Union Centroamericana de Fútbol
Encyclopedia
The Unión Centroamericana de Fútbol (Central American Football Union), more commonly known by the acronym UNCAF, represents the national football
teams of Central America
: Belize
, Costa Rica
, El Salvador
, Guatemala
, Honduras
, Nicaragua
, and Panama
. Its member associations are part of CONCACAF
.
The UNCAF organize various competitions, the Central American Cup is played every two years, starting in 1991, and usually feature the 7 national teams. Costa Rica
is the most successful team, winning the cup 6 times (1991, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2005, and 2007). Honduras
has won the cup three times (1993,1995 and 2011). Guatemala
won the tournament in 2001 and Panama
in 2009. This tournament usually runs as a qualification round for the CONCACAF Gold Cup
. The UNCAF also ran the Copa Interclubes UNCAF
, a competition for the champions and runners-up of the domestic leagues of the UNCAF members; C.D. Motagua (Honduras
) was the last Champion (2007
). Similarly to the Central American Cup, this competition qualified 3 teams to the CONCACAF Champions' Cup.
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
teams of Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
: Belize
Belize national football team
The Belize national football team is the national team of Belize and is controlled by the Football Federation of Belize. It is affiliated to the Central American Football Union of CONCACAF...
, Costa Rica
Costa Rica national football team
The Costa Rica national football team, nicknamed La Sele, is the national team of Costa Rica and is controlled by the Federación Costarricense de Fútbol. Costa Rica is the third most successful team in CONCACAF after Mexico and the United States...
, El Salvador
El Salvador national football team
El Salvador's national football team represents El Salvador in international football and is sanctioned by the Federación Salvadoreña de Fútbol . In 1899, Santa Ana and San Salvador met for the first hosted football game in El Salvador...
, Guatemala
Guatemala national football team
The Guatemala national football team is the association football team representing the country of Guatemala and is controlled by the Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala. Founded in 1919, it affiliated to FIFA in 1946, and it is a member of CONCACAF....
, Honduras
Honduras national football team
The Honduran national football team, nicknamed Los Catrachos, La Bicolor or La H, is the national team of Honduras and is controlled by the Federación Nacional Autónoma de Fútbol de Honduras...
, Nicaragua
Nicaragua national football team
The Nicaragua national football team is the national team of Nicaragua and is controlled by the Nicaraguan Football Federation. It is among the weakest teams in Central America and achieved its first qualification to a major international competition in 2009, when they qualified for the 2009...
, and Panama
Panama national football team
The Panama national football team is the national team of Panama and is controlled by the Panamanian Football Federation. Panama reached the 2006 World Cup CONCACAF Final Round in the qualifiers and finished as runners-up at the final game of the 2005 Gold Cup...
. Its member associations are part of CONCACAF
CONCACAF
The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football is the continental governing body for association football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean...
.
The UNCAF organize various competitions, the Central American Cup is played every two years, starting in 1991, and usually feature the 7 national teams. Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
is the most successful team, winning the cup 6 times (1991, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2005, and 2007). Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
has won the cup three times (1993,1995 and 2011). Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
won the tournament in 2001 and Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
in 2009. This tournament usually runs as a qualification round for the CONCACAF Gold Cup
CONCACAF Gold Cup
The CONCACAF Gold Cup is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the regional champion of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.The Gold Cup is held every two years and when it does not fall the same year as an...
. The UNCAF also ran the Copa Interclubes UNCAF
Copa Interclubes UNCAF
The UNCAF Club Tournament was an annual international football competition held in the UNCAF region . The competition was open to the leading domestic club teams in the region. The winners of each national league qualified automatically. It also provided qualification places for the CONCACAF...
, a competition for the champions and runners-up of the domestic leagues of the UNCAF members; C.D. Motagua (Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
) was the last Champion (2007
Copa Interclubes UNCAF 2007
The 2007 Copa Interclubes UNCAF was the 25th edition of the international club football competition held in the UNCAF region representing the seven nations of Central America. This was the ninth year of the current format using the name Copa Interclubes UNCAF. The tournament was also be a...
). Similarly to the Central American Cup, this competition qualified 3 teams to the CONCACAF Champions' Cup.
National teams
- Copa Centroamericana – International cup for Central America, top 5 qualify for the CONCACAF Gold CupCONCACAF Gold CupThe CONCACAF Gold Cup is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the regional champion of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.The Gold Cup is held every two years and when it does not fall the same year as an...
. - UNCAF U-16 Tournaments
Club teams
- Copa Interclubes UNCAFCopa Interclubes UNCAFThe UNCAF Club Tournament was an annual international football competition held in the UNCAF region . The competition was open to the leading domestic club teams in the region. The winners of each national league qualified automatically. It also provided qualification places for the CONCACAF...
– Was a club championship for Central America in which the top 3 teams qualified for CONCACAF Champions' Cup.
See also
- CONCACAFCONCACAFThe Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football is the continental governing body for association football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean...
- CFUCaribbean Football UnionThe Caribbean Football Union, often referred to by the acronym CFU, is the nominal governing body for Caribbean football. It represents 25 FIFA member nations, as well as 5 territories that are not affiliated to FIFA. Its member associations compete in the CONCACAF region...
- NAFU
- CFU
- NAFCNAFCThe North American Football Confederation was founded in 1946 and a forerunner to the CONCACAF as the governing body of football in North America until 1961, when it merged with the CCCF/Confederacion Centroamericana y del Caribe de Futbol to form CONCACAF....
- CCCF