Guatemala national football team

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This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Guatemala women's national football team.

Guatemala
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)Los Chapines (The Chapines)
La Bicolor (The Bicolor)
La Furia Azul (The Blue Fury)
La Azul y Blanco (The Blue and White)
Los Mayas (The Mayans)
Los Hombres de Maíz (The Men of Maize)
AssociationFederación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala (FEDEFUT)
ConfederationCONCACAF (North America)
Sub-confederationUNCAF (Central America)
Head coachLuis Fernando Tena
CaptainJosé Carlos Pinto
Most capsCarlos Ruiz (133)[1]
Top scorerCarlos Ruiz (68)
Home stadiumEstadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores
FIFA codeGUA
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 108 Steady (21 December 2023)[2]
Highest50 (August 2006)
Lowest163 (November 1995)
First international
 Guatemala 9–0 Honduras 
(Guatemala City, Guatemala; 14 September 1921)
Biggest win
 Guatemala 10–0 Anguilla 
(Guatemala City, Guatemala; 5 September 2019)
 Guatemala 10–0 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 
(Guatemala City, Guatemala; 4 June 2021)
Biggest defeat
 Costa Rica 9–1 Guatemala 
(San José, Costa Rica; 24 July 1955)
CONCACAF Championship / Gold Cup
Appearances20 (first in 1963)
Best resultChampions (1967)

The Guatemala national football team (Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Guatemala) represents Guatemala in men's international football and is controlled by the Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala. Founded in 1919, it has been affiliated to FIFA since 1946, and it is a member of CONCACAF.

The team has made three Olympic tournament appearances, competing at the 1968, 1976, and 1988 Olympic Games. Guatemala have never qualified for the finals tournament of the World Cup, although they have reached the final round of qualification on four occasions.

Guatemala won the 1967 CONCACAF Championship and the 2001 UNCAF Nations Cup. The team's best performance in a CONCACAF Gold Cup was in 1996, when they finished fourth. More recently, the team almost beat their best at the 2023 Gold Cup in fifth place. Guatemala has also earned a bronze medal at the 1983 Pan American Games in Caracas, Venezuela. The national team kits are supplied by Umbro, which in the past have been supplied by Atletica, Adidas and Puma. Since the 2000s, Guatemala's home kit have featured a light blue sash on a white shirt. This design has become one of the more distinctive national team kits in CONCACAF.

History[edit]

Beginnings[edit]

Guatemalan Squad (CRC vs GUA 1921)

Guatemala created its first football team, made up of 22 players, on 23 August 1902. The team was split into two sides, blue and white. With time, clubs were made and eventually the Guatemala national team, nicknamed "la Azul y Blanco" (the blue and white), was created in 1921. Guatemala had its first game on 16 September 1921, in the Independence Centenary Games held in Guatemala City, against Honduras. Guatemala beat Honduras 9–0.[4] In the final, Guatemala were defeated 6–0 by Costa Rica.[5]

Guatemala had success in several editions of the CCCF Championship, the precursor of the Gold Cup, by being the runners-up in 1943, 1946, and 1948. In 1958, Guatemala began participating in the qualifying rounds of the World Cup. They finished last, without a point, in a group with Costa Rica and the Netherlands Antilles.[6]

Success in the 1960s[edit]

Guatemala's performance in the World Cup qualifying rounds began to improve in the 1960s. In 1962 they drew against both Costa Rica (4–4) and Honduras (1–1). However they again finished last in their qualifying group.[7]

Guatemala did not participate in the qualifying round in 1966, as FIFA refused their participation for administrative reasons.

Guatemala joined CONCACAF in 1961. In 1967, they again showed the progress they had made when by participating by winning the Gold Cup for the only time in their history.[8] In that tournament, hosted by Honduras, Guatemala began with a 2–1 win against Haiti, followed by a 1–0 win over the defending champions, Mexico, a 0–0 draw against Honduras, a 2–0 win over Trinidad and Tobago, and a 2–0 win over Nicaragua. The forward Manuel "Escopeta" Recinos was Guatemala's top scorer with four goals, including the goal against Mexico.

Guatemala were also the runners-up in the CONCACAF Championship in 1965 and 1969.

Main article: 1967 CONCACAF Championship

Results

Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1  Guatemala 9 5 4 1 0 7 1 6
2  Mexico 8 5 4 0 1 10 1 9
3  Honduras 6 5 2 2 1 4 2 2
4  Trinidad and Tobago 4 5 2 0 3 6 10 −4
5  Haiti 2 5 1 0 4 5 9 −4
6  Nicaragua 1 5 0 1 4 3 12 −9

In 1967, Guatemala showed further progress by qualifying for the 1968 Olympic football tournament in Mexico City. In the first round, they won 1–0 against Czechoslovakia, and 4–1 against Thailand, and lost to Bulgaria 2–1. They went on the next round, where they lost 1–0 to the eventual champions, Hungary.

2006 World Cup[edit]

Before the 2006 World Cup qualifiers, Carlos Ruiz was the main focus in providing goals for the national team along with Juan Carlos Plata. Many other stars such as Fredy Garcia, Gonzalo Romero, Guillermo Ramirez, and Martin Machón were expected to play huge roles as well. In the 2006 World Cup qualifying, Guatemala advanced to the third round by beating Suriname 4–2. There they finished second in Group B, behind Costa Rica, with 10 points each. In the fourth round they started with a 0–0 draw against Panama and a 5–1 win against Trinidad and Tobago. Then followed a 2–0 loss against the United States and Mexico and a 3–2 loss against Costa Rica, and a 2–1 win against Panama. They lost against Trinidad and Tobago 3–2, drew against the United States 0–0 and then lost to Mexico 5–2. Guatemala had 8 points with one game left, and a win alongside a Trinidad and Tobago defeat against Mexico would send them into the play-offs. They won 3–1 against Costa Rica but Trinidad and Tobago beat Mexico 2–1. They finished in fifth place, two points away from the play-off spot. Juan Carlos Plata and Martin Machón announced their retirement from International Football in 2006.

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts United States Mexico Costa Rica Trinidad and Tobago Guatemala Panama
1  United States 10 7 1 2 16 6 +10 22[a] — 2–0 3–0 1–0 2–0 2–0
2  Mexico 10 7 1 2 22 9 +13 22[a] 2–1 — 2–0 2–0 5–2 5–0
3  Costa Rica 10 5 1 4 15 14 +1 16 3–0 1–2 — 2–0 3–2 2–1
4  Trinidad and Tobago 10 4 1 5 10 15 −5 13 1–2 2–1 0–0 — 3–2 2–0
5  Guatemala 10 3 2 5 16 18 −2 11 0–0 0–2 3–1 5–1 — 2–1
6  Panama 10 0 2 8 4 21 −17 2 0–3 1–1 1–3 0–1 0–0 —
Source:[citation needed]
Notes:
  1. ^ a b Tied on head-to-head points (3). Head-to-head goal difference: United States +1, Mexico −1.

2010 World Cup[edit]

After a third-place finish at the 2007 UNCAF Nations Cup, and reaching the knockout stage in the Gold Cup of the same year, along with a couple of satisfying friendly matches, including a 3–2 win against Mexico, many[who?] saw Hernán Darío Gómez as the next coach to lead Guatemala into the Hexagonal in the World Cup qualifying stage. However, after losing 5–0 in early 2008 against the under-23 Argentine team, the Colombian soon departed. During 2010 World Cup qualifying, expectations of qualifying for the finals were set among the national team as Ramon Maradiaga returned as coach. They began well by advancing to the third round by defeating Saint Lucia 9–1 on aggregate.

In the third round, Guatemala began with a 1–0 home loss to the United States, with controversies surrounding the Panamanian referee Roberto Moreno, including not awarding a penalty to Guatemala in the first half after a handball from Steve Cherundolo, as well as Gustavo Cabrera being sent off after colliding with Eddie Lewis in the second half. In their second match, Los Chapines salvaged a draw in the closing minutes of the game against Trinidad and Tobago in Port of Spain after Carlos Gallardo deflected a free kick by Marco Pappa. On 10 September, Cuba shocked the Guatemalan supporters by taking the lead after Roberto Linares scored in the 25th minute, but by half-time, Carlos Ruiz had equalised, and in the second half, Ruiz scored again. Mario Rodríguez and José Manuel Contreras also scored and Guatemala won 4–1.

On 11 October, many fans gathered around the Estadio Mateo Flores for the game against Trinidad and Tobago. Despite being reduced to 10 men, the Soca Warriors were able to hold Guatemala to a 0–0 stalemate. Guatemala then lost in Cuba, falling behind 1–0 after Jaime Colome scored a penalty. Marco Pappa volleyed in an equalizer in the 80th minute, but Urgelles won the match for Cuba in the 90th minute. Meanwhile, the Trinidadians defeated the United States 2–1 at home, putting them in second place. Maradiaga was fired and Benjamin Monterroso was appointed, focusing on the Copa UNCAF the following January. A 2–0 away loss against the United States confirmed the elimination of the national team from the World Cup.

At the UNCAF nations cup, Monterroso wanted to introduce more youthful players into the starting line up such as Minor Lopez, Ricardo Jerez and Wilson Lalin, but Guatemala lost both group stage matches against Costa Rica and also lost 2–0 to Nicaragua in the play-off match for the final berth to attend the next Gold Cup; Minor Lopez was the lone goal scorer for Los Bicolores. As a result, the national team were inactive for the next two years and Monterroso stepped down after two months in charge.

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts United States Trinidad and Tobago Guatemala Cuba
1  United States 6 5 0 1 14 3 +11 15 — 3–0 2–0 6–1
2  Trinidad and Tobago 6 3 2 1 9 6 +3 11 2–1 — 1–1 3–0
3  Guatemala 6 1 2 3 6 7 −1 5 0–1 0–0 — 4–1
4  Cuba 6 1 0 5 5 18 −13 3 0–1 1–3 2–1 —
Source:[citation needed]

2014 World Cup[edit]

In May 2010, the Uruguayan-born Paraguayan Ever Hugo Almeida was appointed as the Guatemala's next coach. At the 2011 Copa Centroamericana, formerly known as the "UNCAF Nations Cup", Guatemala finished in fifth place, losing 2–0 to Costa Rica and 3–1 Honduras before defeating Nicaragua 2–1 to qualify for the 2011 Gold Cup.

At the Gold Cup, Guatemala drew 0–0 against Honduras despite being reduced to nine men. They lost against a physically superior Jamaica 2–0, but managed to redeem themselves by beating Grenada 4–0, with goals from José Javier del Águila, Marco Pappa, Carlos Ruiz, and Carlos Gallardo. In the quarter-finals, they lost to 2–1 the reigning champions Mexico, after Ruiz had given them the lead in the first half.

For the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, Guatemala began in the second round with six wins in six games, advancing to a third round group alongside the United States, Jamaica and Antigua and Barbuda. Before the third round, three key players – Guillermo Ramirez, Gustavo Cabrera and Yony Flores – were sent home during a practice session after their team-mates Ruiz and Luis Rodriguez heard of their involvement in money laundering and bribery in fixing multiple fixtures; they were subsequently banned for life.[citation needed]

The team began with an away loss to Jamaica, with Dwight Pezzarossi only managing to pull back one goal in stoppage time. In the next match, Guatemala drew at home against the United States, with Marco Pappa's free kick salvaging a draw for the Guatemalans. At home against Antigua and Barbuda, Guatemala again fell behind, but after the Antiguan goalkeeper Molvin James was sent off for wasting time, Ruiz scored a brace and a goal from Pezzarossi sealed a 3–1 victory. Four days later, a goal from Ruiz sufficed for an away win against the same opponents in North Sound.

Guatemala beat Jamaica at home 2–1, leaving them needing a draw against the United States to progress to the final stage of the qualifiers. After they took the lead in the first five minutes thanks to Ruiz, the United States scored three unanswered goals, and Guatemala finished behind Jamaica on goal difference.

In January 2013, still led by Almeida, Guatemala participated in the 2013 Copa Centroamericana. With a team of mainly younger players, they could only manage three draws in their group play (1–1 against Nicaragua, 0–0 against Belize and 1–1 against Costa Rica), losing out to Belize for direct qualification for the 2013 Gold Cup. They faced Panama in the fifth place match, but lost 3–1, and Almeida stepped down in favour of the technical director, Victor Hugo Monzón.

Group E[edit]

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Guatemala 6 6 0 0 19 3 +16 18 Advance to third round — 3–1 4–0 3–0
2  Belize 6 2 1 3 9 10 −1 7 1–2 — 1–1 1–4
3  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 6 1 2 3 4 12 −8 5 0–3 0–2 — 2–1
4  Grenada 6 1 1 4 7 14 −7 4 1–4 0–3 1–1 —
Source:[citation needed]

Third Round (Group A)[edit]

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  United States 6 4 1 1 11 6 +5 13 Advance to fourth round — 1–0 3–1 3–1
2  Jamaica 6 3 1 2 9 6 +3 10 2–1 — 2–1 4–1
3  Guatemala 6 3 1 2 9 8 +1 10 1–1 2–1 — 3–1
4  Antigua and Barbuda 6 0 1 5 4 13 −9 1 1–2 0–0 0–1 —
Source:[citation needed]

2016 suspension[edit]

On 28 October 2016, the Guatemalan football federation was suspended indefinitely by FIFA, after the international football governing body had appointed an oversight committee to look into allegations of corruption.[9] FIFA stated that the Guatemalan federation (FEDEFUT) had rejected the committee's mandate to run FEDEFUT's business, organize elections, and modernize its statutes, and would remain barred from international competition until FEDEFUT ratified an extension of the mandate.[10] The football team missed their chance on qualifying on the 2017 and 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup tournaments (2017 Copa Centroamericana and 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League qualifying) as they missed deadlines to have their suspension lifted.

The suspension was lifted on 31 May 2018 after FEDEFUT's normalization committee became fully operational.[11]

Home stadium[edit]

Training in the Estadio Doroteo Guamuch
Main article: Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores

The Estadio Nacional Mateo Flores, also known as Coloso de la Zona 5, is a multi-use national stadium in Guatemala City, the largest in Guatemala. It was built in 1948, to host the Central American and Caribbean Games in 1950, and was renamed after long-distance runner Mateo Flores, winner of the 1952 Boston Marathon. It has a capacity of 26,000 seats.

Used mostly for football matches, the stadium has hosted the majority of the home matches of the Guatemala national football team throughout its entire history.

Its highest record attendance was of 82,000 during the 1950 Central American and Caribbean Games.

Team image[edit]

Kit sponsorship[edit]

Kit supplier Period
Germany Erima 1981
Germany Adidas 1986
South Korea Pro-Specs 1988
Germany Erima 1992-1994
United Kingdom Umbro 1996-1997
Mexico ABA Sport 1997-1998
Mexico Atletica 1998-2002
Germany Adidas 2005-2006
Germany Puma 2008-2010
United Kingdom Umbro 2011–present

Results and fixtures[edit]

Main article: Guatemala national football team results

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixture

2023[edit]

12 March Friendly Guatemala  1–1  Panama San Jose, United States
15:30 UTC−7 Lom 85' (pen.) Report Harvey 18' Stadium: PayPal Park
Referee: Nima Saghafi (United States)
24 March 2022–23 Nations League Belize  1–2  Guatemala Belmopan, Belize
20:00 UTC−6
Report
Stadium: FFB Stadium
Referee: Selvin Brown (Honduras)
27 March 2022–23 Nations League Guatemala  4–0  French Guiana Guatemala City, Guatemala
20:00 UTC−6
Report Stadium: Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores
Referee: Marco Ortiz (Mexico)
7 June Friendly Mexico  2–0  Guatemala Mazatlán, Mexico
19:00 UTC–7
Report Stadium: Estadio de Mazatlán
Referee: Nelson Salgado (Honduras)
11 June Friendly Guatemala  0–1  Trinidad and Tobago Chester, United States
18:00 UTC−4 Report
Stadium: Subaru Park
Referee: Oliver Rodriguez (Panama)
15 June Friendly Costa Rica  0–1  Guatemala Carson, United States
20:00 UTC−7 Report
Stadium: Dignity Health Sports Park
Referee: Nima Saghafi (United States)
18 June Friendly Venezuela  1–0  Guatemala East Hartford, United States
16:30 UTC−4
Report Stadium: Pratt & Whitney Stadium
Referee: Jeremy Scheer (United States)
27 June 2023 Gold Cup GS Guatemala  1–0  Cuba Fort Lauderdale, United States
19:00 UTC−4
Report Stadium: DRV PNK Stadium
Attendance: 13,426
Referee: Oshane Nation (Jamaica)
1 July 2023 Gold Cup GS Guatemala  0–0  Canada Houston, United States
20:30 UTC−5 Report Stadium: Shell Energy Stadium
Attendance: 19,766
Referee: Marco Ortiz (Mexico)
4 July 2023 Gold Cup GS Guadeloupe  2–3  Guatemala Harrison, United States
18:30 UTC−4
Report
Stadium: Red Bull Arena
Referee: Juan Gabriel Calderón (Costa Rica)
9 July 2023 Gold Cup QF Guatemala  0–1  Jamaica Cincinnati, United States
17:00 UTC−4 Report
Stadium: TQL Stadium
Attendance: 24,979
Referee: Drew Fischer (Canada)
3 September Friendly Guatemala  0–0  Honduras Fort Lauderdale, United States
18:00 UTC−4 Report Stadium: DRV PNK Stadium
Referee: César Arturo Ramos (Mexico)
7 September 2023–24 Nations League Guatemala  2–0  El Salvador Guatemala City, Guatemala
20:00 UTC−6
Report Stadium: Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores
Referee: Selvin Brown (Honduras)
10 September 2023–24 Nations League Guatemala  1–1  Panama Guatemala City, Guatemala
18:00 UTC−6
Report
Stadium: Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores
Referee: Saíd Martínez (Honduras)
13 October 2023–24 Nations League Trinidad and Tobago  3–2  Guatemala Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
21:00 UTC−4
Report
Stadium: Hasely Crawford Stadium
Referee: Iván Barton (El Salvador)
17 October 2023–24 Nations League Panama  3–0  Guatemala Panama City, Panama
20:00 UTC−5
Report Stadium: Estadio Rommel Fernández
Referee: Armando Villarreal (United States)
11 November Friendly Guatemala  0–0  Jamaica Harrison, United States
19:00 UTC−5 Report Stadium: Red Bull Arena
Referee: Benjamín Pineda (Costa Rica)

2024[edit]

13 January Friendly Guatemala  0–1  Iceland Fort Lauderdale, United States
19:00 UTC−5 Report
Stadium: DRV PNK Stadium
Referee: Rubiel Vazquez (United States)

Coaching history[edit]

As of 16 January 2024[12]

Players[edit]

Current squad[edit]

The following players were called up for the friendly match against Iceland on 13 January 2024.[18][19][20]

Caps and goals are correct as of 13 January 2023, after the match against Iceland.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK Nicholas Hagen (1996-08-02) 2 August 1996 (age 27) 37 0 United States Columbus Crew
1GK Diego Bolaños (2006-06-21) 21 June 2006 (age 17) 0 0 Guatemala Juventud Canadiense
2DF José Carlos Pinto (captain) (1993-06-16) 16 June 1993 (age 30) 53 0 Guatemala Comunicaciones
2DF Gerardo Gordillo (1994-08-17) 17 August 1994 (age 29) 26 3 Guatemala Comunicaciones
2DF José Morales (1996-12-03) 3 December 1996 (age 27) 26 2 Guatemala Municipal
2DF Cristian Jiménez (1995-04-26) 26 April 1995 (age 28) 19 0 Guatemala Municipal
2DF Kevin Ruiz (1995-05-18) 18 May 1995 (age 28) 7 0 Guatemala Xelajú
2DF Carlos Estrada (1997-09-12) 12 September 1997 (age 26) 3 0 Guatemala Malacateco
2DF Diego Santis (2002-07-13) 13 July 2002 (age 21) 2 0 Guatemala Comunicaciones
2DF Erick González (1999-05-10) 10 May 1999 (age 24) 0 0 Guatemala Comunicaciones
3MF Alejandro Galindo (1992-03-05) 5 March 1992 (age 31) 49 6 Guatemala Municipal
3MF Óscar Castellanos (2000-01-18) 18 January 2000 (age 24) 35 1 Guatemala Antigua
3MF Antonio López (1997-04-10) 10 April 1997 (age 26) 26 0 Guatemala Comunicaciones
3MF Marco Domínguez (1996-02-25) 25 February 1996 (age 27) 13 0 Guatemala Municipal
3MF Elmer Cardoza (2002-07-29) 29 July 2002 (age 21) 3 0 Guatemala Xelajú
3MF Jonathan Franco (2003-07-26) 26 July 2003 (age 20) 0 0 Guatemala Municipal
3MF Renato Sequén (1993-06-23) 23 June 1993 (age 30) 0 0 Guatemala Municipal
4FW Darwin Lom (1997-07-14) 14 July 1997 (age 26) 31 11 Guatemala Mixco
4FW Oscar Santis (1999-03-25) 25 March 1999 (age 24) 29 9 Georgia (country) Dinamo Tbilisi
4FW José Carlos Martínez (1997-10-10) 10 October 1997 (age 26) 20 2 Guatemala Municipal
4FW Esteban García (1998-03-06)6 March 1998 (aged 25) 12 0 Guatemala Mixco
4FW José Espinoza (2003-09-10) 10 September 2003 (age 20) 0 0 Guatemala Zacapa

Recent call-ups[edit]

The following players have been called up for the team in the last twelve months.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Ricardo Jérez (1986-02-04) 4 February 1986 (age 37) 63 0 United States Chattanooga Red Wolves v.  Panama, 17 October 2023
GK Fredy Pérez (1994-12-09) 9 December 1994 (age 29) 5 0 Guatemala Comunicaciones v.  Panama, 17 October 2023
DF José Ardón (2000-01-20) 20 January 2000 (age 24) 21 0 Guatemala Antigua v.  Jamaica, 11 November 2023
DF Kevin Ramírez (2002-08-01) 1 August 2002 (age 21) 0 0 Guatemala Malacateco v.  Jamaica, 11 November 2023
DF Nicolás Samayoa (1995-08-02) 2 August 1995 (age 28) 17 1 Romania Politehnica Iași v.  Panama, 17 October 2023
DF Aaron Herrera (1997-06-06) 6 June 1997 (age 26) 6 0 United States D.C. United 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup
DF Moisés Hernández (1992-03-05) 5 March 1992 (age 31) 36 2 United States Dallas Sidekicks v.  French Guiana, 27 March 2023
DF Matan Peleg (1993-11-11) 11 November 1993 (age 30) 6 0 Israel Hapoel Petah Tikva v.  Nicaragua, 19 November 2022
DF Javier González (1998-04-27) 27 April 1998 (age 25) 2 0 Guatemala Xelajú v.  Nicaragua, 19 November 2022
MF Pedro Altán (1997-06-04) 4 June 1997 (age 26) 18 2 Guatemala Municipal v.  Iceland, 13 January 2024 INJ
MF Rodrigo Saravia (1993-02-22) 22 February 1993 (age 30) 52 0 Guatemala Comunicaciones v.  Jamaica, 11 November 2023
MF José Ochoa (2001-02-03) 3 February 2001 (age 22) 0 0 Guatemala Malacateco v.  Jamaica, 11 November 2023
MF Yonatan Pozuelos (1997-07-28) 28 July 1997 (age 26) 0 0 Guatemala Mixco v.  Jamaica, 11 November 2023
MF Carlos Mejía (1991-11-13) 13 November 1991 (age 32) 47 8 Guatemala Comunicaciones v.  Panama, 17 October 2023
MF Jorge Aparicio (1992-11-21) 21 November 1992 (age 31) 45 1 Guatemala Comunicaciones v.  Panama, 17 October 2023
MF José Mario Rosales (1993-06-24) 24 June 1993 (age 30) 7 1 Guatemala Guastatoya v.  Panama, 17 October 2023
MF Stheven Robles (1995-11-12) 12 November 1995 (age 28) 32 2 Guatemala Comunicaciones v.  Trinidad and Tobago, 13 October 2023
MF Marlon Sequen (1993-06-23) 23 June 1993 (age 30) 15 1 Guatemala Municipal v.  Panama, 10 September 2023
MF César Archila (1993-07-30) 30 July 1993 (age 30) 6 0 Guatemala Municipal 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup
MF Aslinn Rodas (1992-10-07) 7 October 1992 (age 31) 8 0 Guatemala Xelajú v.  Nicaragua, 19 November 2022
FW Erick Lemus (2001-02-05) 5 February 2001 (age 22) 0 0 Guatemala Achuapa v.  Jamaica, 11 November 2023
FW Olger Escobar (2006-09-11) 11 September 2006 (age 17) 1 0 United States New England Revolution II v.  Jamaica, 11 November 2023
FW Robin Betancourth (1991-11-25) 25 November 1991 (age 32) 26 2 Guatemala Guastatoya v.  Panama, 17 October 2023
FW Rubio Rubin (1996-03-01) 1 March 1996 (age 27) 17 6 Mexico Querétaro v.  Panama, 17 October 2023
FW Nathaniel Mendez-Laing (1992-04-15)15 April 1992 (aged 31) 8 0 England Derby County v.  Panama, 17 October 2023
FW Dewinder Bradley (1994-06-01) 1 June 1994 (age 29) 3 0 Guatemala Antigua v.  Venezuela, 15 June 2023
FW José Franco (2001-10-17) 17 October 2001 (age 22) 1 0 Mexico Oaxaca v.  Venezuela, 15 June 2023
FW Anderson Ortiz (2001-11-07) 7 November 2001 (age 22) 0 0 Guatemala Comunicaciones v.  Mexico, 7 June 2023
FW Andrés Lezcano (1990-05-05) 5 May 1990 (age 33) 10 0 Guatemala Comunicaciones v.  Nicaragua, 19 November 2022
FW Arquimides Ordóñez (2003-08-05) 5 August 2003 (age 20) 2 0 United States FC Cincinnati v.  Qatar, 23 October 2022

INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury.
PRE Preliminary squad.
RET Player retired from the national team.
SUS Player is serving suspension.
WD Player withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue.

Records[edit]

As of 28 December 2023[21]

Players in bold are still active with Guatemala.

Most appearances[edit]

Carlos Ruiz is Guatemala's top goalscorer and their most capped player.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Carlos Ruiz 133 68 1998–2016
2 Guillermo Ramírez 106 16 1997–2012
3 Gustavo Cabrera 104 2 2000–2012
4 Fredy Thompson 96 3 2001–2015
5 Juan Carlos Plata 87 35 1996–2010
6 Gonzalo Romero 83 9 2000–2012
7 Julio Girón 82 0 1992–2006
8 Edgar Estrada 80 0 1995–2003
José Manuel Contreras 80 5 2006–2021
10 Mario Rodríguez 79 10 2003–2013

Most goals[edit]

Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Carlos Ruiz 68 133 0.51 1998–2016
2 Juan Carlos Plata 35 87 0.4 1996–2010
3 Carlos Toledo 25 — — 1943–1953
4 Mario Camposeco 23 — — 1943–1951
Freddy García 23 73 0.32 1998–2012
6 Oscar Enrique Sánchez 19 — — 1976–1990
7 Edwin Westphal 16 47 0.34 1985–1998
Dwight Pezzarossi 16 72 0.22 2000–2012
Guillermo Ramírez 16 106 0.15 1997–2012
10 Juan Manuel Funes 15 66 0.23 1985–2000

Competitive record[edit]

FIFA World Cup[edit]

FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
Uruguay 1930 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
Italy 1934
France 1938
Brazil 1950 Did not enter Declined participation
Switzerland 1954
Sweden 1958 Did not qualify 3 0 0 3 4 12
Chile 1962 4 0 2 2 7 10
England 1966 Entry not accepted Entry not accepted
Mexico 1970 Did not qualify 4 1 2 1 5 3
West Germany 1974 7 2 3 2 6 6
Argentina 1978 11 4 3 4 23 16
Spain 1982 8 3 3 2 10 2
Mexico 1986 4 2 1 1 7 3
Italy 1990 10 3 2 5 9 10
United States 1994 2 0 1 1 0 2
France 1998 8 4 2 2 6 9
South Korea Japan 2002 13 6 3 4 23 15
Germany 2006 18 7 4 7 27 29
South Africa 2010 8 3 2 3 15 8
Brazil 2014 12 9 1 2 28 11
Russia 2018 10 5 2 3 21 12
Qatar 2022 4 3 1 0 14 0
Canada Mexico United States 2026 To be determined To be determined
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total – 0/19 – – – – – – 126 52 32 42 205 148

CONCACAF Gold Cup[edit]

Main article: Guatemala at the CONCACAF Gold Cup
CONCACAF Championship & Gold Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
El Salvador 1963 Round 1 6th 4 1 2 1 7 6 Squad Qualified automatically
Guatemala 1965 Runners-up 2nd 5 3 1 1 11 5 Squad Qualified as hosts
Honduras 1967 Champions 1st 5 4 1 0 7 1 Squad 2 2 0 0 6 2
Costa Rica 1969 Runners-up 2nd 5 3 2 0 10 2 Squad Qualified as defending champions
Trinidad and Tobago 1971 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 1 2
Haiti 1973 Fifth place 5th 5 0 3 2 4 6 Squad 2 2 0 0 2 0
Mexico 1977 Fifth place 5th 5 1 1 3 8 10 Squad 6 3 2 1 15 6
Honduras 1981 Did not qualify 8 3 3 2 10 2
1985 Round 1 5th 4 2 1 1 7 3 Squad Qualified automatically
1989 Fourth place 4th 6 1 1 4 4 7 Squad 4 2 1 1 5 4
United States 1991 Group stage 7th 3 1 0 2 1 5 Squad 3 0 2 1 0 1
Mexico United States 1993 Did not enter Did not enter
United States 1996 Fourth place 4th 4 1 0 3 3 5 Squad 4 2 0 2 2 5
United States 1998 Group stage 7th 3 0 2 1 3 4 Squad 5 3 2 0 10 3
United States 2000 Group stage 10th 2 0 1 1 3 5 Squad 5 3 1 1 5 2
United States 2002 Group stage 12th 2 0 0 2 1 4 Squad 5 2 3 0 9 5
Mexico United States 2003 Group stage 11th 2 0 1 1 1 3 Squad 5 3 1 1 10 4
United States 2005 Group stage 11th 3 0 1 2 4 9 Squad 5 3 1 1 10 5
United States 2007 Quarter-finals 8th 4 1 1 2 2 5 Squad 5 3 1 1 3 2
United States 2009 Did not qualify 3 0 0 3 1 6
United States 2011 Quarter-finals 8th 4 1 1 2 5 4 Squad 3 1 0 2 3 6
United States 2013 Did not qualify 4 0 3 1 3 5
Canada United States 2015 Group stage 12th 3 0 1 2 1 4 Squad 4 3 0 1 7 4
United States 2017 Disqualified due to FIFA suspension Disqualified due to FIFA suspension
Costa Rica Jamaica United States 2019
United States 2021 Group stage 13th 3 0 1 2 1 6 Squad 6 5 1 0 30 1
Canada United States 2023 Quarter-finals 5th 4 2 1 1 4 3 Squad 6 4 1 1 11 4
Total 1 Title 20/27 76 21 22 33 87 97 — 87 44 23 20 143 69

CONCACAF Nations League[edit]

CONCACAF Nations League record
Season Division Group Pld W D L GF GA P/R RK
United States 2019−20 C C 4 4 0 0 25 0 Rise 29th
United States 2022–23 B D 6 4 1 1 11 4 Rise 17th
United States 2023–24 A A 4 1 1 2 5 7 Same position 12th
Total 14 9 2 3 41 11 12th

Copa Centroamericana[edit]

Copa Centroamericana record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
Costa Rica 1991 Third place 3rd 3 0 2 1 0 1
Honduras 1993 Did not enter
El Salvador 1995 Runners-up 2nd 4 2 0 2 2 5
Guatemala 1997 Runners-up 2nd 5 3 2 0 10 3
Costa Rica 1999 Runners-up 2nd 5 3 1 1 5 2
Honduras 2001 Champions 1st 5 2 3 0 9 5
Panama 2003 Runners-up 2nd 5 3 1 1 10 4
Guatemala 2005 Third place 3rd 5 3 1 1 10 5
El Salvador 2007 Third place 3rd 5 3 1 1 3 2
Honduras 2009 Round 1 6th 3 0 0 3 1 6
Panama 2011 Fifth place 5th 3 1 0 2 3 6
Costa Rica 2013 Sixth place 6th 4 0 3 1 3 5
United States 2014 Runners-up 2nd 4 3 0 1 7 4
Panama 2017 Disqualified due to FIFA suspension
Total 1 Title 12/14 51 23 14 14 63 48

CCCF Championship[edit]

CCCF Championship record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
Costa Rica 1941 Did not enter
El Salvador 1943 Runners-up 2nd 6 4 1 1 21 11
Costa Rica 1946 Runners-up 2nd 5 3 1 1 20 10
Guatemala 1948 Runners-up 2nd 8 3 4 1 20 16
Panama 1951 Did not enter
Costa Rica 1953 Third place 3rd 6 3 2 1 8 8
Honduras 1955 Sixth place 6th 6 1 0 5 6 9
Netherlands Antilles 1957 Did not enter
Cuba 1960
Costa Rica 1961 Round 1 5th 4 2 0 2 7 7
Total Runners-up 6/10 35 16 8 11 82 61

Olympic Games[edit]

Olympic Games record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad
France 1900 Did not participate
United States 1904
United Kingdom 1908
Sweden 1912
Belgium 1920
France 1924
Netherlands 1928
Nazi Germany 1936
United Kingdom 1948
Finland 1952
Australia 1956
Italy 1960
Japan 1964
Mexico 1968 Quarter-finals 8th 4 2 0 2 6 4 Squad
West Germany 1972 Did not qualify
Canada 1976 Group stage 10th 3 0 2 1 2 5 Squad
Soviet Union 1980 Did not qualify
United States 1984
South Korea 1988 Group stage 16th 3 0 0 3 2 12 Squad
Spain 1992 Did not qualify
United States 1996
Australia 2000
Greece 2004
China 2008
United Kingdom 2012
Brazil 2016
Japan 2020
France 2024
Total Quarter-finals 3/28 3 0 1 2 2 8 —

Note: Football at the Summer Olympics has been an under-23 tournament since 1992.

Pan American Games[edit]

Pan American Games record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
Argentina 1951 Did not qualify
Mexico 1955
United States 1959
Brazil 1963
Canada 1967
Colombia 1971
Mexico 1975
Puerto Rico 1979 Group stage 7th 2 0 1 1 2 4
Venezuela 1983 Bronze medal 3rd 4 1 2 1 6 4
United States 1987 Group stage 5th 3 1 1 1 3 2
Cuba 1991 Did not qualify
Argentina 1995
Canada 1999 Group stage 7th 4 1 1 2 4 5
Dominican Republic 2003 Group stage 7th 3 0 1 2 2 5
Brazil 2007 Did not qualify
Mexico 2011
Canada 2015
Peru 2019
Chile 2023
Total 1 Bronze medal 5/18 16 3 6 7 17 20

Note: Football at the Pan American Games has been an under-23 tournament since 1999.

Central American and Caribbean Games[edit]

Central American and Caribbean Games record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
Cuba 1930 Round 1 6th 2 0 0 2 3 16
El Salvador 1935 Sixth place 6th 5 0 1 4 6 17
Panama 1938 Did not qualify
Colombia 1946 Sixth place 6th 6 1 1 4 12 20
Guatemala 1950 Runners-up 2nd 5 2 1 2 4 4
Mexico 1954 Did not qualify
Venezuela 1959
Jamaica 1962
Puerto Rico 1966 Fourth place 4th 5 1 2 2 5 9
Panama 1970 Did not qualify
Dominican Republic 1974
Colombia 1978
Cuba 1982
Dominican Republic 1986 Withdrew
Mexico 1990 Did not qualify
Puerto Rico 1993
Venezuela 1998 Group stage 10th 3 1 0 2 4 9
El Salvador 2002 Quarter-finals 10th 3 1 1 1 4 4
Colombia 2006 Did not qualify
Puerto Rico 2010 Seventh place 7th 2 0 1 1 0 3
Mexico 2014 Did not qualify
Colombia 2018 Disqualified due to FIFA suspension
Total Runners-up 8/22 31 6 7 18 38 82

Central American Games[edit]

Central American Games record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
Guatemala 1973 Fourth place 4th 4 1 1 2 4 3
El Salvador 1977 Fourth place 4th 6 1 1 4 2 7
Guatemala 1986 Champions 1st 3 2 1 0 4 1
Honduras 1990 Did not participate
El Salvador 1994 Fourth place 4th 3 1 1 1 11 5
Honduras 1997 Group stage 5th 3 1 0 2 4 5
Guatemala 2001 Champions 1st 6 5 1 0 13 3
Honduras 2006 Not held
Panama 2010
Costa Rica 2013 Fourth place 4th 4 1 0 3 3 5
Nicaragua 2017 Disqualified due to FIFA suspension
Total 2 Titles 7/11 29 12 5 12 41 29

Head-to-head record[edit]

Main article: Guatemala national football team results

As of 13 January 2024 after the match against  Iceland.[22]

  Positive Record   Neutral Record   Negative Record

  1. ^ Includes matches against  Netherlands Antilles.
  2. ^ Includes matches against  Soviet Union.

Honours[edit]

Major competitions

Other competitions

  • Runners-up (1): 1950
  • Bronze medal (1): 1983
  • Third place (1): 1999

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Guatemala – Record International Players Archived 3 December 2022 at the Wayback Machine RSSSF
  2. ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking". FIFA. 21 December 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  3. ^ Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. 19 January 2024. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  4. ^ RSSSF.com: «Guatemala – List of International Matches» Archived 15 April 2023 at the Wayback Machine (en inglés)
  5. ^ Courtney, Barrie (14 August 2008). "Guatemala International Soccer Matches Since 1920". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 15 April 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2010.
  6. ^ Rinke, Stefan (2014). The FIFA World Cup 1930 – 2010. Wallstein Verlag: Göttingen. pp. 52–53. ISBN 9783835314573.
  7. ^ "Preliminaries North, Central America and Caribbean". Fifa.com. Archived from the original on 7 March 2017. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
  8. ^ "CONCACAF NATIONS CUP 1967". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 16 August 2018. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
  9. ^ Menchu, Sofia (28 October 2016). "FIFA suspends Guatemalan soccer federation, citing resistance to oversight". Reuters. Archived from the original on 29 July 2017. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  10. ^ "Guatemala suspended from international football". Reuters. 28 October 2016. Archived from the original on 29 July 2017. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  11. ^ "FIFA lifts suspension of Guatemalan Football Association". FIFA. 31 May 2018. Archived from the original on 5 June 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  12. ^ Olenev, Maxim (15 July 1999). "Guatemala National Team Coaches". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 30 September 2022. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
  13. ^ a b "Guatemala, 100 años de Fútbol". prensalibre.com. Archived from the original on 19 November 2006.
  14. ^ a b c d "Guatemala, 100 años de Fútbol". prensalibre.com. Archived from the original on 19 November 2006.
  15. ^ "Guatemala, 100 años de Fútbol". prensalibre.com. Archived from the original on 19 November 2006.
  16. ^ "Guatemala, 100 años de Fútbol". prensalibre.com. Archived from the original on 19 November 2006.
  17. ^ "La historia del chileno que será el técnico de la selección de Guatemala". 9 August 2013. Archived from the original on 10 August 2013. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
  18. ^ National Football Federation of Guatemala [@fedefut_oficial] (3 January 2024). "NÓMINA OFICIAL · Selección Mayor" (Tweet) (in Spanish) – via Twitter.
  19. ^ National Football Federation of Guatemala [@fedefut_oficial] (11 January 2024). "NÓMINA OFICIAL · Selección Mayor" (Tweet) (in Spanish) – via Twitter.
  20. ^ "¿Quiénes son los 22 elegidos en Selección por Luis Tena para enfrentar a Islandia" (in Spanish). La Red 106.1. 11 January 2024.
  21. ^ Passo Alpuin, Luis Fernando. "Guatemala - Record International Players". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 3 December 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  22. ^ "World Football Elo Ratings: Guatemala".

External links[edit]

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