The Football War was not simply about football

Background

Why it is called the Football War
Tensions peaked during the qualifying matches for the 1970 FIFA World Cup. Honduras won the first leg 1–0 in Tegucigalpa on 8 June 1969, and El Salvador won the second leg 3–0 in San Salvador a week later. Riots followed in both countries, and a play-off in Mexico City was won by El Salvador 3–2 after extra time.

The deeper causes
The dispute ran much deeper than sport. Honduras had passed a land reform law in 1962, fully enforced by 1967, that pushed many Salvadoran settlers off their land, and in 1969 it declined to renew an immigration treaty. El Salvador was crowded, with land held by few owners, and by 1969 more than 300,000 Salvadorans were living in Honduras.

Timeline and outcome
Fighting lasted from 14 to 18 July 1969, which is why it is also called the 100 Hour War. Salvadoran aircraft attacked Honduran airfields and ground forces invaded on two fronts; Honduran aircraft struck targets in El Salvador the next day. The Organization of American States arranged a ceasefire on the night of 18 July, and Salvadoran troops withdrew in early August after the OAS threatened sanctions.

What followed
Casualty figures differ widely between sources, and most historians say civilians made up the majority of the dead. An estimated 60,000 to 130,000 Salvadorans were displaced, trade between the countries stopped, and a peace treaty was signed in Lima on 30 October 1980. In 1992 the International Court of Justice awarded most of the disputed border territory to Honduras.