A four-day war fought between El Salvador and Honduras June 14-18, 1969 incited by riots during a playoff match of the World Cup.

Played in San Salvador, the match was the last straw in a decade of steadily degenerating relations between the two nations. Widespread economic decay in El Salvador forces hundreds of Salvadorans to emigrate to Honduras to find work. Hondurans became enraged at the loss of their jobs to immigrants; the Salvadorans became likewise enraged when their press reported stories of the mistreatment of said immigrants.

Against this backdrop of hostility, when the Hondurans scored the first goal, the crowd rushed onto the field and began to pummel members of the Honduran team. Honduras answered by bombing all of El Salvador's airports. Much fighting ensued--often hand-to-hand--in the streets of border regions. After about 100 hours of fighting, the Organization of American States (OAS) forced a peace settlement. In the end 3000 people were killed, 6000 wounded, and about 50 million dollars in damage caused to both sides.

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