El Salvador take on the visitors Guatemala in a World Cup 2026 qualification match. The match will be played on Wednesday, October 15th at Estadio Jorge Gonzalez (San Salvador).
El Salvador have long forgotten the feeling of playing at a major event — their last appearances were back in 1970 and 1982, both ending in total defeats. On the Gold Cup stage, the pattern has been the same for two decades: early group-stage exits (as in 2023 and this summer) or quarterfinal eliminations, while in the Nations League they bounce between League A and B. In the current qualification, however, the team has shown some promise. After advancing to this stage, they started with a victory over Guatemala but then suffered a home defeat to Suriname. In October, they narrowly lost 0-1 to Panama. Still, the team has looked more disciplined defensively under David Dóniga’s guidance, conceding only three goals in their last four matches. The challenge now is finding efficiency up front — El Salvador have scored just twice in that span, which could be a key factor in this matchup.
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Guatemala also look to take advantage of their opportunity. Bicolor have never played at a World Cup. Even regionally, their golden generation dates back to the 1960s, when they won the CONCACAF Championship. Still, this decade has brought clear progress: they returned to the Gold Cup in 2021, reached the knockout stage two years later, and even made the semifinals this summer, losing 1-2 to the USA. In the Nations League, they quickly climbed from League C to the top division and managed to stay there. However, this qualifying round started poorly — a 0-1 home defeat to El Salvador was followed by a draw in Panama. Against Suriname, they shared the points again, ending 1-1. The team’s recent form remains inconsistent, struggling to convert possession into goals. Yet, with players like Rubio Rubín and Óscar Castellanos showing flashes of creativity, Guatemala still pose a real threat in transition play.
The two sides have alternated dominance in recent years. This time, El Salvador have the upper hand — two wins with a draw between them. The visitors have no realistic chance to win the group anymore, and it seems their opponents should seize this opportunity to claim a crucial victory. However, both teams have been unimpressive offensively, so the best option looks like “total under 2.5 goals.”
Prediction for the match: Under 2.5 scored goals.
