Has there have ever been a squad in World Cup history with such an extraordinary array of family connections?
British fans will be familiar with robust Tottenham midfielder Wilson Palacios, but they may not know that he's one of four brothers who have all turned out for Honduras.
Wilson’s older brother Jerry plays as a striker, while younger sibling Johnny has recently been called into the squad as a defender. Then there's defender Milton Palacios, the oldest of the quartet, who has 14 caps to his name.
The Neville and Charlton brothers have nothing on these guys ...
But believe it or not, the Palacios clan is not the only family to be well-represented in the Honduras squad. Striker David Suazo of Inter Milan also comes from talented stock: his cousins Maynor Suazo and Hendry Thomas are also in the squad. Thomas, who signed for Wigan last summer, is also related to striker Allan Lalin. Got all that?
Also in the squad are two one-offs: captain Amado Guevara, with more than 125 international caps to his name, and centre-forward Carlos Pavon, who boasts an impressive international strike rate of 56 goals in 93 appearances. Premier League viewers will also recognise left-back Maynor Figueroa, who has impressed since signing for Wigan in 2008.
The side’s fortunes have been transformed since Colombian Reinaldo Rueda took over as coach in 2007. Honduras didn’t even make the final stage of the CONCACAF qualifying competition for the 2006 World Cup but Rueda has since moulded the side into an efficient unit who beat Mexico twice during the 2010 qualification campaign.
Nevertheless, the Hondurans owe a great debt to the United States for their participation in what will be only the second World Cup finals in their history (their only other appearance was in 1982).
Costa Rica had looked on course to clinch the third and final qualifying spot from the CONCACAF federation, until they conceded two late goals in Washington DC to draw 2-2 with a US team who had already booked their place in the finals.
That result meant that Honduras edged through with a nervy 1-0 win in El Salvador, sparking hysterical celebrations back home. The government immediately responded by declaring the following day a national holiday.
The festivities will be even more intense should Honduras prosper in South Africa – particularly in the Palacios and Suazo households.
