Honduras is a Central American country which is located in the North America. With the Pacific Ocean towards the south and the coastlines of the Caribbean Sea to the north. Honduras is home to rich Mayan culture with breathtaking beaches and diverse cuisines. They also have abundant natural resources that serve the international market. It is an attractive place to visit which is surely underrated. For US citizens, it is a budget-friendly tourist place to visit with no visa required to enter the country!
HISTORY OF ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL (SOCCER) IN HONDURAS
The love for soccer is unmatched with the active sport being the national sport of Honduras. It is also regarded as the top sport among Hondurans with active men’s and women’s football national teams.
The rise of the popularity of football in Honduras began somewhere in the 1930s. The first championship was held in 1948 and soon after professional leagues were formed.
Honduras has participated in three FIFA World Cup tournaments – FIFA World Cup Spain in 1982, FIFA World Cup South Africa in 2010, and FIFA World Cup Brazil in 2014. In the latter and the most recent World Cup tournament, Honduras played impressively by beating Azteca FC! In addition to that, Honduras Liga has been part of the Olympic Games, FIFA U-20 World Cup, and Copa America. In the 1981 CONCACAF Championship, they took the trophy home. As for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, Honduras was the runners-up with the first place belonging to the host country, the United States. Another notable milestone for Honduras Football is winning the UNCAF Nations Cup three times – in 1993,1995 and 2011!
HONDURAS LIGA – THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE OF HONDURAS
The Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Honduras (National Football League of Honduras) is the first-class football league of Honduras with 10 major clubs. The second class of football – Liga de Ascenso is a promotion league that was formed in 1980 and it consists of 25 teams. Liga Mayor is the third class of football which is for the amateur players with different developmental leagues. For the locals, winning the title of the national football league is a massive accomplishment in the country. This home cup guarantees a ticket to the CONCACAF Champion Leagues – which is a popular international club football championship and one of the six continental governing bodies for FIFA. Top teams from the Confederation of North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football regions compete against each other for the title.
YOUTH FOOTBALL TEAMS IN HONDURAS
Apart from the men’s and women’s football teams, youth football is also encouraged with Honduras’s youth football team represented internationally. Youth Honduras ligas are part of different international youth tournaments:
- Honduras Under-15s participate in the Under-15s World Cup and Youth Olympics.
- Honduras Under-17s participate in the Under-17s World Cup.
- Honduras under-20s participate in the Under-20s World Cup.
- Honduras Under-23s participate in the Olympic Qualifying Games and the Olympic Games.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT HONDURAS
Q. Who is the best Honduran soccer player?
The former professional football striker, Carlos Alberto Pavón is regarded as one of the best Honduran footballers in its history.
Q. What is the national sport of Honduras?
Associated Football or Soccer is the national sport of Honduras.
Q. Has Honduras been in a World Cup?
Honduras has been a part of the FIFA World Cup 3 times.
Q. Does Honduras have a soccer league?
The Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Honduras is the major Honduran football league with 10 member clubs.
AUTHOR’S OPINION
Upon discovering this aspiring football league based in the underrated and beautiful Central American country, Honduras, I have learned that there is a lot of potential for one of the most popular and oldest team sports – associated football.
