El Salvador national team: World Cup appearances, biggest achievements, trophies, best players….

Every four years, the FIFA World Cup brings national teams and players many of us weren’t previously familiar with into the spotlight, with Morocco in 2022, South Korea in 2002 and Cameroon in 1990 perhaps some of the highest-profile examples. However, El Salvador, the first opponents for Inter Miami and Lionel Messi in 2024, will likely have remained something of a mystery for a lot of casual soccer followers around the globe for more than 40 years.

El Salvador’s Gold Cup record

La Selecta have been regular participants in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, qualifying for 13 of the last 15 editions. They have managed to make some kind of impact in most of them, winning at least one game in 10 of those 13 appearances, although they have never progressed beyond the quarter-finals, which they have done on a more than respectable six occasions.

The best achievements in their history, in statistical terms, came in the CONCACAF Championship, effectively the predecessor to the Gold Cup, which only began in 1991. In the discontinued tournament, El Salvador twice finished as runners-up (1963 and 1981), although that came in a different soccer landscape in North America, with a significantly weaker USMNT not featuring in either edition.

La Selecta’s trophy wins

And although they have won actual silverware in the CCCF Championship (which existed before the CONCACAF Championship) the Central American and Caribbean Games, and the Central American Games, it’s probably not controversial to say they are looking to make more of an impact in some of soccer’s bigger international tournaments.

After taking over as national team head coach at the start of the month, David Dóniga, a Spaniard who was in the Real Madrid youth academy as a young player, has been tasked with leading El Salvador to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be played in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Given the country’s recent history, that could be a tall order.

How many World Cups have El Salvador played in?

The Salvadorans have only ever played in two World Cups, qualifying the very first time they entered in 1970. 12 years later, they also featured in the 1982 edition in Spain, going out in the group stage, as they had done in their first tournament appearance. Their overall record reads six Games played, six lost, with just one goal scored and 22 conceded. In 1982, they lost 10-1 to Hungary, which, unfortunately for La Selecta, remains the biggest winning margin in men’s World Cup History.

U.S. links on El Salvador roster

Dóniga’s has opted for a mix of youth and experience in his roster to face Miami, which is mostly made up of players who are signed to clubs in El Salvador and Costa Rica. There are a few US-based players included, although none play for teams in MLS.

Defender Bryan Tamacas and midfielder Eric Calvillo are registered to Oakland Roots and El Paso Locomotivo respectively, both teams in the USL Championship. Youngster Harold Orosrio belongs to DC United, but plays for their second team in MLS Next Pro.

Darwin Cerén, El Salvador’s most capped player, spent eight years in MLS at Orlando City, San Jose Earthquakes and Houston Dynamo (2014-2022) and is also in contention to play.

See also:

Full screen

Mágico González: El Salvador’s most skilful ever player

Alfredo Pacheco (New York Red Bulls), Raúl Díaz Arce (D.C. United among others) and Rodolfo Zelaya (LAFC) are other distinguished former Salvadoran internationals who had spells in Major League Soccer, while fans of LaLiga may be familiar with the mercurial Jorge “Mágico” González, considered the most skilful player the country has ever produced and a legendary figure at Spanish club Cádiz.

Keep up to date with all the latest soccer news on AS USA.