Preview:Nicaragua vs Honduras - prediction, team news, lineups

Honduras can secure a place in World Cup 2026 on Thursday with a win over Nicaragua and some help on matchday five of qualification at the Nicaragua National Football Stadium.

Heading into this game, La H are first in Group C with eight points, defeating Haiti 3-0 the last time out, while the Nicaraguans remain winless in round three after a 4-1 defeat to Costa Rica.

Match preview

For a brief moment, it seemed as though Nicaragua would pull off another unlikely point on matchday four, but their joy versus Costa Rica was short-lived.

Marco Antonio Figueroa’s side conceded the winning goal two minutes after leveling that contests as they have just a single point in this phase so far.

For them to have a shot at qualifying on the final matchday, they must win this game and hope that Costa Rica and Haiti draw, as any other result would eliminate them from the inter-confederation playoffs.

They have points in three of their four 2026 qualifiers played at the Nicaragua National Football Stadium, including their only point in round three at home to Costa Rica on matchday one (1-1).

This team have given up a total of nine goals in their previous three qualifiers, one more than they allowed in their six competitive fixtures played before that combined.

A win for them on Thursday would end an over 60-year winless drought versus the Hondurans, with their only prior victory against them coming in a March 1965 friendly (2-0).

He took them to their first World Cup this century in 2010, and Reinaldo Rueda is on the verge of doing it again for Honduras in the coming days.

A win and a draw from their final two games would be enough to punch their ticket into the finals next summer, though a triumph on Thursday combined with a draw between Costa and Haiti would also be enough to see them through.

In the 2022 qualification cycle, La H were the only team in the final phase that failed to win a game, but this team have yet to lose in this decisive round.

So far in this phase they have been nearly impenetrable defensively, as they are the only CONCACAF side remaining in qualification that have yet to concede in round three.

Since suffering a 6-0 hammering at the hands of Canada in June, Honduras have lost just one competitive fixture in normal time (1-0 to Mexico), conceding a goal or fewer in their previous eight matches played across all competitions.

Los Catrachos are unbeaten in 16 consecutive meetings with Nicaragua, winning in 15 of those instances, including a 3-1 triumph in their previous visit to Managua in a 2016 friendly.

Nicaragua World Cup Qualifying - North Central America form:

Nicaragua form (all competitions):

Honduras World Cup Qualifying - North Central America form:

Honduras form (all competitions):

Team News

We saw four newcomers to the Nicaragua starting 11 from matchday three to four of qualifying, with Emmanuel Gomez, Bancy Hernandez, Jason Coronel and Junior Arteaga all coming into the fold.

Arteaga had the only goal for them in a defeat to Los Ticos on matchday four, while Byron Bonilla can move into a tie with Raul Leguias for fifth in all-time goals with his next one.

On the Honduras side, there are plenty of players unavailable, including Denil Maldonado, Edwin Rodriguez, Alexander Lopez and Jose Julian Martinez Crisanto, who are all dealing with injuries.

Goals from Anthony Lozano, Rigoberto Rivas and Romell Quioto gave them a comfortable victory over Haiti, and the latter can surpass Eduardo Bennett for sole possession of eighth in all-time goals with the national team.

Nicaragua possible starting lineup:

Rodriguez; Nino, Reyes, Cano; Quijano, Arteaga, Coronel, Barrera, Moreno; Bonilla, Hernandez

Honduras possible starting lineup:

Menjivar; Najar, Santos, Melendez, Rosales; Arriaga; Alvarez, D. Flores, Palma, Pinto; Quioto

We say: Nicaragua 0-2 Honduras

Even with their injury situation, the Hondurans have a strong defensive setup and enough depth up top to win comfortably against a Nicaraguan side who are still learning to compete against the stronger CONCACAF teams.

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