The 1981 CONCACAF Championship, the eighth edition of the CONCACAF Championship, was held in Honduras from 1 to 22 November. All games were played in the Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino in Tegucigalpa. This tournament was won by the host, Honduras, who earned their first title and secured for the first time a place in the FIFA World Cup, as the tournament also served as qualification to Spain 1982. The North, Central American and Caribbean zone was allocated two places (out of 24) in the final tournament. This edition was marked by an upset as Mexico, traditional CONCACAF heavyweights and needing a win to go through, were eliminated by Honduras. The 0–0 tie between Mexico and Honduras qualified El Salvador to participate in the World Cup as the CONCACAF runners-up. El Salvador also became the first Central American team to qualify for more than one World Cup. This would be the last tournament which would feature a host nation for the final round.

1981 CONCACAF Championship
Tournament details
Host countryHonduras
Dates1–22 November
Teams6 (from 1 confederation)
Venue(s)1 (in 1 host city)
Final positions
Champions Honduras (1st title)
Runners-up El Salvador
Third place Mexico
Fourth place Canada
Tournament statistics
Matches played15
Goals scored28 (1.87 per match)
Attendance470,484 (31,366 per match)
Top scorer(s)Mexico Hugo Sánchez (3 goals)
1977
1985

Venues

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Tegucigalpa
Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino
Capacity: 35,000
 

Qualification

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Teams

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Final round

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1   Honduras 5 3 2 0 8 1 +7 8
2   El Salvador 5 2 2 1 2 1 +1 6
3   Mexico 5 1 3 1 6 3 +3 5
4   Canada 5 1 3 1 6 6 0 5
5   Cuba 5 1 2 2 4 8 −4 4
6   Haiti 5 0 2 3 2 9 −7 2
Source: RSSSF

Honduras and El Salvador qualified for the 1982 FIFA World Cup.

Mexico  4–0  Cuba
Castro   18'
H. Sánchez   43', 50'
Manzo   53'

Canada  1–0  El Salvador
Stojanovic   90'
Attendance: 31,570
Referee: Pagano Trucios (Peru)

Honduras  4–0  Haiti
Buezo   35'
Urquia   40'
Laing   64'
Figueroa   75'
Attendance: 45,386
Referee: Aragao (Brazil)

Haiti  1–1  Canada
Romulas   34' Stojanovic   50'
Attendance: 33,237
Referee: Gracias Regalado (Guatemala)

Mexico  0–1  El Salvador
Hernández   81'
Attendance: 33,237
Referee: Aragao (Brazil)

Honduras  2–0  Cuba
Buezo   36'
Costly   69'

El Salvador  0–0  Cuba
Attendance: 22,774
Referee: Socha (United States)

Mexico  1–1  Haiti
H. Sánchez   87' Cadet   47'
Attendance: 22,774
Referee: Pagano Trucios (Peru)

Honduras  2–1  Canada
Caballero   12'
Figueroa   40'
Bridge   19'

Haiti  0–2  Cuba
Mathieu   55' (o.g.)
Núñez   90'
Attendance: 22,396
Referee: Bijlhout (Suriname)

Mexico  1–1  Canada
Castro   29' Bridge   57'
Attendance: 22,395
Referee: Socha (United States)

Honduras  0–0  El Salvador

Haiti  0–1  El Salvador
Huezo   18' (pen.)
Attendance: 16,826
Referee: Downer (Trinidad and Tobago)

Cuba  2–2  Canada
Núñez   2'
Rodríguez   74'
McLeod   48'
Iarusci   84'
Attendance: 16,458
Referee: Pagano Trucios (Peru)

Honduras  0–0  Mexico
Attendance: 50,000
Referee: Socha (United States)


 1981 CONCACAF Championship winners 
 
Honduras

First title

Goalscorers

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3 goals
2 goals
1 goal
1 own goal

Team of the Tournament

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Source:[1]

Ideal XI by RSSSF
Goalkeeper Defenders Midfielders Forwards
  Luis Guevara Mora   Ian Bridge

  Francisco Osorto

  Efraín Gutiérrez

  Jaime Villegas

  Norberto Huezo

  Ramón Maradiaga

  Ramón Núñez

  Carlos Caballero

  José Figueroa

  Hugo Sánchez

Notes

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To date, this is the last time that Mexico failed to qualify for a FIFA World Cup. (Mexico did not appear in the 1990 FIFA World Cup as they were banned in light of a scandal in which they used overage players in a youth tournament.)

References

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  1. ^ "Torneo Premundial Honduras 1981 (VIII Campeonato de Naciones (NORCECA) CONCACAF)". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
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