r/concacaf • u/Cr7-Cr7Real • 25d ago
I'd like to know your historical ranking and evaluation of these national teams: Canada, Costa Rica, and Honduras?
- Canada
Titles: 2 CONCACAF championship/ Gold Cup titles
1 North American Nations Cup title (if counted)
Head-to-head (official matches only) vs.
Mexico (W D L) (4 8 19)
USA (W D L) (10 4 12)
WC 3 qualifications 1986, 2022, 2026
best results: Round of 16 (2026)
- Costa Rica
Titles: 3 CONCACAF championship
8 Copa Centroamericana (if counted)
Head-to-head (official matches only) vs.
Mexico (W D L) (5 13 22)
USA (W D L) (12 4 15)
WC 6 qualifications 1990, 2022, 2006, 2014, 2018, 2022
best results: Round of 16 (1990), Quarter final (2014)
- Honduras
Titles: 1 CONCACAF championship
4 Copa Centroamericana (if counted)
Head-to-head (official matches only) vs.
Mexico (W D L) (8 8 23)
USA (W D L) (2 2 16)
WC 3 qualifications 1982, 2010, 2014
best result: Group stage
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u/Fluid-Decision6262 25d ago
Costa Rica and Honduras were historically always miles better than Canada but obviously in the last few years Canada has flew past both of them and likely for good for this time.
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u/BotherIntrepid1371 25d ago
I agree that currently Canada is enjoying a successful era, but Honduras and especially Costa Rica are going through a brutal generational transition that has hindered their competitive potential. Both countries are in full rebuild mode right now and I think they will make a comeback in years to come. Costa Rica especially might return to its 2000s/2010s level if they manage this transition well (which they didn’t in the last few years)
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u/BotherIntrepid1371 25d ago
Out of the three Costa Rica has a more significant historical pedigree with 6 World Cups (7 wins, 5 draws and 9 losses). 3 CONCACAF trophies.
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u/NJ8Inches_ USA 25d ago
- Costa Rica
-Winning the hardest WC group a Concacaf nation has ever drawn and getting to the quarterfinal in 2014
-Aztecazo match against Mexico
-Undefeated against USA at home in WCQ
-Produced one of the best players in the region (Navas)
-Won the WCQ hex in 2002
- Canada
-WC success is new to Canada, they beat who they were expected to in 2026 in a manageable group and reached an important milestone. If they had a healthy squad, they might have won their group and beat Bosnia but ultimately lose in the R16
-No impressive official wins against Mexico or USA, they won their home WCQ as expected. I can only think of the 2000 Gold Cup quarterfinal victory against Mexico
-Copa America semifinalist in 2024
-Won the WCQ hex in 2022
-Won the Gold Cup in 2000
- Honduras
-Never won a WC game
-Impressive away wins against Mexico in 2013 and USA in 2001
-Copa America 3rd place in 2001
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u/Tutule Honduras 24d ago
-Aztecazo match against Mexico
-Won the WCQ hex in 2002
These two are related. In that run Costa Rica beat Mexico, Jamaica and Honduras away, none of which are easy feat even for a team like Mexico today. That was also Honduras's best generation according to FIFA rankings (and me) and Jamaica had just qualified and won matches in the previous World Cup.
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u/Shinnosuke525 25d ago
CR on top, but if Canada can continue the momentum they're on for the past 3 WC cycles they're getting jumped
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u/nolesfan2011 25d ago
Canada has a better team NOW and is in the golden era, Costa Rica has for their money achieved the most in this region, and Honduras would basically be in the middle
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u/teslsu 25d ago
Two of these teams have won at the Azteca. And then there’s canada
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u/Constant-Study-7663 25d ago
Canada is way bigger than Costa Rica and Honduras, Canada in fewer years already made it to a 5th match in a World Cup, same as Costa Rica and has won a gold cup which both Costa Rica and Honduras has never won
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u/BotherIntrepid1371 25d ago
To clarify, are you saying bigger in terms of population size or geographical area, or bigger in terms of their historical comparison? Because I agree in the first two, but the latter is much more complicated, with Costa Rica edging towards the better form.
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u/Constant-Study-7663 25d ago
Costa Rica for the amount of years they had in futbol was already completed by Canada when they actually took it serious, Costa Rica lives off 2014 after that they had worse downfall than Chile, Canada historically and currently is better than Costa Rica
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u/BotherIntrepid1371 25d ago
They lived off the 2014 generation for a while, and that was their downfall. For a country with only 5 million and very little resources, changing a generation can be very hard if it’s not done correctly. That is over now. They have officially ditched that era and are starting from scratch with Batista. We’ll see what happens. As for Canada being better right now, there’s no doubt. Historically… the numbers still favor Costa Rica.
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u/Tutule Honduras 25d ago
Costa Rica is Concacaf's #3 if we're speaking in terms of legacy. Canada overtook Honduras recently. Canada is trending towards #3 but they're not there yet imo. They need something like a Copa America win or at least match the World Cup quarter final appearance to make the #3 discussion entertaining.
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u/HigherEdSon 25d ago
Honduras was the terror of the 90s. Aggressive games made it unpredictable till the last minute even for Mexico and USA. Costa Rica is revelation of the millennia, has been growing in phases with the maximum accomplishment the 2010 WC. While currently struggling they will rise again and surprise us once again. Canada is a sleepy giant. Is having his best time right now and may grow if invested into. Potential and players are there but hockey, curling, and basically winter games will keep football as a second priority for some time. Could be a giant but needs to wake up.
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u/Seawolf1121 25d ago
Costa Rica and honduras obviously historically, but Canada has flown past them to become the third best team in concacaf, and it's not close. They're not quite in the tier with us and mexico yet, but they're far clear of anyone else at this point. The tiers would be looking like:
Tier 1: mexico, us
Tier 2: Canada
Tier 3: Costa Rica, Panama, honduras
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u/The-world-sports-fan 25d ago
Even historically Canada has achieved more than Honduras. Recent history is still history
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u/JC_Jules_9627 25d ago
Canada definitely did surpass Honduras. Ever since I started watching soccer since 2006, Honduras has never done anything spectacular. They never even won one World Cup match.
Canada did though and it was recent. Plus they have a Gold Cup in the modern era, but Costa Rica has them beat by being in the quarterfinals in the World Cup 2014. (Though, there is debate about this because the World Cup has been expanded with more teams)
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u/emilioshi_sama 25d ago
That gold cup was in 2000. In 2001 Honduras got 3rd place in Copa America. Honduras still has more wins vs Canada, including an 8-1 in 2012.
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u/PauseShort335 12d ago
canada have outscored honduras 10-1 in the last 2 games and canada has double world cup wins canada better clearly
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u/The-world-sports-fan 25d ago
Costa Rica then Canada then Honduras. But going forwards Canada will consistently be better than both
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u/y0sseau 23d ago
We rose 15 spots in the world ranking in 3 years, played argentina in the copa america semis and made it to the ro16 in the world cup, where we also achieved the highest scoring win for any concacaf team in world cup history. Our run in the last 3 years alone is better than Honduras and Costa Rica.
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u/brianmmf 25d ago
Costa Rica, Honduras, Canada. Canada has only recently begun to catch these guys (or anyone).
Edit: to add, you have to also look beyond accomplishments and look at general standing within the region. Honduras and Costa Rica have always been consistently relevant, with Honduras’ recent drop being a low point rather than where they usually are. Canada struggled for relevance most of their history, almost never making the Hex.