Not many football internationals have started a full-on war, but this fixture has! In 1969 these two countries played three bitterly contested matches that triggered fighting between the two nations.
Head-to-head matches between the two countries has been keenly fought ever since (but thankfully no more wars have broken out!) Recent games for El Salvador see 4 games in Nations League but a poor run there with 3 defeats (to Guatemala, Trinidad and Tobago and amazingly tiny Martinique) they then drew at home to Martinique also. Friendlies have seen losses to Argentina and Costa Rica while they have drawn with another tiny nation Bonaire! Indeed, to find their last win in any game you must go back 19 matches to June 2022 and a win over Grenada. Honduras have played 7 Nations League matches and have 3 wins (beating Grenada, Cuba and Mexico) draws with Cuba but losses to Jamaica, Mexico and Costa Rica.
Team rankings:
El Salvador – World ranked 81 with 1306 ranking points.
Honduras – World ranked 78 with 1311 ranking points.
Team news: Last match saw 6 debut players for El Salvador as Coach Doniga tried a fresh approach. No injury problems for either side.
Coach information: Spaniard David Doniga has much experience as assistant but hasn’t held many top-level manager positions. He likes the 4-3-3 attacking formation but is held back here by a struggling team. Reinaldo Rueda is famed in South America and seems to be trying to get a full house of managing every country! He has helmed Colombia (twice), Ecuador and Chile. In Central America he has already managed Honduras – indeed he qualified them for their 1st ever World Cup in 2010.
Head-to-head statistics: 19 games – 3 wins El Salvador, 10 wins Honduras and 6 draws.
Betting selection – Game will be neutral venue – with Houston, Texas hosting the match. El Salvador in terrible form and even though this game will be an intense clash I don’t see them getting a result at all, take 11-10 or 2.10 on Honduras at Ladbrokes.