Football War

The Football War, also called the Soccer War or the 100 Hour War, was a brief conflict between El Salvador and Honduras in July 1969. Existing tensions between the two neighbours coincided with rioting around a qualifying match for the 1970 FIFA World Cup, which gave the war its popular name. Salvadoran forces attacked Honduras on 14 July 1969, and the Organization of American States arranged a cease-fire on the night of 18 July. Salvadoran troops withdrew in early August. The fighting was short but left lasting marks on both states and is counted among the factors that led into the Salvadoran Civil War about a decade later. Casualty figures are disputed: the official counts are 107 Salvadoran and 99 Honduran deaths, while other reports for the Honduran side run much higher.