Nicaragua national football team
Men's association football team
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The Nicaragua national football team (Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Nicaragua) represents Nicaragua in men's international football, which is governed by the Federación Nicaragüense de Fútbol (English: Nicaraguan Football Federation) 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.
Los Pinoleros (The Pinoleros)
| Nickname(s) | La Azul y Blanco (The Blue and White) Los Pinoleros (The Pinoleros) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Federación Nicaragüense de Fútbol (FENIFUT) | |||
| Confederation | CONCACAF (North America) | |||
| Sub-confederation | UNCAF (Central America) | |||
| Head coach | Juan Cruz Real | |||
| Captain | Juan Barrera | |||
| Most caps | Josué Quijano (108) | |||
| Top scorer | Juan Barrera (26) | |||
| Home stadium | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol | |||
| FIFA code | NCA | |||
| ||||
| FIFA ranking | ||||
| Current | 131 | |||
| Highest | 92 (December 2015) | |||
| Lowest | 193 (May 2001) | |||
| First international | ||||
(San Salvador, El Salvador; 1 May 1929) | ||||
| Biggest win | ||||
(San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic; 27 March 2021) | ||||
| Biggest defeat | ||||
(San José, Costa Rica; 13 March 1946) (Guatemala City, Guatemala; 2 March 1950) | ||||
| CONCACAF Championship / Gold Cup | ||||
| Appearances | 5 (first in 1963) | |||
| Best result | Sixth place (1967) | |||
| CONCACAF Nations League | ||||
| Appearances | 4 (first in 2019–20) | |||
| Best result | Group stage (2024–25) | |||
| CCCF Championship | ||||
| Appearances | 6 (first in 1941) | |||
| Best result | Third place (1951) | |||
| Copa Centroamericana | ||||
| Appearances | 14 (first in 1991) | |||
| Best result | Fifth place (2005, 2009, 2017) | |||
Medal record | ||||
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.[2]
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.[3]
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.[4]
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.[5]
Team image
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.
Win Draw Loss Fixture
2025
| 21 March 2025 Gold Cup qualification | Guadeloupe | 1–0 | | Le Gosier, Guadeloupe |
| 20:00 UTC−4 |
|
Report | Stadium: Stade Roger Zami Referee: Nelson Salgado (Honduras) |
| 25 March 2025 Gold Cup qualification | Nicaragua | 0–1 (0–2 agg.) | | Managua, Nicaragua |
| 18:30 UTC−6 | Report |
|
Stadium: Estadio Nacional de Fútbol Referee: Fernando Hernández (Mexico) | |
| Note: Guadeloupe won 2–0 on aggregate and qualified for the Finals. | ||||
| 1 June Friendly | Puerto Rico | 1–1 | | Pawtucket, United States |
| 16:30 UTC−4 |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Centreville Bank Stadium |
| 6 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | Nicaragua | 1–0 | | Managua, Nicaragua |
| 20:00 UTC−6 |
|
Report | Stadium: Estadio Nacional de Fútbol Attendance: 18,532 Referee: Katja Koroleva (United States) |
| 10 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | Panama | 3–0 | | Panama City, Panama |
| 19:00 UTC−5 | Report | Stadium: Estadio Rommel Fernández Referee: Ismael López (Mexico) |
| 5 September 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | Nicaragua | 1–1 | | Managua, Nicaragua |
| 20:00 UTC−6 | Report |
|
Stadium: Estadio Nacional Attendance: 19,532 Referee: Marco Ortíz (Mexico) |
| 9 September 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | Honduras | 2–0 | | Tegucigalpa, Honduras |
| 20:00 UTC−6 | Report | Stadium: Estadio Nacional Chelato Uclés Referee: Armando Villarreal (United States) |
| 9 October 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | Nicaragua | 0–3 | | Managua, Nicaragua |
| 18:00 UTC−6 | Report |
|
Stadium: Estadio Nacional Referee: Víctor Cáceres Hernández (Mexico) |
| 13 October 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | Costa Rica | 4–1 | | San José, Costa Rica |
| 20:00 UTC−6 | Report |
|
Stadium: Estadio Nacional Referee: Ismael Cornejo (El Salvador) |
| 13 November 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | Nicaragua | 2–0 | | Managua, Nicaragua |
| 20:00 UTC−6 |
|
Report | Stadium: Estadio Nacional Referee: Ismail Elfath (United States) |
| 18 November 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | Haiti | 2–0 | | Willemstad, Curaçao |
| 21:00 UTC−4 |
|
Report | Stadium: Ergilio Hato Stadium Referee: Mario Escobar (Guatemala) |
2026
Coaching staff
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 called up to the squad for the friendly match against Russia on 27 March 2026.[6]
Caps and goals correct as of 14 October 2024, after the match against French Guiana.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Alyer López | 16 May 1999 | 4 | 0 | |
| 12 | GK | Adonis Pineda | 2 April 1997 | 0 | 0 | |
| 23 | GK | Darryl Parker | 7 March 1993 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2 | DF | Josué Quijano | 10 March 1991 | 99 | 3 | |
| 3 | DF | Óscar Acevedo | 18 March 1997 | 29 | 2 | |
| 5 | DF | Justing Cano | 2 March 2002 | 3 | 0 | |
| 6 | DF | Joab Gutiérrez | 31 March 2006 | 1 | 0 | |
| 18 | DF | Leyner Moses | 17 October 2005 | 0 | 0 | |
| 19 | DF | Evert Martínez | 8 March 2002 | 1 | 0 | |
| 21 | DF | Christian Reyes | 3 January 1998 | 12 | 0 | |
| 22 | DF | Anyelo Velásquez | 22 December 2004 | 1 | 0 | |
| 4 | MF | Jefferson Rivera | 3 November 1996 | 0 | 0 | |
| 8 | MF | Jacob Montes | 20 December 1998 | 11 | 4 | |
| 13 | MF | Marvin Barahona | 5 September 2005 | 0 | 0 | |
| 14 | MF | Jason Coronel | 6 October 1993 | 32 | 0 | |
| 15 | MF | Jonathan Moncada | 3 January 1998 | 16 | 0 | |
| 17 | MF | Marlon López | 2 November 1992 | 44 | 0 | |
| 7 | FW | Bancy Hernández | 27 June 2000 | 14 | 2 | |
| 9 | FW | José Martínez | 13 February 2005 | 0 | 0 | |
| 10 | FW | Byron Bonilla | 30 August 1993 | 35 | 6 | |
| 11 | FW | Juan Barrera (captain) | 2 May 1989 | 93 | 26 | |
| 16 | FW | Jorge García | 27 August 1998 | 12 | 1 | |
| 20 | FW | Edgar Castillo | 21 May 2002 | 1 | 0 | |
Recent call-ups
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 | César Salandia | 13 June 2004 | 5 | 0 | v. | |
| GK | Brandon Mayorga | 6 January 1998 | 0 | 0 | v. | |
| GK | Miguel Rodríguez | 13 June 2003 | 13 | 0 | v. | |
| GK | Jason Vega | 6 November 1995 | 3 | 0 | v. | |
| DF | Juan Luis Pérez | 29 June 1999 | 15 | 3 | Microcycle, March 2026 | |
| DF | Henry Niño | 3 October 1997 | 25 | 1 | v. | |
| DF | Emmanuel Gómez | 17 May 2000 | 6 | 0 | v. | |
| DF | Junior Delgado | 24 September 1993 | 1 | 0 | v. | |
| DF | Steven Cáceres | 24 September 1993 | 1 | 0 | v. | |
| DF | Melvin Hernández | 26 April 1994 | 12 | 0 | v. | |
| DF | Marvin Fletes | 12 November 1997 | 37 | 2 | v. | |
| MF | Junior Arteaga | 9 December 1999 | 18 | 2 | v. | |
| MF | Matías Moldskred Belli | 12 August 1997 | 29 | 7 | v. | |
| MF | Nextaly Rodríguez | 3 March 1998 | 10 | 1 | v. | |
| MF | Kevin Serapio | 9 April 1996 | 28 | 1 | v. | |
| FW | Ariagner Smith | 13 December 1998 | 20 | 7 | Microcycle, March 2026 | |
| FW | Edwin Zepeda | 22 May 2009 | 0 | 0 | Microcycle, March 2026 | |
| FW | Brayan López | 3 June 1990 | 11 | 0 | v. | |
| FW | Jaime Moreno | 30 March 1995 | 42 | 13 | v. | |
| FW | Ariel Arauz | 30 May 2001 | 3 | 0 | v. | |
| FW | Widman Talavera | 12 January 2003 | 15 | 3 | v. | |
INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury. | ||||||
Records
- As of 9 October 2025[7]
- Players in bold are still active with Nicaragua.
Most appearances

| Rank | Player | Caps | Goals | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Josué Quijano | 105 | 3 | 2011–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 | 14 | 2016–present |
| 6 | Carlos Chavarría | 44 | 11 | 2013–2021 |
| 7 | Byron Bonilla | 42 | 7 | 2016–present |
| 8 | Marlon López | 40 | 0 | 2014–2020 |
| 9 | Luis Copete | 39 | 3 | 2014–2023 |
| Denis Espinoza | 39 | 1 | 2004–2021 | |
Top goalscorers

| Rank | Player | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Juan Barrera | 26 | 99 | 0.26 | 2009–present |
| 2 | Jaime Moreno | 14 | 48 | 0.29 | 2016–present |
| 3 | Emilio Palacios | 11 | 26 | 0.42 | 2001–2009 |
| Carlos Chavarría | 11 | 44 | 0.25 | 2013–2021 | |
| 5 | Raúl Leguías | 8 | 23 | 0.35 | 2011–2016 |
| 6 | Ariagner Smith | 7 | 25 | 0.28 | 2017–present |
| Matías Moldskred | 7 | 34 | 0.21 | 2021–present | |
| Byron Bonilla | 7 | 42 | 0.17 | 2016–present | |
| 9 | Luis Galeano | 6 | 35 | 0.17 | 2015–2022 |
| 10 | Jacob Montes | 4 | 14 | 0.29 | 2023–present |
| Rudel Calero | 4 | 26 | 0.15 | 2001–2011 | |
| Samuel Wilson | 4 | 29 | 0.14 | 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 record | Qualification record | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
| Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | ||||||||||||||
| Declined participation | Declined participation | ||||||||||||||
| Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 10 | |||||||||
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||||
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 10 | ||||||||||
| 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | ||||||||||
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | ||||||||||
| 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 7 | ||||||||||
| 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 5 | ||||||||||
| 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 1 | ||||||||||
| 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 13 | 16 | ||||||||||
| To be determined | To be determined | ||||||||||||||
| Total | – | 0/19 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 35 | 13 | 2 | 20 | 48 | 61 | |
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 | |
| Group stage | 8th | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 15 | Squad | Qualified automatically | |||||||
| Did not qualify | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||||||||||
| Sixth place | 6th | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 12 | Squad | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | ||
| Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||||
| Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||||||||||
| Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||||
| 1985 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1989 | ||||||||||||||||
| Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | ||||||||||
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | |||||||||||
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | |||||||||||
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 11 | |||||||||||
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |||||||||||
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 19 | |||||||||||
| 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 11 | |||||||||||
| 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 9 | |||||||||||
| 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 14 | |||||||||||
| Group stage | 11th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | Squad | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 6 | ||
| Did not qualify | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | ||||||||||
| 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | |||||||||||
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | |||||||||||
| Group stage | 10th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7 | Squad | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 9 | ||
| 15th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | Squad | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 2 | |||
| Did not qualify | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 11 | ||||||||||
| Disqualified[5] | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 5 | ||||||||||
| Did not qualify | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 7 | ||||||||||
| Total | Sixth place | 5/28 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 6 | 50 | — | 74 | 19 | 9 | 46 | 79 | 154 | |
CONCACAF Nations League
| CONCACAF Nations League record | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League | Finals | |||||||||||||||||||
| Season | Division | Group | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | P/R | Year | Result | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | ||
| 2019–20 | B | D | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 11 | Ineligible | |||||||||||
| 2022–23 | B | C | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 5 | ||||||||||||
| 2023–24 | B | B | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| 2024–25 | A | B | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | Did not qualify | |||||||||||
| 2026–27 | A | To be determined | To be determined | |||||||||||||||||
| Total | — | — | 22 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 46 | 22 | — | Total | 0 Titles | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
Copa Centroamericana
| Copa Centroamericana record | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
| Preliminary round | 5th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | ||
| 5th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | |||
| 7th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | |||
| First round | 6th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 11 | ||
| 5th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |||
| 7th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 19 | |||
| Sixth place | 6th | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 11 | ||
| Fifth place | 5th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 9 | ||
| Sixth place | 6th | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 14 | ||
| Fifth place | 5th | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 6 | ||
| Sixth place | 6th | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | ||
| Seventh place | 7th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | ||
| Sixth place | 6th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | ||
| Fifth place | 5th | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 6 | ||
| Total | Fifth place | 14/14 | 44 | 5 | 5 | 34 | 29 | 116 | |
CCCF Championship
Pan American Games
Central American and Caribbean Games
Head-to-head record
- As of 27 March 2026.[8]
Positive Record Neutral Record Negative Record
| Opponents | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| 21 | 1 | 2 | 18 | 12 | 77 | −65 | |
| 15 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 17 | 26 | −9 | |
| 8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 34 | −31 | |
| 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | +9 | |
| 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | −2 | |
| 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 | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | −2 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 (42) | 267 | 56 | 37 | 174 | 270 | 650 | −380 |
- Includes matches against the Netherlands Antilles.
Honours
Subregional
- CCCF Championship
Third place (1): 1951