FC Motagua Squad 2025-26: Complete Players & Roster Guide

Honduras’s most decorated club fields 34 players across all positions for a demanding domestic and continental season.

FC Motagua – officially Fútbol Club Motagua, known as El Ciclón Azul (The Blue Cyclone) – enters the 2025-26 campaign as one of the most storied clubs in Central American football. Founded in Tegucigalpa and competing without interruption in Honduras’s top flight since 1965, the club arrives at its 60th consecutive season in elite Honduran football carrying the weight of 16 professional titles and the expectations of one of the country’s largest fan bases. The 2025-26 season brings a rebuilt coaching staff, high-profile transfer activity, and a squad assembled to compete across Liga Betcris de Honduras and continental competition.

Coaching Staff

Head Coach: Javier López López

Nationality: Spanish | Age: 50 | Licence: UEFA Pro

The 2025-26 season marked a pivotal coaching transition at Motagua. After legendary Argentine manager Diego Vásquez was dismissed on 11 August 2025 – following a disastrous start to the Apertura in which the club failed to collect a single point from four opening fixtures – the club moved quickly to appoint Spaniard Javier López López as head coach. López holds a UEFA Pro licence and brings an extensive international résumé that includes coaching stints at Real Madrid’s youth academy, Club Atlante and Cimarrones de México, Lugo in Spain, and Antigua FC in Guatemala’s Primera División. Known for an offensive style, a high-press philosophy, and strict tactical discipline, López assumed his role at the start of a new chapter for the club. His predecessor Diego Vásquez, who had led Motagua to the 2024 Apertura title – and who remains the longest-tenured and most decorated manager in the history of Honduras’s top flight – departed after 12 seasons, having managed the club for more than 300 consecutive Liga Nacional matches during his two stints in charge.

Goalkeepers

Marlon Licona – Age: 33 | Height: 180 cm

The most experienced goalkeeper in the squad, Marlon Javier Licona López is a seasoned Honduran stopper who has been one of the cornerstones of Motagua’s defensive consistency in recent seasons. His shot-stopping ability and command of the penalty area have made him the trusted number-one choice for the Clausura 2026 campaign, and across the season he has been among the club’s most relied-upon starters.

John Turcios-Castillo – Age: 23 | Nationality: USA

John Francisco Turcios-Castillo is a young goalkeeper with American nationality, providing cover and depth between the posts. At 23, he represents the next generation of Honduran-origin goalkeeping talent, and his presence in the squad offers the coaching staff a capable backup option across all competitions.

Daniel Paguada Sierra – Age: 19

The youngest goalkeeper on the roster, Daniel Alexander Paguada Sierra is a developing prospect being nurtured within the Motagua system. At 19, he is building experience through training alongside senior internationals and is considered a long-term asset for the club’s goalkeeper pipeline in Honduran football.

Defenders

Emilio Izaguirre – No. 17 | Age: 39 | Nationality: Honduran

One of the most decorated Honduran footballers of his generation, Emilio Izaguirre spent seven formative years at Motagua before his 2010 transfer to Celtic FC for €730,000, where he earned international recognition. After subsequent spells at Al-Fayha and a return to Celtic, Izaguirre came back to Honduras and rejoined Motagua, bringing his wealth of experience as a left-sided defender. Born on 10 May 1986, he remains an important presence in the dressing room and on the pitch at an advanced age.

Carlos Meléndez (Carlos Eduardo Meléndez Rosales) – Age: 27 | Height: 187 cm

A central defensive option combining physical presence with positional intelligence, Carlos Eduardo Meléndez Rosales has been a regular feature in Motagua’s defensive line during the 2025-26 season. His height of 187 cm makes him a commanding aerial threat at both ends of the pitch on set pieces.

Marcelo Santos (Raúl Marcelo Santos Colindres) – Age: 32 | Height: 181 cm | Weight: 69 kg

A veteran central defender with considerable Liga Nacional experience, Marcelo Santos brings leadership and composure to the heart of Motagua’s backline. His reading of the game and ability to organize those around him have been valued assets throughout the campaign.

Jhen Clever Portillo – Age: 22

A young and mobile defender who represents the emerging generation of Honduran defensive talent, Jhen Clever Portillo Portillo brings pace and pressing intensity from the back. At 22, he is developing rapidly and has been given opportunities to feature across the season.

Giancarlos Sacaza – Age: 20 | Height: 190 cm

Standing 190 cm tall, Giancarlos Sacaza Motiño is one of the most physically imposing defenders in the Liga Nacional. The 20-year-old brings aerial dominance and has established himself as one of the most promising young center-backs in Honduran football, drawing attention from observers across the region.

Midfielders

Jorge Serrano – No. 7 | Age: 28 | Nationality: Panamanian | Height: 168 cm | Weight: 64 kg

Jorge Luis Serrano Francis is one of the most active midfielders in the squad. The Panamanian international has registered 1 goal across 39 appearances (2,276 minutes) in all competitions during the season, demonstrating exceptional durability and consistency. His technical quality and work rate in the engine room are central to how Motagua build from the middle of the park under coach Javier López.

Héctor Castellanos – No. 33 | Age: 32

An experienced central midfielder, Héctor Castellanos brings veteran leadership and tactical intelligence to Motagua’s midfield structure. The 32-year-old has been a reliable figure across Liga Nacional campaigns and contributes both defensively and in the transition phase of play.

Rodrigo Gómez – Age: 31 | Nationality: Argentine | Height: 168 cm | Weight: 65 kg

Argentine midfielder Rodrigo Manuel Gómez provides the international quality and technical finesse that Motagua’s coaching staff depend on in the center of the pitch. One of the squad’s foreign imports, Gómez’s ability to control tempo and retain possession makes him a key figure in build-up play and one of the more technically refined players in the Liga Nacional.

Jefryn Macías – No. 27 | Age: 22

Jefryn Macías has been one of the standout midfielders of the 2025-26 campaign. The 22-year-old has made 40 appearances totalling 2,210 minutes, scoring 5 goals and accumulating 5 yellow cards – figures that underline his combative, box-to-box style. His energy, goal threat from midfield, and high minutes tally place him among the most important players in López’s plans.

Denis Meléndez – No. 26 | Market value: €125,000

Denis Meléndez is a technically capable Honduran midfielder who contributes in both creative and defensive phases. With a market value of €125,000, he ranks among the squad’s more valuable domestic players and provides important cover and competition across the central midfield positions.

Carlos Mejía – No. 77 | Market value: €200,000

One of the higher-valued Honduran players in the squad at €200,000, Carlos Mejía is a dynamic midfielder who brings energy and goal threat from central areas. His valuation reflects consistent performances and an ability to affect games in multiple phases of play.

Forwards

John Kleber – No. 29 | Age: 26 | Nationality: Brazilian

John Kleber is among the most productive attacking players in the squad, having contributed 7 goals from 12 starts (751 minutes) in a key forward role. The Brazilian international brings pace, directness, and a sharp finishing instinct. His ability to score from limited playing time underscores his efficiency in front of goal and his value to Motagua’s attacking output.

Rodrigo De Olivera – Age: 31 | Nationality: Uruguayan | Height: 180 cm

The headline winter signing of the Clausura 2026 window, Rodrigo de Olivera Donado joined Motagua on 29 January 2026 after a protracted transfer dispute with his former club Olancho FC. The Uruguay-born centre-forward became the most talked-about arrival in Honduran football after scoring 19 goals for Olancho in the Apertura 2025-26 – the highest total of any striker in the tournament. He scored on his Motagua debut in a 2-2 draw with Real España and has continued to lead the club’s Liga Nacional scoring charts with 7 goals in Clausura competition.

Romário – No. 11 | Age: 36 | Nationality: Brazilian

The Brazilian forward known simply as Romário brings experience and physical presence to the Motagua front line. At 36, he remains an effective contributor at Liga Nacional level, having scored 3 goals from 17 appearances (1,037 minutes) during the season. His composure and ability to link play provide an important foil to the other attacking options available to the coaching staff.

Mathias Vázquez – No. 38 | Age: 19

The youngest outfield player to feature regularly in the Motagua attack, Mathias Vázquez has earned his place in the rotation with 5 goals from 22 appearances across the season. The 19-year-old Honduran forward represents the club’s investment in future attacking talent and has developed rapidly under first-team coaching at Motagua.

Key Player This Season

Rodrigo De Olivera – The Transfer Window’s Most Compelling Story

No player in Honduran football attracted more attention during the January 2026 transfer window than Rodrigo de Olivera. The 31-year-old Uruguayan centre-forward became the central figure in one of the most publicised and legally complex transfers in Liga Nacional history. Having scored a remarkable 19 goals for Olancho FC during the Apertura 2025-26 tournament – a figure that made him the division’s top scorer by a clear margin – De Olivera became the most sought-after striker in the country. Motagua moved decisively to secure his services, but the deal was complicated by a contract dispute with Olancho FC, who argued a six-month agreement remained in force. The case went before Honduras’s National Football Arbitration Tribunal (TNAF), which ultimately ruled in Motagua’s favour, clearing De Olivera’s registration in time for the Clausura.

Born in Montevideo on 20 December 1994, De Olivera brings an impressive Uruguayan football background to Honduras. He previously represented Danubio, Villa Española, and Montevideo Wanderers – clubs that provided him with technical foundations that are clearly visible in his work within the penalty area. Standing 1.80 metres and described by observers as combining physical power with quality in the air and clinical finishing, the striker has translated his Apertura form directly into Clausura performances. He scored on his Motagua debut in a 2-2 draw with Real España in Jornada 3 and has continued to lead the club’s scoring charts, accumulating 7 goals in Liga Betcris de Honduras Clausura competition.

Within the Motagua dressing room, De Olivera has spoken publicly about his desire to play for one of Central America’s historically significant clubs. He revealed in a post-match interview that Emilio Izaguirre had personally played a role in convincing him to join the club, and that Motagua had actually shown interest in him when he was still playing for Juticalpa earlier in his Honduran career. The combination of personal ambition, sporting quality, and the narrative of a hard-fought arrival makes De Olivera the squad’s defining figure of the 2025-26 Clausura campaign. For Motagua supporters, he represents not only goals – although the goals are undeniable – but also the kind of authoritative, experienced striker the club needed to refresh its forward line after an Apertura to forget.

With Motagua currently posting an 80% win rate across their last five Liga Betcris matches, scoring 9 and conceding only 3, De Olivera’s arrival has coincided directly with the club’s upturn in form. At market value of €150,000 and contracted to the club, he is quickly establishing himself as the most consequential recruitment in Honduras’s current season.

Frequently Asked Questions