The CONCACAF Gold Cup is North America's major tournament in senior men's football and determines the continental champion. Until 1989, the tournament was known as CONCACAF Championship. It is currently held every two years. From 1996 to 2005, nations from other confederations have regularly joined the tournament as invitees. In earlier editions, the continental championship was held in different countries, but since the inception of the Gold Cup in 1991, the United States are constant hosts or co-hosts.

From 1973 to 1989, the tournament doubled as the confederation's World Cup qualification. CONCACAF's representative team at the FIFA Confederations Cup was decided by a play-off between the winners of the last two tournament editions in 2015 via the CONCACAF Cup, but was then discontinued along with the Confederations Cup.

Since the inaugural tournament in 1963, the Gold Cup was held 28 times and has been won by seven different nations, most often by Mexico (13 titles).

Honduras have won the title once, in 1981, at one of their two home tournaments. They had already been hosts in 1967, where they finished in third place. Ranking fourth on the all-time table, they are one of the most successful teams in the North American Federation. From 2005 to 2013, they reached the semi-finals on four out of five occasions, although they never reached the final during that time. In 1991, Honduras played their only true final, which they lost to the United States after the eighth round of a penalty shoot-out. Before 1991, the tournament was contested in groups rather than knockout matches.

Overall record CONCACAF Championship & Gold Cup record Qualification recordYearResultPosition*Squad 1963Fourth place4th7313812SquadQualified automatically 1965Did not qualify2 0 0 2 1 5 1967Third place3rd522142SquadQualified as hosts 1969BannedBanned 1971Sixth place6th5014511Squad2 1 1 0 2 1 1973Fourth place4th513166Squad2 1 1 0 5 4 1977Did not enterDid not enter 1981Champions1st532081Squad8 5 2 1 155 1985Runners-up2nd8332119Squad2 2 0 0 4 0 1989Did not qualify2 0 2 0 1 1 1991Runners-up2nd5320123Squad5 2 1 2 5 5 1993Group stage5th310265Squad3 3 0 0 7 0 1996Group stage8th200218Squad4 3 10 8 1 1998Group stage9th200215Squad5 2 1 2 8 5 2000Quarter-finals6th320175Squad54 0 1 115 2002Did not qualify3 1 1 1 12 5 2003Group stage10th201112Squad7 3 1 3 10 7 2005Semi-finals3rd531186Squad5 3 2 0 12 3 2007Quarter-finals5th4202106Squad3 1 1 1 11 5 2009Semi-finals3rd530264Squad5 4 0 1 9 3 2011Semi-finals4th512285Squad4 3 1 0 8 3 2013Semi-finals4th530255Squad4 1 2 1 3 3 2015Group stage11th301224Squad4 2 0 2 3 3 2017Quarter-finals7th411232Squad5 4 1 0 7 3 2019Group stage10th 310264SquadQualified automatically 2021Quarter-finals8th420277Squad4 3 1 0 8 1 2023Group stage10th311136Squad420257 2025Semi-finals4th521259Squad851 21711Total1 Title23/2898372239133127—9655202117286

Match overview TournamentRoundOpponentScoreVenue 1963Group stage2–1San Salvador1–01–02–2Final round0–31–21–4 1967Final round1–0Tegucigalpa1–10–02–00–1 1971Final round1–1Port of Spain1–31–21–31–2 1973Final round2–1Port-au-Prince1–10–12–21–1 1981Final round4–0Tegucigalpa2–02–10–00–01985Group stage1–1Tegucigalpa, Honduras2–12–1San Salvador, El Salvador0–0Tegucigalpa, HondurasFinal round2–2San José, Costa Rica0–1Tegucigalpa, Honduras3–11–2St. John's, Canada 1991Group stage4–2Los Angeles5–01–1Semi-Finals2–0Final0–0 1993Group stage5–1Dallas1–30–1 1996Group stage1–3Anaheim0–5Los Angeles 1998Group stage1–3Oakland0–2 2000Group stage2–0Miami2–0Quarter-finals3–5 2003Group stage1–2Mexico City0–0 2005Group stage1–1Miami2–11–0Quarter-finals3–2FoxboroughSemi-finals1–2East Rutherford 2007Group stage2–32–15–0HoustonQuarter-finals1–2 2009Group stage1–0Seattle0–2Washington, D.C.4–0FoxboroughQuarter-finals1–0PhiladelphiaSemi-finals0–2Chicago 2011Group stage0–0Carson7–1Miami0–1HarrisonQuarter-finals1–1 East RutherfordSemi-finals0–2 Houston 2013Group stage2–0Harrison1–0Miami Gardens0–2HoustonQuarter-finals1–0BaltimoreSemi-finals1–3Arlington 2015Group stage1–2Frisco1–1Foxborough0–1Kansas City 2017Group stage0–1Harrison3–0(Awarded)Houston0–0FriscoQuarter-finals0–1Glendale 2019Group stage2–3Kingston0–1Houston4–0Los Angeles 2021Group stage4–0Houston3–20–2Quarter-finals0–3Glendale 2023Group stage0–4Houston1–1Glendale2–1Charlotte 2025Group stage0–6Vancouver2–0Houston2–1San JoseQuarter-finals1–1 GlendaleSemi-finals0–1Santa Clara

Record by opponent CONCACAF Championship/Gold Cup matches (by team)Opponent002217314891520024142391411201383431811610013030031510011121304325038126203510714813519 / 11245811022142171480011350112131102322226680167312

1981 CONCACAF Championship

At their home tournament in 1981, Honduras started off with three victories over Haiti, Cuba and Canada. The other matches also went in favour of the hosts: Title holder Mexico lost 0–1 to El Salvador, El Salvador lost 0–1 to Canada, and Canada in turn only drew against both Mexico and Haiti. The table situation allowed Honduras to secure the title on the fourth of five match days, by drawing 0–0 against El Salvador.

The last match against Mexico challenged Honduras to stay unbeaten. It was also a chance to showcase their football to the region, which largely would have favoured a Mexican triumph. The match plan was to prioritize defense, which led to few chances on both sides. They succeeded in staying unbeaten by drawing 0–0, eliminating Mexico from the World Cup qualifiers in the process.

Final table

RankTeam18532081+726522121+135513163+345513166054512248−462502329−7

Honduras and El Salvador qualified for the 1982 FIFA World Cup.

Squad

The following players were active members of the champion squad:

Head coach: Chelato Uclés

Individual records

The following Honduran players have won individual awards at CONCACAF Championships/Gold Cups:

Roberto Figueroa: 1985 Top Scorer (5 goals) Wilmer Velásquez: 2005 (Shared) Top Scorer (3 goals) Carlos Pavón: 2007 Top Scorer (5 goals) Noel Valladares: 2011 Best Goalkeeper

See also Honduras at the Copa América Honduras at the FIFA World Cup

References