Preview: Honduras vs Antigua and Barbuda – prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Wednesday’s World Cup Qualifying – North Central America clash between Honduras and Antigua and Barbuda, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Honduras welcome Antigua and Barbuda as both sides head into their final matches of the second round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

The formidable hosts aim to preserve their perfect record in Group A, while the visitors arrive in search of a first win to salvage some pride after a difficult campaign.

Match preview

Honduras remain the only team in Group A yet to drop a point, and they currently sit top with nine points from three matches following a dominant 1-0 victory away to Cayman Islands last time out, with the winner coming via a late own goal.

La H are rebuilding under the guidance of Reinaldo Rueda following two consecutive failures to qualify for the World Cup, and they now look firmly on course to return to the global stage with a renewed sense of purpose.

Their spot in the third round was secured thanks to an emphatic 3-1 home win over Cuba in June 2024, followed by a thumping 6-1 away triumph against Bermuda which has brought them one step closer to that ultimate goal.

Honduras head into this encounter on the back of three straight wins across all competitions, and another victory here would help them maintain momentum ahead of the Gold Cup, where they will face Canada El Salvador and Curacao in a challenging group stage.

Antigua and Barbuda approach this fixture without a competitive win since October 2023 with their most recent outing ending in a 1-0 defeat to Cuba.

Their last victory came in a 4-1 success against Bahamas in the CONCACAF Nations League, but they have since gone 12 matches without a win, suffering nine losses and picking up only three draws during that run.

With their hopes of reaching the third round now mathematically over, the visitors come into this tie with nothing but pride to play for, and will hope to register their first win of the qualifiers in what promises to be a difficult evening.

The Benna Boys have lost each of their last five away matches, conceding 15 goals and scoring just twice during that period, leaving their prospects of pulling off an upset against a high‑flying Honduras side extremely slim.

Honduras World Cup Qualifying – North Central America form:

Honduras form (all competitions):

Antigua and Barbuda World Cup Qualifying – North Central America form:

Antigua and Barbuda form (all competitions):

Team News

Honduras will once again be without midfield playmaker Rigoberto Rivas who was forced to withdraw from the squad due to injury and will continue his recovery on the sidelines

Luis Vega is expected to retain his place in central defence alongside Getsel Montes, while Andy Najar and Julian Martinez are likely to occupy the full‑back roles in what has been a settled back four.

Captain Anthony Lozano, who previously featured for Girona is expected to lead the line once more, and will be supported in attack by Luis Palma who offers a potent threat cutting in from wide areas.

Antigua and Barbuda will be without defender Leroy Graham, who was sent off late in the defeat to Cuba, and is now suspended for this fixture.

In his absence, Kylano Kazym is tipped to step into the starting line‑up joining Luther Wildin and Zafique Drew in what is likely to remain a compact back five, tasked with absorbing pressure from the home side.

Honduras possible starting lineup:

Menjivar; Najar, Vega, Montes, Martinez; Flores, Arriaga; Quioto, Alvarez, Palma; Lozano

Antigua and Barbuda possible starting lineup:

Martin; Daley, Drew, Wildin, Kazym, Morgan; Bishop, Bramble, Hughes, Deterville; Hadeed

We say: Honduras 2-0 Antigua and Barbuda

Honduras are expected to dominate proceedings given their better quality and home advantage, though Antigua and Barbuda may look to sit deep and frustrate their opponents with a compact defensive shape, it will likely not be enough to stop the hosts from securing maximum points.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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Data Analysis

Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats, suggests the most likely outcome of this match is a Honduras win with a probability of 83.27%. A draw has a probability of 10.8% and a win for Antigua and Barbuda has a probability of 5.91%.

The most likely scoreline for a Honduras win is 3-0 with a probability of 10.48%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome are 2-0 (10.12%) and 4-0 (8.14%). The likeliest drawn scoreline is 1-1 (4.94%), while for an Antigua and Barbuda win it is 1-2 (1.87%).

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