HONDURAS · FOOTBALL PROFILE
Key Facts
- —The country Honduras is a Central American country that missed the 2026 World Cup and is now coached by Spain’s José Francisco Molina.
- —Why it matters Luis “Buba” López, 33, is a Honduran goalkeeper who won the Concacaf Nations League Best Goalkeeper award in 2021 and signed with an MLS club in 2018.
- —Why now He was in the headlines after Real España’s 2-1 league defeat by Olimpia on Thursday 15 October 2026, which our league report covers.
- —What happened López debuted for Real España in 2013, played his first game for Honduras on 4 September 2015 and was named Best Goalkeeper of the 2021 Nations League.
- —The numbers He made 124 appearances for Real España in his first five seasons, played four matches at the 2017 Gold Cup and saved two penalties in a 2021 shootout.
- —What it means for you US fans may remember him from the 3 June 2021 Nations League semi-final in Denver, where he denied Josh Sargent and Pulisic in a 1-0 US win.
- —Still open Whether Real España says anything official about his condition, and whether coach Molina calls him back to the national team.
The Buba López career runs from a school pitch in San Pedro Sula to Real España, MLS and a Concacaf award. Luis Aurelio López, 33, was in the headlines after Real España’s 2-1 league defeat by Olimpia on Thursday 15 October 2026, which our league report covers.
For US readers, he is the Honduran goalkeeper who denied Josh Sargent and Pulisic in the United States’ 1-0 Nations League semi-final win in 2021. This profile covers his career only, and the match and the standings are in Honduras Liga Nacional Standings: Olimpia Leads Round 10.
Buba López Career: From Rivera Hernández to Real España
Diez reported that scout Ricardo “Chaly” Zúniga spotted him in a school team’s 7-0 defeat in San Pedro Sula, where he still stopped about ten chances. He then joined Platense Júnior and moved on to Real España’s reserves, Diez said.
Real España gave him a first-team debut in 2013, and by February 2018 he had made 124 appearances in five seasons, according to Concacaf and MLS. The club won the Apertura 2017 title in that spell.
Diez wrote that he was first called “Bombero” as a tall forward in the Rivera Hernández youth leagues, and that the tag turned into “Buba”. López has said instead that the name came at Platense Júnior from a resemblance to the actor who played Bubba in Forrest Gump, so the two accounts differ.
Honduras Goalkeeper Years: Debut, Gold Cup and Nations League
López made his senior debut for Honduras on 4 September 2015, a 3-0 defeat at Venezuela, according to Concacaf and LAFC. La Prensa wrote at the time that he was the youngest goalkeeper to wear the national shirt.
He started all four Honduras matches at the 2017 Gold Cup, where the team reached the quarter-finals, according to MLS. Diez adds that he also took part in the 2016 Olympics with the under-23 side.
The night US fans remember came on Thursday 3 June 2021 in Denver, where he denied Josh Sargent on a header and stopped a Pulisic shot at the near post. The United States still won 1-0 on an 89th-minute goal from Jordan Siebatcheu, US Soccer said.
Concacaf then named him Best Goalkeeper of the first Nations League, noting he conceded four goals and saved two penalties in the third-place shootout against Costa Rica. Honduras won that match 5-4 on penalties.
The MLS Chapter With LAFC
Los Angeles FC signed López from Real España in early 2018, and coach Bob Bradley called him “an athletic goalkeeper who is very good with the ball at his feet”. The club said he was 24 and had played 124 matches for his first club.
LAFC later loaned him to Orange County SC of the United Soccer League, saying he had yet to feature for the first team. By June 2021 Diez described him as Real España’s captain, and El Heraldo used the same word in December 2025.
Where Buba López Stands With Honduras Now
Honduras missed the 2026 World Cup, its third straight miss, and Spanish coach José Francisco Molina took over in February 2026, El Heraldo and La Prensa wrote. López was not among the three goalkeepers, Alex Güity, Edrick Menjívar and Luis Ortiz, in Molina’s squad announced on 14 September 2026 for the four Nations League group matches between 25 September and 5 October.
On 16 September Mauro Reyes, then Real España’s interim coach, called López the best goalkeeper in Honduras, but said the choice belongs to the national coach. El Heraldo reported a day later that Juan Ignacio Martínez would take over the club, so that comment predates the current coach.
What to Watch Next
Two things would shape the next chapter of the Buba López career: any official statement from Real España about his condition, and the goalkeepers in Molina’s next squad. Neither has been published in the coverage reviewed.
The league context is in Honduras Liga Nacional Standings: Olimpia Leads Round 10, which covers the 15 October match and the table after Round 10. For the country behind the player, see Honduras Explained 2026: The Country, Its Politics, Its Economy and What to Watch.
What It Means for You
US fans who follow Concacaf football will know López from the 2021 semi-final in Denver and the 2017 Gold Cup. His short MLS link, with no confirmed first-team game for LAFC at the time of the loan, is a reminder of how hard that step is.
Honduras runs two hours behind US Eastern time in October, so a 7:30 p.m. kick-off in Tegucigalpa is 9:30 p.m. on the US East Coast. Nothing here is betting or travel advice, and the 15 October match is covered only in the league report.
What Is Not Known
No official club or federation statement about López after the 15 October match has been found, so this profile of the Buba López career states none. Molina has not said whether he plans to recall López, and no source explains why he was left out in September.
No federation source for his caps and no club source for his appearances after 2018 was found. Diez’s accounts of his schoolboy discovery and his nickname rest on one outlet and on López’s own telling, and were not independently checked.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Buba López?
Luis Aurelio “Buba” López is a Honduran goalkeeper from San Pedro Sula who debuted for Real España in 2013 and for Honduras in 2015. He was named Best Goalkeeper of the 2021 Concacaf Nations League.
Did Buba López play in MLS?
Los Angeles FC signed him in 2018 and later loaned him to Orange County SC of the USL. LAFC said at the loan that he had yet to feature for its first team, and we have not verified later appearances.
Which club does Buba López play for?
He plays for Real España in the Honduran Liga Nacional, and El Heraldo called him the club’s captain in December 2025. Our league report covers the club’s 15 October match against Olimpia.
Is Buba López in the Honduras squad now?
He was not among the goalkeepers in coach José Francisco Molina’s squad announced on 14 September 2026 for the group matches that ended on 5 October. Real España’s then interim coach called him the best goalkeeper in Honduras on 16 September, but that is an opinion and not a selection.
Why do Americans know Buba López?
He saved efforts from Josh Sargent and Pulisic in the 3 June 2021 Nations League semi-final in Denver, which the United States won 1-0. Concacaf then named him the tournament’s Best Goalkeeper.
More: Honduras news in English from The Rio Times.
Sources: Concacaf, 7 June 2021; Concacaf, 9 February 2018; MLS, February 2018; Los Angeles FC, 2018; US Soccer, 3 June 2021; Diez, 7 June 2021; Diez, 2016; La Prensa, 9 September 2015; La Prensa, 14 September 2026; El Heraldo, 14 September 2026; El Heraldo, 16 September 2026; El Heraldo, 13 December 2025; El Heraldo, 17 September 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief