the Gold Cup was held 27 times and has been won by seven different nations, most often by Mexico (12 titles).

Honduras have won the title once, in 1981, at one of their two home tournaments. They had already been hosts in 1967, where they finished in third place. Ranking fourth on the all-time table, they are one of the most successful teams in the North American Federation. From 2005 to 2013, they reached the semi-finals on four out of five occasions, although they never reached the final during that time. In 1991, Honduras played their only true final, which they lost to the United States after the eighth round of a penalty shoot-out. Before 1991, the tournament was contested in groups rather than knockout matches.

## Overall record

| CONCACAF Championship & Gold Cup record | CONCACAF Championship & Gold Cup record | CONCACAF Championship & Gold Cup record | CONCACAF Championship & Gold Cup record | CONCACAF Championship & Gold Cup record | CONCACAF Championship & Gold Cup record | CONCACAF Championship & Gold Cup record | CONCACAF Championship & Gold Cup record | CONCACAF Championship & Gold Cup record | CONCACAF Championship & Gold Cup record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Squad | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 1963 | Fourth place | 4th | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 12 | Squad | Qualified automatically | Qualified automatically | Qualified automatically | Qualified automatically | Qualified automatically | Qualified automatically |
| 1965 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| 1967 | Third place | 3rd | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | Squad | Qualified as hosts | Qualified as hosts | Qualified as hosts | Qualified as hosts | Qualified as hosts | Qualified as hosts |
| 1969 | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned |
| 1971 | Sixth place | 6th | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 11 | Squad | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 1973 | Fourth place | 4th | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 6 | Squad | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 4 |
| 1977 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1981 | Champions | 1st | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 1 | Squad | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 5 |
| 1985 | Runners-up | 2nd | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 9 | Squad | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 1989 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1991 | Runners-up | 2nd | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 3 | Squad | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 |
| 1993 | Group stage | 5th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 5 | Squad | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 1996 | Group stage | 8th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 8 | Squad | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 |
| 1998 | Group stage | 9th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | Squad | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 5 |
| 2000 | Quarter-finals | 6th | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 5 | Squad | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 5 |
| 2002 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 5 |
| 2003 | Group stage | 10th | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Squad | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 7 |
| 2005 | Third place | 3rd | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 6 | Squad | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 3 |
| 2007 | Quarter-finals | 5th | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 6 | Squad | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 5 |
| 2009 | Third place | 3rd | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 4 | Squad | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 3 |
| 2011 | Fourth place | 4th | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 5 | Squad | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 3 |
| 2013 | Fourth place | 4th | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 | Squad | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| 2015 | Group stage | 11th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | Squad | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| 2017 | Quarter-finals | 7th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | Squad | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 3 |
| 2019 | Group stage | 10th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 4 | Squad | Qualified automatically | Qualified automatically | Qualified automatically | Qualified automatically | Qualified automatically | Qualified automatically |
| 2021 | Quarter-finals | 8th | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 7 | Squad | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 |
| 2023 | Group stage | 10th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | Squad | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 7 |
| Total | 1 Title | 22/27 | 93 | 35 | 21 | 37 | 128 | 118 | | 88 | 50 | 19 | 19 | 155 | 75 |

### Match overview

| Tournament | Round | Opponent | Score | Venue |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1963 | Group stage | Guatemala | 2–1 | San Salvador |
| 1963 | Group stage | Panama | 1–0 | San Salvador |
| 1963 | Group stage | Nicaragua | 1–0 | San Salvador |
| 1963 | Group stage | El Salvador | 2–2 | San Salvador |
| 1963 | Final round | El Salvador | 0–3 | San Salvador |
| 1963 | Final round | Costa Rica | 1–2 | San Salvador |
| 1963 | Final round | Netherlands Antilles | 1–4 | San Salvador |
| 1967 | Final round | Trinidad and Tobago | 1–0 | Tegucigalpa |
| 1967 | Final round | Nicaragua | 1–1 | Tegucigalpa |
| 1967 | Final round | Guatemala | 0–0 | Tegucigalpa |
| 1967 | Final round | Haiti | 2–0 | Tegucigalpa |
| 1967 | Final round | Mexico | 0–1 | Tegucigalpa |
| 1971 | Final round | Trinidad and Tobago | 1–1 | Port of Spain |
| 1971 | Final round | Cuba | 1–3 | Port of Spain |
| 1971 | Final round | Costa Rica | 1–2 | Port of Spain |
| 1971 | Final round | Haiti | 1–3 | Port of Spain |
| 1971 | Final round | Mexico | 1–2 | Port of Spain |
| 1973 | Final round | Trinidad and Tobago | 2–1 | Port-au-Prince |
| 1973 | Final round | Mexico | 1–1 | Port-au-Prince |
| 1973 | Final round | Haiti | 0–1 | Port-au-Prince |
| 1973 | Final round | Netherlands Antilles | 2–2 | Port-au-Prince |
| 1973 | Final round | Guatemala | 1–1 | Port-au-Prince |
| 1981 | Final round | Haiti | 4–0 | Tegucigalpa |
| 1981 | Final round | Cuba | 2–0 | Tegucigalpa |
| 1981 | Final round | Canada | 2–1 | Tegucigalpa |
| 1981 | Final round | El Salvador | 0–0 | Tegucigalpa |
| 1981 | Final round | Mexico | 0–0 | Tegucigalpa |
| 1985 | Group stage | Suriname | 1–1 | Tegucigalpa, Honduras |
| 1985 | Group stage | Suriname | 2–1 | Tegucigalpa, Honduras |
| 1985 | Group stage | El Salvador | 2–1 | San Salvador, El Salvador |
| 1985 | Group stage | El Salvador | 0–0 | Tegucigalpa, Honduras |
| 1985 | Final round | Costa Rica | 2–2 | San José, Costa Rica |
| 1985 | Final round | Canada | 0–1 | Tegucigalpa, Honduras |
| 1985 | Final round | Costa Rica | 3–1 | Tegucigalpa, Honduras |
| 1985 | Final round | Canada | 1–2 | St. John's, Canada |
| 1991 | Group stage | Canada | 4–2 | Los Angeles |
| 1991 | Group stage | Jamaica | 5–0 | Los Angeles |
| 1991 | Group stage | Mexico | 1–1 | Los Angeles |
| 1991 | Semi-Finals | Costa Rica | 2–0 | Los Angeles |
| 1991 | Final | United States | 0–0 (3–4 p) | Los Angeles |
| 1993 | Group stage | Panama | 5–1 | Dallas |
| 1993 | Group stage | Jamaica | 1–3 | Dallas |
| 1993 | Group stage | United States | 0–1 | Dallas |
| 1996 | Group stage | Canada | 1–3 | Anaheim |
| 1996 | Group stage | Brazil | 0–5 | Los Angeles |
| 1998 | Group stage | Trinidad and Tobago | 1–3 | Oakland |
| 1998 | Group stage | Mexico | 0–2 | Oakland |
| 2000 | Group stage | Jamaica | 2–0 | Miami |
| 2000 | Group stage | Colombia | 2–0 | Miami |
| 2000 | Quarter-finals | Peru | 3–5 | Miami |
| 2003 | Group stage | Brazil | 1–2 | Mexico City |
| 2003 | Group stage | Mexico | 0–0 | Mexico City |
| 2005 | Group stage | Trinidad and Tobago | 1–1 | Miami |
| 2005 | Group stage | Colombia | 2–1 | Miami |
| 2005 | Group stage | Panama | 1–0 | Miami |
| 2005 | Quarter-finals | Costa Rica | 3–2 | Foxborough |
| 2005 | Semi-finals | United States | 1–2 | East Rutherford |
| 2007 | Group stage | Panama | 2–3 | East Rutherford |
| 2007 | Group stage | Mexico | 2–1 | East Rutherford |
| 2007 | Group stage | Cuba | 5–0 | Houston |
| 2007 | Quarter-finals | Guadeloupe | 1–2 | Houston |
| 2009 | Group stage | Haiti | 1–0 | Seattle |
| 2009 | Group stage | United States | 0–2 | Washington, D.C. |
| 2009 | Group stage | Grenada | 4–0 | Foxborough |
| 2009 | Quarter-finals | Canada | 1–0 | Philadelphia |
| 2009 | Semi-finals | United States | 0–2 | Chicago |
| 2011 | Group stage | Guatemala | 0–0 | Carson |
| 2011 | Group stage | Grenada | 7–1 | Miami |
| 2011 | Group stage | Jamaica | 0–1 | Harrison |
| 2011 | Quarter-finals | Costa Rica | 1–1 (4–2 p) | East Rutherford |
| 2011 | Semi-finals | Mexico | 0–2 (a.e.t.) | Houston |
| 2013 | Group stage | Haiti | 2–0 | Harrison |
| 2013 | Group stage | El Salvador | 1–0 | Miami Gardens |
| 2013 | Group stage | Trinidad and Tobago | 0–2 | Houston |
| 2013 | Quarter-finals | Costa Rica | 1–0 | Baltimore |
| 2013 | Semi-finals | United States | 1–3 | Arlington |
| 2015 | Group stage | United States | 1–2 | Frisco |
| 2015 | Group stage | Panama | 1–1 | Foxborough |
| 2015 | Group stage | Haiti | 0–1 | Kansas City |
| 2017 | Group stage | Costa Rica | 0–1 | Harrison |
| 2017 | Group stage | French Guiana | 3–0 (Awarded) | Houston |
| 2017 | Group stage | Canada | 0–0 | Frisco |
| 2017 | Quarter-finals | Mexico | 0–1 | Glendale |
| 2019 | Group stage | Jamaica | 2–3 | Kingston |
| 2019 | Group stage | Curaçao | 0–1 | Houston |
| 2019 | Group stage | El Salvador | 4–0 | Los Angeles |
| 2021 | Group stage | Grenada | 4–0 | Houston |
| 2021 | Group stage | Panama | 3–2 | Houston |
| 2021 | Group stage | Qatar | 0–2 | Houston |
| 2021 | Quarter-finals | Mexico | 0–3 | Glendale |
| 2023 | Group stage | Mexico | 0–4 | Houston |
| 2023 | Group stage | Qatar | 1–1 | Glendale |
| 2023 | Group stage | Haiti | 2–1 | Charlotte |

### Record by opponent

CONCACAF Championship/Gold Cup matches (by team) :

| Opponent | W | D | L | Pld | GF | GA |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Brazil | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| Canada | 3 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 9 |
| Colombia | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| Costa Rica | 4 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 14 | 11 |
| Cuba | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 3 |
| El Salvador | 3 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 9 | 6 |
| French Guiana | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Grenada | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 1 |
| Guadeloupe | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Guatemala | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| Haiti | 5 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 12 | 6 |
| Jamaica | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 7 |
| Mexico | 1 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 5 | 18 |
| Netherlands Antilles / Curaçao | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
| Nicaragua | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Panama | 4 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 13 | 7 |
| Peru | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Qatar | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Suriname | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 8 |
| United States | 0 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 12 |

## 1981 CONCACAF Championship

At their home tournament in 1981, Honduras started off with three victories over Haiti, Cuba and Canada. The other matches also went in favour of the hosts: Title holder Mexico lost 0–1 to El Salvador, El Salvador lost 0–1 to Canada, and Canada in turn only drew against both Mexico and Haiti. The table situation allowed Honduras to secure the title on the fourth of five match days, by drawing 0–0 against El Salvador.

The last match against Mexico challenged Honduras to stay unbeaten. It was also a chance to showcase their football to the region, which largely would have favoured a Mexican triumph. The match plan was to prioritize defense, which led to few chances on both sides. They succeeded in staying unbeaten by drawing 0–0, eliminating Mexico from the World Cup qualifiers in the process.

### Final table

| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Honduras | 8 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 1 | +7 |
| 2 | El Salvador | 6 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | +1 |
| 3 | Mexico | 5 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 |
| 4 | Canada | 5 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| 5 | Cuba | 4 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | −4 |
| 6 | Haiti | 2 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 9 | −7 |

Honduras and El Salvador qualified for the 1982 FIFA World Cup.

### Squad

The following players were active members of the champion squad:

Head coach: Chelato Uclés

| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Club |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1GK | Julio César Arzú | (1954-06-05)5 June 1954 (aged 27) | Real España |
| 2DF | Fernando Bulnes | (1946-10-21)21 October 1946 (aged 35) | Olimpia |
| 2DF | Anthony Costly | (1954-12-13)13 December 1954 (aged 26) | Real España |
| 2DF | Hernán García Martínez | (1956-10-08)8 October 1956 (aged 25) | Marathón |
| 2DF | Efraín Gutiérrez | (1954-05-07)7 May 1954 (aged 27) | Pumas UNAH |
| 2DF | Jaime Villegas | (1950-07-05)5 July 1950 (aged 31) | Real España |
| 2DF | Héctor Zelaya | (1958-08-12)12 August 1958 (aged 23) | Motagua |
| 3MF | Salvador Bernárdez | (1954-01-06)6 January 1954 (aged 27) | Motagua |
| 3MF | David Bueso | (1955-05-05)5 May 1955 (aged 26) | Motagua |
| 3MF | Carlos Caballero | (1958-12-05)5 December 1958 (aged 22) | Real España |
| 3MF | Juan Cruz | (1959-02-27)27 February 1959 (aged 22) | Pumas UNAH |
| 3MF | Ramón Maradiaga | (1954-10-30)30 October 1954 (aged 27) | Motagua |
| 3MF | Francisco Javier Toledo | (1959-09-30)30 September 1959 (aged 22) | Marathón |
| 4FW | Roberto Bailey | (1952-08-10)10 August 1952 (aged 29) | Marathón |
| 4FW | Junior Costly Rashford | | |
| 4FW | Roberto Figueroa | (1959-11-14)14 November 1959 (aged 21) | Vida |
| 4FW | Eduardo Laing | (1958-12-27)27 December 1958 (aged 22) | Platense |
| 4FW | Jorge Urquía | 1948 | Olimpia |

## Individual records

The following Honduran players have won individual awards at CONCACAF Championships/Gold Cups:

* Roberto Figueroa: 1985 Top Scorer (5 goals)
* Wilmer Velásquez: 2005 (Shared) Top Scorer (3 goals)
* Carlos Pavón: 2007 Top Scorer (5 goals)
* Noel Valladares: 2011 Best Goalkeeper
