Football in El Salvador
Encyclopedia
The sport
of football
in the country of El Salvador
is run by the Salvadoran Football Association. The association administers the national football team
, as well as the Primera División.
which in turn is fed into by the Tercera Division de Fútbol Salvadoreño
. The most successful team has been C.D. FAS
with 18 league titles, followed by C.D. Águila
with 14. The top Salvadorean clubs also participate in the CONCACAF Champions League
, a competition won by Alianza F.C.
in 1967 and C.D. Águila in 1976. Alianza and C.D. Platense Municipal Zacatecoluca
have also won the defunct Copa Interclubes UNCAF
once each.
twice in their history, in 1970
and 1982
. On both occasions the team were eliminated in the first round after losing all three matches.
A qualifying match against the Honduran national team
for the 1970 tournament was so hotly contested that it helped to bring about a state of war between El Salvador and Honduras
. The conflict became known as the Football War
.
The 1982 tournament included a 10-1 mauling from Hungary
that provided the most goals in a game in the history of the finals as well as equalling the record for winning margin.
Outside of the World Cup El Salvador compete regularly at the CONCACAF Gold Cup
and the UNCAF Nations Cup
. However their sole international triumph came in a regional competition, the 1943 CCCF Championship
.
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
of football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
in the country of El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
is run by the Salvadoran Football Association. The association administers the national football team
El Salvador national football team
El Salvador's national football team represents El Salvador in international football and is sanctioned by the Federación Salvadoreña de Fútbol . In 1899, Santa Ana and San Salvador met for the first hosted football game in El Salvador...
, as well as the Primera División.
Club football
The main league competition in El Salvador is the Salvadoran Primera División. It is fed into by the Segunda División de Fútbol SalvadoreñoSegunda División de Fútbol Salvadoreño
The Segunda División de Fútbol Salvadoreño is the second level of the El Salvador League System of football. Teams have a chance to gain promotion to the Primera División de Fútbol Profesional. The champions of the Apertura and Clausura play the direct promotion playoff every year. The winner of...
which in turn is fed into by the Tercera Division de Fútbol Salvadoreño
Tercera Division de Fútbol Salvadoreño
Tercera Division de Fútbol Salvadoreño is the third division of football in El Salvador. The champion is promoted to Segunda División de Fútbol Salvadoreño.The team with the lowest points in each group get demoted to the amateur league.-Promotion and relegation:...
. The most successful team has been C.D. FAS
C.D. FAS
Club Deportivo Futbolistas Asociados Santanecos, commonly known as C.D. FAS or simply FAS , is a Salvadoran professional football club based in Santa Ana. They are rivals with Club Deportivo Águila. FAS currently play in the Primera División de Fútbol Profesional, their home ground being the...
with 18 league titles, followed by C.D. Águila
C.D. Águila
Club Deportivo Águila is a Salvadoran football club based in San Miguel. They currently play in the Primera División de Fútbol Profesional, and are one of the most prestigious teams in the country along with long-time rivals Club Deportivo FAS...
with 14. The top Salvadorean clubs also participate in the CONCACAF Champions League
CONCACAF Champions League
The CONCACAF Champions League is the annual international club football championship for teams from the CONCACAF region ....
, a competition won by Alianza F.C.
Alianza F.C.
Alianza Fútbol Club, also known simply as Alianza, is a football club based in San Salvador, El Salvador. Alianza is one of the most popular and successful clubs in El Salvador...
in 1967 and C.D. Águila in 1976. Alianza and C.D. Platense Municipal Zacatecoluca
C.D. Platense Municipal Zacatecoluca
C.D. Platense Municipal Zacatecoluca, usually abbreviated to C.D. Platense,is a El Salvador Segunda División de Fútbol Salvadoreño based in El Salvador,a small town in the province of Zacatecoluca.-Stadium:...
have also won the defunct Copa Interclubes UNCAF
Copa Interclubes UNCAF
The UNCAF Club Tournament was an annual international football competition held in the UNCAF region . The competition was open to the leading domestic club teams in the region. The winners of each national league qualified automatically. It also provided qualification places for the CONCACAF...
once each.
National team
El Salvador qualified for the FIFA World CupFIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
twice in their history, in 1970
1970 FIFA World Cup
The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup, was held in Mexico, from 31 May to 21 June. The 1970 tournament was the first World Cup hosted in North America, and the first held outside South America and Europe. In a match-up of two-time World Cup champions, the final was won by...
and 1982
1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
. On both occasions the team were eliminated in the first round after losing all three matches.
A qualifying match against the Honduran national team
Honduras national football team
The Honduran national football team, nicknamed Los Catrachos, La Bicolor or La H, is the national team of Honduras and is controlled by the Federación Nacional Autónoma de Fútbol de Honduras...
for the 1970 tournament was so hotly contested that it helped to bring about a state of war between El Salvador and Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
. The conflict became known as the Football War
Football War
The Football War , also known as the Soccer War or 100 hour War, was a four-day war fought by El Salvador and Honduras in 1969. It was caused by political conflicts between Hondurans and Salvadorans, namely issues concerning immigration from El Salvador to Honduras...
.
The 1982 tournament included a 10-1 mauling from Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
that provided the most goals in a game in the history of the finals as well as equalling the record for winning margin.
Outside of the World Cup El Salvador compete regularly at the CONCACAF Gold Cup
CONCACAF Gold Cup
The CONCACAF Gold Cup is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the regional champion of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.The Gold Cup is held every two years and when it does not fall the same year as an...
and the UNCAF Nations Cup
UNCAF Nations Cup
The Copa Centroamericana is a biennial association football tournament, held for the CONCACAF national teams of Central America: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. The tournament has been held since 1991 as the UNCAF Nations Cup and doubles as a...
. However their sole international triumph came in a regional competition, the 1943 CCCF Championship
1943 CCCF Championship
The Confederacion Centroamericana y del Caribe de Futbol was a forerunner to the CONCACAF as the governing body of football in Central America and the nations in the Caribbean until 1963, when it merged with the North American Football Confederation ' to form CONCACAF.The CCCF Championship was a...
.