Copa Presidente (El Salvador)

Copa Presidente
Founded1939 (original)
2026 (revived)
RegionEl Salvador
Teams24
Current championsSanta Tecla (2nd title)
Most championshipsÁguila (2 titles)
Santa Tecla (2 titles)
2026 Copa Presidente (El Salvador)

The Copa Presidente is the top knock-out football tournament in El Salvador. The first edition was played in 1999, resulting champion C.D. Águila of El Salvador. From 2000 to 2006, the competition was played two more times with Atlético Balboa and Once Municipal winning the cup. After a lengthy hiatus that began in 2006, was restored in 2016 The cup is currently sponsored by Claro and thus officially known as the Copa Claro. The Cup tournament is played as a separate tournament from the league (played between First, Second and Third Division).

Format Change

In 2014, the tournament was briefly brought back played between Águila and FAS. However, the cup turned out to be a one-off event.

Re-launch

On June 16, 2016 it was announced that a new cup competition would be played during Apertura 2016 and Clausura 2017. The tournament will involve 12 teams from the First Division, plus 10 of the Second Division and 10 of the Third Division for a total of 32 participants. The teams will be placed into 8 groups of 4. The 8 group winners, plus the 8 group runners-up, move on to the new round (round of 16).

The cup will be called Copa Claro for sponsorship reason and the winner will receive 15,000 dollars.[1]

In 2025, Yamil Bukele, the director of the National Institute of Sports of El Salvador, announced that the Copa Presidente would return the following year.[2]

List of finals

Copa Presidente (1939–2013)

Year Champion Score Runner-up Goalscorers for the Champion Goalscorers for the runner up Manager
1930–31 CD 33 1–0 Firpo
1931–32 CD 33 0–0 (4–2 pen.) Aguilas
1932–1938 Hiatus
1938–39 Corsario del Puerto Libertard 4–0 El 44 (Santa Ana)
1939–1990 Hiatus
1990–91 Atletico Marte 2–1 LA Firpo Nildeson Misael Rodriguez Mauricio Cienfuegos Armando Contreras Palma
1991–1999 Hiatus
1999–2000 Águila
3–2
Luis Ángel Firpo Adrián Mahía (2) Paul Cominges Celio Rodríguez (2) Hugo Coria
2000-2005 Hiatus
2005–06 Atlético Balboa
2–0
Independiente Nacional 1906 Nelson Reyes (2) None Jorge García
2006–07 Once Municipal
1–0
Águila Mario Deras None Nelson Ancheta
2007–2014 Hiatus

Copa Presidente / Independencia (2014)

Year Champion Score Runner-up Goalscorers for the Champion Goalscorers for the runner up Manager
2014–15 Águila
2–0
FAS Sean Fraser Ronaille Calheira None Daniel Messina

Copa Claro (2016–2019)

Year Champion Score Runner-up Manager
2016–17 Santa Tecla
1–0
FAS Ernesto Corti
2017–18 Hiatus
2018–19 Santa Tecla
1–0
Audaz Sebastián Abreu
2018–2025 Hiatus

Copa Presidente (2026–present)

Year Champion Score Runner-up Manager
2026

List of Participants

Club Winners Runners-up Winning years
Águila 2 1 1999–2000, 2014–15
Santa Tecla 2 2016–17, 2018–19
Once Municipal 1 2006–07
Atlético Balboa 1 2005–06
Atlético Marte 1 1990–91
FAS - 2
Luis Ángel Firpo 2
Independiente Nacional 1905 1
Audaz 1

References

  1. ^ "Deportes | Noticias de El Salvador".
  2. ^ Rodríguez, Fernando. "Copa Presidente Regresa el 10 de Febrero de 2026" [President's Cup Returns on 10 February 2026]. El Gráfico. Retrieved 26 December 2025.