This article will take you through the USMNT vs Guatemala National Football team timeline. USMNT has a bigger record than Guatemala. That’s from 20+ matches. Learn about this football rivalry going back to 1977. The friendlies, World Cup qualifiers, and CONCACAF Gold Cups are all here. See how Guatemala has recently been challenging the Americans.
Table of Contents
USMNT vs Guatemala National Football Team Timeline Overview
The USMNT has a 16-5-6 record against Guatemala across 27 official matches. Across these, the Americans scored 47 goals and conceded 19.
In the last 23 meetings, USMNT has shown some superiority over the Guatemalan football team. These are high-stakes tournaments.
USMNT vs Guatemala National Football Team: Early Encounters (1977-1989)
There were back-to-back friendlies between the two in Guatemala City 1977 around September 18 and 25. The home stadium was the Estadio Nacional Mateo Flores where the competitive tone was set for decades to come. The 1984 to 1988 era had four friendlies here in the same stadium.
The rivalry between Guatemala and USMNT got much intense in 1989 with the match for the 1990 World Cup Qualifiers and CONCACAF Championship. USMNT kept winning, and this was seen with the ubiquitous June 17 victory in New Britain and October 8 clash in Guatemala City.
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Guatemala and USMNT Football Teams in the 1990s: Breakthrough Battles
USMNT won over Guatemala 3-0 in the 1991 CONCACAF Gold Cup Group B at Pasadena’s Rose Bowl on July 1.
USMNT beat Guatemala 3-0 in that 1991 Gold Cup group match at the Rose Bowl and repeated the scoreline in the 1996 Gold Cup third‑place game in Los Angeles. That showed its regional dominance.
2000s World Cup Qualifier: USMNT vs Guatemala
The winning streak for USMNT continued from the 90s but got halted in the 2000s.
The grueling World Cup qualifying cycles from July 16, 2000 saw USMNT losing in Mazatenango and consecutively on September 3 of the same year in Washington.
The Americans quickly gained momentum from the loss in the 2005 – 2006 qualifiers. They had a victory in Birmingham on March 30. Then on September 7, there was a draw in Guatemala City.
Following these, there were friendlies around 2006 and 2007 at the Frisco’s Pizza Hut Park and 2007 Gold Cup in Carson. USMNT won against Guatemala in these too.
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Guatemala vs USMNT in 2010s: Intensity Growing
USMNT won the 2010 World Cup in Guatemala City on August 20 and November 19 in Commerce City.
Four years, from 2012 to 2016, there was a small but quite an unexpected win cycle for Guatemalans. June 12, 2012 at home saw this win at Estadio Mateo Flores. But then there was a triumph for USMNT on October 16 in the same year, in Kansas City.
The 2016 World Cup qualifiers saw a similar win and loss pattern for both. Guatemala won on March 25 in Guatemala City. USMNT won the next game on March 29 in Columbus.
2025 Concacaf Gold Cup Semifinal between Guatemala and USMNT
On July 2, 2025, at Energizer Park in St. Louis, USMNT won over Guatemala 2-1.
This was the Gold Cup semifinals. Diego Luna scored twice early before Guatemala pulled one back.
This also was Guatemala’s first semifinal since 1996. That was followed by their upset penalty win over Canada. USMNT got ahead with penalties against Costa Rica.
Key performers included Guatemala’s Rubio Rubín (two goals, one assist) and Óscar Santís. The one facing a USMNT side featured Matt Freese’s shootout heroics.
Head-to-Head: USMNT vs Guatemala National Football Team
USMNT has a 3-0-0 Gold Cup record. It outscores Guatemala 7-0.
World Cup qualifiers between the two rivals show 8-1-5 wins of USMNT with 21-8 goals.
Friendlies and others tilt 4-4-1 between Guatemala and USMNT football teams.
Recent form is towards USMNT 9-1-3 since 2005.
| Competition | GP | US Wins | GUA Wins | Draws | US Goals | GUA Goals |
| Gold Cup | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| WC Qualifiers | 14 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 21 | 8 |
| Friendlies | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 16 | 10 |
| Other | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
Venues and Tactics of USMNT vs Guatemala
USMNT at home rules against Guatemala.
In Guatemala, the altitude favours the home team.
USMNT usually plays with an aggressive high press. Guatemala is more of speed, and the transitions are quick in attack.
Future Outlook of USMNT and Guatemala National Football Teams
Standouts include Luna’s 2025 brace and historic USMNT scorers from qualifiers.
With 2026 World Cup hosting, this matchup signals Concacaf shifts, as Guatemala builds from Gold Cup runs. Expect more clashes in qualifiers.
The upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers will be held in the combined North American host countries United States, Canada, and Mexico. This unique opportunity places the USMNT under huge pressure to secure direct qualification on home soil.
Though USMNT automatically qualifies for the World Cup but will still compete in competitive fixtures and friendlies in the CONCACAF region in 2026.
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Guatemala’s soccer federation is capitalising on the 2025 Gold Cup success with investments in player development and coaching.
| Era | US Wins | GUA Wins | Draws | US Goals | GUA Goals |
| 1977 – 1989 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 4 |
| 1990 -1999 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 3 |
| 2000 – 2009 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 3 |
| 2010 – 2019 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 4 |
| 2020 – 2025 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 |
USMNT vs Guatemala FAQs
Q. What is the overall head-to-head record?
A. USMNT leads Guatemala 16-5-6 across 27 matches, with 47 goals scored to 19 conceded, reflecting a .704 win percentage since 1977.
Q. When was Guatemala’s last win against USMNT?
A. Guatemala’s most recent victory came on March 25, 2016, during 2018 World Cup qualifiers in Guatemala City (1-0), their only win in the last 10 meetings.
Q. How did USMNT perform in the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup semifinal?
A. USMNT defeated Guatemala 2-1 on July 2, 2025, at Energizer Park in St. Louis, with Diego Luna scoring both goals early; Guatemala pulled one back late amid heavy fan support.
Q. Why do Guatemala fans travel so well to USMNT games?
A. Guatemalan supporters like La Barra de Guate create hostile atmospheres in U.S. venues, as seen in the 2025 semifinal where they dominated chants and nearly fueled a comeback.
Q. Has Guatemala ever reached a major tournament final against USMNT?
A. No, but their 2025 Gold Cup semifinal run marked their deepest since 1996, ending in a narrow loss after upsets like penalties over Canada.
Q. What role does altitude play in Guatemala home games?
A. Matches at Estadio Mateo Flores in Guatemala City (over 4,600 ft elevation) challenge USMNT fitness, contributing to Guatemala’s four home wins in friendlies and qualifiers.
Q. Who are key historical USMNT scorers vs Guatemala?
A. Players like Diego Luna (2025 brace) and earlier stars from qualifiers dominate; USMNT has blanked Guatemala 7-0 in three Gold Cup meetings.
Q. Are there controversies in this rivalry?
A. Tensions arise from intense fan rivalries and close qualifiers, like Guatemala’s 2012 home win sparking USMNT criticism, plus 2025 debates over Pochettino’s tactics allowing a late goal.