Marathón Next Fixture: Alianza Tie and Yairo Status
HONDURAS · CONCACAF
Key Facts
- —The country Honduras is a Central American country, and Marathón of San Pedro Sula is one of its biggest clubs in the Liga Nacional.
- —Why it matters A two-leg play-in against Alianza of El Salvador decides one of the last two 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup places available through the Central American Cup.
- —Why now The first leg is on Tuesday 20 October 2026, five days after Marathón beat Olancho FC 2-1 in the league.
- —What happened Coach Silvio Rudman says Colombian winger Yairo Moreno sat out that win with a stomach problem and began training on Thursday, while the club still seeks approval for its stadium.
- —The numbers Leg one is on Tuesday 20 October at 10 p.m. US Eastern (8 p.m. in Honduras), and leg two is in San Salvador on Tuesday 27 October at the same times.
- —What it means for you US readers should note the late Eastern kick-off, and the venue was still unsettled on 15 October.
- —Still open Whether Yairo Moreno plays, and whether Concacaf approves the Estadio Olímpico for the first leg.
The Marathón next fixture is the first leg of a Concacaf play-in against Alianza of El Salvador on Tuesday 20 October 2026, listed for 8 p.m. in Honduras and 10 p.m. US Eastern. The winner over two legs takes one of the last two 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup places available through the Central American Cup.
Diez reported that coach Silvio Rudman blamed a stomach problem for Colombian winger Yairo Moreno missing Thursday’s league win. Rudman said Moreno began training that day and could be called up for Tuesday.
That account rests on Rudman’s remarks as carried by Diez alone, and the club has issued no separate statement. Whether Moreno plays on Tuesday has not been announced, and the stadium for the match is still unsettled.
Marathón Next Fixture: What Is at Stake
Marathón lost its Central American Cup quarter-final to Costa Rica’s Alajuelense, drawing 2-2 at home on 10 September and losing 3-1 in the second leg, Diez reported. That left it in a play-in with the other losing quarter-finalists.
Concacaf’s published schedule pairs Marathón with Alianza FC, and Deportivo Saprissa of Costa Rica with Firpo of El Salvador. Each winner over two legs takes one of the last two 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup places on offer through the tournament.
The first leg is on Tuesday 20 October at 10 p.m. US Eastern with Marathón at home, and the second is on Tuesday 27 October in San Salvador at the same time. Concacaf says the club ranked higher on points accumulated in the competition hosts the return leg, and Alianza had 10 points to Marathón’s 8.
The two clubs have already met this year. Alianza won 1-0 in San Pedro Sula on 19 August through a 62nd-minute goal by Matías Mier, a result Concacaf said put the Salvadoran side into the quarter-finals.
Marathón president Daniel Otero told La Prensa on Wednesday that winning at home is “an obligation” in a tie over 180 minutes. He said the club has a real chance to beat Alianza and reach the Champions Cup.
The Venue Question: Morazán or Olímpico
Concacaf listed the Estadio Francisco Morazán for the first leg, but Otero said that ground remains busy with other events and will not be available for the Alianza match. Deportes TVC had reported earlier in the week that the Morazán would host a non-football event on the date of the Olancho league match.
Marathón’s own ground has no floodlights, so the club turned to the Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano in San Pedro Sula, which it registered with the league as its alternate venue. It played its league match there on Thursday.
Concacaf inspected the Olímpico this week and, Otero said, its lighting system did not pass the tests. The club said it had worked on the fix for two weeks and hoped to win approval on 15 October.
The reports opened for this article, all dated 15 October, do not say whether Concacaf has approved the ground. Lighting has been a problem before, since La Prensa and El Heraldo reported on 30 September that Concacaf fined Marathón US$6,400, US$3,000 of it for lighting failures at the Morazán during the match against Alajuelense.
What We Know About Yairo Moreno’s Absence
Yairo Moreno is a Colombian winger who scored his third goal of this year’s Central American Cup with a free-kick equaliser against Alajuelense on 10 September, La Prensa reported. He did not start Thursday’s 2-1 win over Olancho FC, and La Prensa’s line-up sheet for the match does not list him in the starting eleven.
After the match, Rudman said in Spanish that Yairo had a stomach problem and that it was decided he would not take part. He said the player began training that day and would have “the possibility of being called up” on Tuesday.
That is all the coach said on the matter in the report opened for this article, and no club statement or medical update was found in the outlets checked. The wording is cautious, since it says Moreno could be called up, not that he will play.
Rudman also pointed to Tuesday in the same remarks, calling it a hugely important match and noting that Marathón faces two playoff legs. On 14 September, in an interview with Deportes TVC, Moreno said he had returned from a muscle problem and needed more fitness, which is why he began on the bench against Olimpia.
What It Means for You
For US readers, the Marathón next fixture is listed for 10 p.m. US Eastern on Tuesday 20 October, in Concacaf’s schedule published on 18 September. The venue was still unsettled on 15 October, so confirm the ground and the time with Concacaf or the clubs before planning to watch.
The prize is a place in the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup, for which Olimpia, Cartaginés, Motagua and Alajuelense have already qualified, Concacaf says. Two berths remain, and this tie decides one of them.
Marathón’s league form and the table around it are in Honduras Liga Nacional Standings: Olimpia Leads Round 10. For background on the region, see Nicaragua and Its Neighbours in Central America.
What Is Not Known
Moreno’s condition beyond a stomach problem, his current fitness and whether he is in Rudman’s squad for Tuesday are not stated. No source says how many minutes he could play.
Whether Concacaf approves the Estadio Olímpico, and which ground hosts the first leg if it does not, was unknown when the reports were published. The sources also do not give the tie-break rule if the two legs end level on aggregate.
A kick-off time and broadcast details for any changed venue are not stated, and Marathón’s next league fixture is not given in the reports opened. Readers should check Concacaf and the clubs for the confirmed ground before match day.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Marathón’s next match?
Marathón face Alianza FC in the first leg of a Concacaf play-in on Tuesday 20 October 2026, listed for 8 p.m. in Honduras and 10 p.m. US Eastern. The second leg is on Tuesday 27 October in San Salvador.
Why did Yairo Moreno miss the last match?
Coach Silvio Rudman said, as reported by Diez, that Moreno had a stomach problem and did not play against Olancho FC. He said Moreno began training on Thursday and could be called up for Tuesday.
Will Yairo Moreno play against Alianza?
That has not been announced. Rudman only said he could be called up, so his place in the squad and the line-up is unconfirmed.
Where will the first leg be played?
Concacaf listed the Estadio Francisco Morazán, but Marathón says it is unavailable and plans to use the Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano. Concacaf’s lighting inspection of the Olímpico failed, and no approval had been reported as of 15 October.
What is at stake in the Alianza tie?
The winner over two legs earns one of the last two 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup places available through the Central American Cup. The other play-in pairs Saprissa of Costa Rica with Firpo of El Salvador.
Sources: Concacaf, play-in schedule · Concacaf, Alianza 1-0 Marathón · Diez, Rudman on Yairo · La Prensa, Olancho match sheet · El Heraldo, Concacaf inspection · Diez, Olimpico inspection · La Prensa, Otero · Deportes TVC, venue change · Deportes TVC, Moreno interview · La Prensa, Moreno goal · Diez, Marathón after Alajuelense · La Prensa, Concacaf fine · El Heraldo, Concacaf fine · elsalvador.com, Alianza play-in
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