2025 UNCAF U-19 Tournament

2025 UNCAF U-19 Tournament
UNCAF FIFA Forward Men's U-19 Tournament
Tournament details
Host countryPanama
CityPanama City
Dates5–11 December 2025
Teams8 (from 2 sub-confederations)
Venue1 (in 1 host city)
Final positions
Champions Costa Rica (2nd title)
Runners-up Panama
Third place Honduras
Fourth place Costa Rica
Tournament statistics
Matches played16
Goals scored53 (3.31 per match)
Top scorer(s) Selvin Sagastume
Eddiel Márquez
(4 goals each)
← 2024
2028 →

The 2025 UNCAF U-19 Tournament, also known as UNCAF FIFA Forward Men's U-19 Tournament (Spanish: Torneo UNCAF Sub-19 FIFA Forward), was the fourth edition of the UNCAF U-19 Tournament, the biennial international youth football tournament organised by the Central American Football Union (UNCAF) for the men's under-19 national teams of the Central America region. It was held in Panama City, Panama between 5 and 11 December 2024.[1]

The tournament's purpose is for the UNCAF teams to prepare for the upcoming 2026 CONCACAF U-20 Championship but it is not a qualifier. Originally planned to take place in early 2026, this edition has been brought forward to December 2025.

Costa Rica won their second UNCAF U-19 title by beating Panama 4–3 on penalties following a 0–0 draw in the final.[2] Defending champions Guatemala failed to retain their title and finished fourth after losing to Honduras 2–4 on penalties after a 0–0 draw in the third-place match.

Entrants

Six of the seven UNCAF member national teams entered the tournament, with Belize absent for the first time. This edition featured two guests from the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), Cuba and Puerto Rico, in order to complete the eight participating teams given Belize's absence.[3]

Team App Previous best performance
 Costa Rica 4th Champions (2022)
 Cuba (invitee) 2nd Eighth place (2024)
 El Salvador 4th Runners-up (2022)
 Guatemala (holders) 4th Champions (2018, 2024)
 Honduras 4th Third place (2024)
 Nicaragua 4th Fourth place (2022)
 Panama (hosts) 4th Runners-up (2018, 2024)
 Puerto Rico (invitee) 2nd Seventh place (2022)

Venues

It was the first time that Panama hosted the tournament.[1] All games took place on the football courts at the Yappy Park sports complex, owned by the Panama City club, and at the COS Sports Plaza, owned by Plaza Amador.[4]

Groups composition

The groups were announced by the Panamanian Football Federation on 23 November 2025,[1] while the match schedule was revealed by UNCAF on 4 December 2025.[5] No previous draw was announced, however, the hosts Panama and the title holders Guatemala were seeded and assigned to the head of the groups A and B, respectively.

The groups were conformed as follows:

Group A
Pos Team
A1  Panama
A2  Honduras
A4  Nicaragua
A3  Cuba
Group B
Pos Team
B1  Guatemala
B2  Costa Rica
B3  El Salvador
B4  Puerto Rico

Group stage

All match times are in PAT (UTC−5), as listed by UNCAF.[5]

Group A

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Panama (H) 3 3 0 0 6 0 +6 9 Final
2  Honduras 3 2 0 1 8 4 +4 6 Third place match
3  Nicaragua 3 1 0 2 2 4 −2 3 Fifth place match
4  Cuba (G) 3 0 0 3 2 10 −8 0 Seventh place match
Source: UNCAF
(G) Guests; (H) Hosts
Honduras 2–0 Nicaragua
Gutiérrez 65'
Arriola 90+1'
COS Sports Plaza, Panama City
Referee: Cristopher Ramírez (Costa Rica)
Panama 2–0 Cuba
James 47'
Vergara 86'		 Report
COS Sports Plaza, Panama City
Referee: Lenin Pérez (Guatemala)
Cuba 1–6 Honduras
Reinoso 32' Palacios 24'
Gutiérrez 35'
Martínez 40'
Contreras 45+2'
Flores 76', 84'
COS Sports Plaza, Panama City
Referee: Victor Caliz (Belize)
Panama 1–0 Nicaragua
James 81' (pen.) Report
COS Sports Plaza, Panama City
Referee: Jesús Aguirre (El Salvador)
Nicaragua 2–1 Cuba
Gutiérrez 13'
Uriarte 64' (pen.)		 Reinoso 30'
COS Sports Plaza, Panama City
Referee: Kevin Ulloa (Honduras)
Panama 3–0 Honduras
Vergara 22'
López 79'
Richards 90+1'		 Report
COS Sports Plaza, Panama City
Referee: Figo López (Mexico)

Group B

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Costa Rica 3 2 1 0 8 5 +3 7 Final
2  Guatemala 3 2 0 1 8 2 +6 6 Third place match
3  Puerto Rico (G) 3 0 2 1 4 8 −4 2 Fifth place match
4  El Salvador 3 0 1 2 4 9 −5 1 Seventh place match
Source: UNCAF
(G) Guests
El Salvador 2–4 Costa Rica
Díaz 15'
Miranda 26'		 Y. Leal 41', 90+3'
Estrada 55'
Guevara 85'
Yappy Park, Panama City
Referee: Kevin Ulloa (Honduras)
Guatemala 4–0 Puerto Rico
Sagastume 49' (pen.), 58' (pen.)
Guzmán 65'
Burgos 86' (o.g.)
Yappy Park, Panama City
Referee: Alainy Santana (Cuba)
Costa Rica 2–2 Puerto Rico
Garro 23' (pen.)
Y. Leal 45+2'		 Márquez 73', 78'
Yappy Park, Panama City
Referee: Guilmarth Matus (Nicaragua)
El Salvador 0–3 Guatemala
Sagastume 31' (pen.)
Pacay 52'
Márquez 85'
Yappy Park, Panama City
Referee: Figo López (Mexico)
Puerto Rico 2–2 El Salvador
Vicentti 24'
Márquez 67'		 Roque 4'
Ortiz 83'
Yappy Park, Panama City
Referee: Jeremy Phillips (Panama)
Guatemala 1–2 Costa Rica
Sagastume 70' Estrada 32'
Palmer 49'
Yappy Park, Panama City
Referee: Jesús Aguirre (El Salvador)

Knockout stage

All match times are in PAT (UTC−5), as listed by UNCAF.[5]

Seventh place match

El Salvador 3–5 Cuba
Arnold 54', 81' (pen.)
Miranda 56'		 L. Díaz 12'
Ricardo 39'
Rojas 45+2'
Brayan 85', 90+2'
Yappy Park, Panama City
Referee: Cristopher Ramírez (Costa Rica)

Fifth place match

Nicaragua 1–2 Puerto Rico
Uriarte 22' (pen.) Vicentti 6'
Márquez 81'
Yappy Park, Panama City
Referee: Alainy Santana (Cuba)

Third place match

Guatemala 0–0 Honduras
Penalties
Sagastume
Samayoa
Figueroa
Rivas 		2–4 Gutiérrez
Palacios
Salazar
Flores
COS Sports Plaza, Panama City
Referee: Victor Caliz (Belize)

Final

Panama 0–0 Costa Rica
Report
Penalties
Vergara
Perea
James
Richards
Gómez 		3–4 Sosa
Estrada
Leal
E. Hernández
Garro
COS Sports Plaza, Panama City
Referee: Lenin Pérez (Guatemala)

Goalscorers

There were 53 goals scored in 16 matches, for an average of 3.31 goals per match.

4 goals

3 goals

  • Yamil Leal

2 goals

  • Kionell Estrada
  • Pedro Brayan
  • Didier Reinoso
  • Gabriel Arnold
  • Uriel Miranda
  • David Flores
  • José Gutiérrez
  • Juban Uriarte
  • Ángel James
  • Josué Vergara
  • Isaiah Vicentti

1 goal

  • Dax Palmer
  • David Garro
  • Edmilson Guevara
  • Lázaro Díaz
  • Jaddiel Ricardo
  • Alexandro Rojas
  • Wilber Díaz
  • Johann Ortiz
  • Jeferson Roque
  • Francisco Guzmán
  • Ricardo Márquez
  • Justin Pacay
  • Yeison Arriola
  • Jaidyn Contreras
  • Juan Martínez
  • Yochua Palacios
  • Diego Gutiérrez
  • Estevis López
  • Moisés Richards

1 own goal

  • Adrián Burgos (against Guatemala)

Final ranking

Per statistical convention in football, matches decided in extra time were counted as wins and losses, while matches decided by penalty shoot-out were counted as draws.

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Costa Rica (C) 4 2 2 0 8 5 +3 8
 Panama (H) 4 3 1 0 6 0 +6 10
 Honduras 4 2 1 1 8 4 +4 7
4  Guatemala 4 2 1 1 8 2 +6 7
5  Puerto Rico (G) 4 1 2 1 6 9 −3 5
6  Nicaragua 4 1 0 3 3 6 −3 3
7  Cuba (G) 4 1 0 3 7 13 −6 3
8  El Salvador 4 0 1 3 7 14 −7 1
Source: UNCAF
(C) Champions; (G) Guests; (H) Hosts

References

  1. ^ a b c "Panamá será sede del próximo Torneo Sub-19 UNCAF" [Panama to host the next UNCAF U-19 Tournament] (in Spanish). Panamanian Football Federation. 23 November 2025.
  2. ^ Heilbron, Jaime (11 December 2025). "Panamá pierde por penales la final Uncaf ante Costa Rica" [Panama loses the UNCAF final to Costa Rica on penalties] (in Spanish). La Prensa.
  3. ^ Conte, Eric (23 November 2025). "Torneo UNCAF Sub-19 FIFA Forward llega a Panamá con selección local buscando la gloria" (in Spanish). Mi Diario.
  4. ^ "PANAMÁ HACE HISTORIA: Será sede del Uncaf Fifa Forward" [PANAMA MAKES HISTORY: It will host the UNCAF FIFA Forward] (in Spanish). JM Deportes. 24 November 2025.
  5. ^ a b c "Calendario Torneo Sub19 UNCAF Panamá" (in Spanish). Central American Football Union. 4 December 2025.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.