The Nicaragua national football team () represents Nicaragua in men's international football, which is governed by the Federación Nicaragüense de Fútbol () founded in 1931. It has been an affiliate member of FIFA since 1950 and a founding affiliate member of CONCACAF since 1961. Regionally, it is an affiliate member of UNCAF in the Central American Zone.
Nicaragua has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup, but has participated five times in CONCACAF's premier continental competition, finishing sixth place in the 1967 CONCACAF Championship. It has participated three times in League B and once in League A of the CONCACAF Nations League.
Regionally, the team finished in third place in the CCCF Championship in 1957, and also finished in fifth place three times in the Copa Centroamericana.
Nicaragua's first appearance in international competition was in the 1941 CCCF Championship. Their first appearance in World Cup qualifiers was in the 1994 CONCACAF qualification.
History Nicaragua traveled to El Salvador for their first ever international, losing 9–0 to the hosts on 1 May 1929. They did not play another match for over twelve years, until the qualifying group for the 1941 CCCF Championship in Costa Rica. They lost all 4 games: 7–2 to the hosts Costa Rica on 10 May, 8–0 to El Salvador on 13 May, 9–1 to the Netherlands Antilles on 15 May and 5–2 to Panama on 18 May. Therefore, Nicaragua finished bottom of the group and did not make the final group.
Recent times After qualifying for the 2019 Gold Cup on the back of finishing ninth in Nations League qualifying, they would go on to finish bottom of the group with losses to Costa Rica, Haiti and Bermuda.
Nicaragua qualified directly for the 2023 Gold Cup and was promoted to Nations League A as group winners in Nations League B but was disqualified on 12 June 2023 for fielding an ineligible player. As a result, they were replaced in the Gold Cup and League A by Trinidad and Tobago, who was the best second-place team overall in League B and must stay in Nations League B.
Team image Kit sponsorship Kit supplier Period Puma 1998-2003 Joma 2004–2021 Keuka 2022–2024 Orion 2025-present
Results and fixtures The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
2025
2026
Coaching staff PositionNameTechnical director Roger RodriguezCaretaker Head coach Juan Cruz RealAssistant coach VacantAssistant coach VacantGoalkeeping coach VacantPhysical coordinator VacantDoctor VacantPhysiotherapist VacantTeam coordinator Cesar Castro TrinidadTeam coordinator Nestor Díaz
Coaching history
Octavio Edmundo Salas Urbina (1941–1943) Eduardo Kosovic (1943) José Antonio Pipa Cordero (1947) Santiago Bonilla (1952–1953) Ferenc Mészáros (1961) Carlos Ruiz (1961–1962) Santiago Berrini (1965–1967) Livio Bendaña Espinoza (1967–1969) Omar Muraco (1969–1970) Salvador Dubois Leiva (1977, 1991–1992) Orlando Casares (1980–1981) Ján Fülöp (1984–1986) Mauricio Cruz Jiron (1993–2001, 2008) Florencio Levia (2001–2002) Maurizio Battistini (2003–2004) Marcelo Javier Zuleta (2005) Carlos de Toro (2007–2008) Ramón Otoniel Olivas (2008–2009, 2026) Enrique Llena (2010–2014) Javier Londoño (2014) Henry Duarte (2014–2020) Juan Vita (2020–2022) Marco Antonio Figueroa (2022–2025) Juan Cruz Real (2026–present)
Players
Current squad The following players were named in the squad for the 2026–27 CONCACAF Nations League A matches against Dominican Republic (twice), Curaçao and Costa Rica on 24, 27 September, 1 and 4 October 2026; respectively.
Caps and goals correct as of 14 October 2024, after the match against French Guiana.
Recent call-ups The following players have been called up for the team in the last twelve months.
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. INE Ineligible player.
Records
Players in bold are still active with Nicaragua.
Most appearances
RankPlayerCapsGoalsCareer 1 Josué Quijano 105 32011–present 2 Juan Barrera 99 26 2009–present 3 Manuel Rosas 60 2 2013–2022 4 David Solórzano 49 1 1999–2014 5 Jaime Moreno 48 142016–present 6 Carlos Chavarría 44 112013–2021 7 Byron Bonilla 42 72016–present 8 Marlon López 40 02014–20209 Luis Copete 39 32014–2023 Denis Espinoza 39 12004–2021
Top goalscorers
RankPlayerGoalsCapsRatioCareer 1 Juan Barrera 26 99 2009–present 2 Jaime Moreno 14 48 2016–present3 Emilio Palacios 11 26 2001–2009 Carlos Chavarría 11 44 2013–2021 5 Raúl Leguías 8 23 2011–20166 Ariagner Smith 7 25 2017–present Matías Moldskred 7 34 2021–present Byron Bonilla 7 42 2016–present 9 Luis Galeano 6 35 2015–202210 Jacob Montes 4 14 2023–present Rudel Calero 4 26 2001–2011 Samuel Wilson 4 29 2001–2013
Competitive record FIFA World Cup The Nicaragua national football team has never qualified for the World Cup. Their latest attempt was for the 2022 World Cup, when the side failed to advance from the first round.
FIFA World Cup recordQualification recordYearRoundPosition 1930Not a FIFA memberNot a FIFA member 1934 1938 1950 1954Declined participationDeclined participation 1958 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994Did not qualify 2 0 0 2 1 10 1998 2 0 0 2 1 3 2002 4 0 0 4 0 10 2006 2 0 1 1 3 6 2010 2 0 0 2 0 3 2014 4 2 0 2 5 7 2018 6 5 0 1 15 5 2022 3 2 0 1 10 1 2026 10 4 1 5 13 16 2030To be determinedTo be determined 2034Total–––––––35132204861
CONCACAF Gold Cup
CONCACAF Championship & Gold Cup recordQualification recordYearRoundPosition*Squad 1963Group stage8th4004215SquadQualified automatically 1965Did not qualify210124 1967Sixth place6th5014312Squad210144 1969Did not enterDid not enter 1971Did not qualify200224 1973Did not enterDid not enter 1977 198119851989 1991Did not qualify200225 1993200208 1996200207 19982002211 2000200202 20023003219 20035104111 2005310229 20074103614 2009Group stage11th300308Squad412156 2011Did not qualify401327 2013301225 2015300306 2017Group stage10th300317Squad721499 201915th300308Squad430192 2021Did not qualify6213911 2023Disqualified6420155 2025Did not qualify62 1 35 7TotalSixth place5/28180117650—741994679154
CONCACAF Nations League CONCACAF Nations League recordLeagueFinalsSeasonDivisionGroupYearResult2019–20BD6213911 2021Ineligible2022–23BC6420155 20232023–24BB6510171 20242024–25AB421155 2025Did not qualify2026–27AA4004414 2027Total——2613585036—Total0 Titles———————
Copa Centroamericana Copa Centroamericana record YearRoundPosition 1991Preliminary round5th200225 19935th200208 19957th200207 1997First round6th2002211 19995th200202 20017th3003219 2003Sixth place6th5104111 2005Fifth place5th310229 2007Sixth place6th4103614 2009Fifth place5th412156 2011Sixth place6th401327 2013Seventh place7th301225 2014Sixth place6th300306 2017Fifth place5th511356TotalFifth place14/1444553429116
CCCF Championship CCCF Championship record YearRoundPosition 1941Fifth place5th4004529 1943Fourth place4th6006739 1946Sixth place6th5104531 1948Did not enter 1951Third place3rd4004422 1953Sixth place6th6105418 1955Did not enter 1957 1960 1961Ninth place9th3003318TotalThird place6/1028202628157
Pan American Games Pan American Games recordYearRoundPosition 1951Did not enter 1955 1959 1963 1967 1971 1975Preliminary round13th3003223 1979Did not enter 1983 1987 1991Preliminary round8th3003120 1995Did not qualify Since 1999Youth teams participatedTotalPreliminary round2/126006343
Central American and Caribbean Games Central American and Caribbean Games record YearRoundPosition 1930Did not qualify 1935 1938 1946 1950Group stage8th3003419 1954Did not qualify 1959 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982Group stage7th301226 1986Did not qualify Since 1990Youth teams participatedTotalGroup stage2/146015625
Head-to-head record .
Opponents 3 3 0 0 14 0 +14 1 0 0 1 1 5 −4 2 2 0 0 6 0 +6 4 3 0 1 10 2 +8 14 6 4 4 24 14 +10 5 2 0 3 5 7 −2 3 0 1 2 4 6 −2 1 1 0 0 3 1 +2 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 1 0 0 1 2 7 −5 22 1 2 19 12 80 −68 15 4 4 7 17 26 −9 9 0 1 8 4 40 −36 4 4 0 0 10 1 +9 7 1 1 5 6 11 −5 31 1 3 27 21 120 −99 2 2 0 0 4 2 +2 1 0 0 1 0 1 −1 3 0 0 3 0 4 −4 28 2 5 21 18 74 −56 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 11 1 2 8 9 21 −12 27 2 3 22 18 82 −64 1 0 0 1 0 1 −1 3 1 0 2 3 6 −3 2 0 0 2 0 4 −4 3 0 0 3 1 10 −9 3 3 0 0 10 1 +9 29 5 1 23 26 82 −56 2 0 0 2 0 6 −6 1 0 0 1 0 2 −2 6 3 2 1 10 7 +3 1 0 0 1 1 2 −1 1 0 0 1 1 3 −2 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 7 2 3 2 12 11 +1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 5 2 0 3 6 11 −5 7 2 2 3 7 12 −5 1 1 0 0 7 0 +7 1 0 0 1 0 3 −3 1 0 0 1 1 4 −3 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 Total (43) 274 56 38 180 275 670 −395
Honours Subregional CCCF Championship Third place (1): 1951
See also
Nicaragua national under-20 football team List of football clubs in Nicaragua
References
External links
Nicaragua FIFA profile Nicaragua – List of International Matches at RSSSF