Andy Najar called up to Honduras for Concacaf Gold Cup qualifiers

Nashville SC defender Andy Najar has been called up to the Honduras National Team ahead of three matches in the March FIFA window.

"La H" will take on Guatemala in a friendly match at Inter Miami's Chase Stadium on March 16, before playing a two-leg Gold Cup qualifier series against Bermuda on March 21 and 25.

Najar, 31, has played for Honduras 51 times over his career, including playing in two of their three matches at the 2014 World Cup. His last appearance came in November 2024, playing 90 minutes in Honduras's 2-0 Nations League quarterfinal win over Mexico, as well as the full match in the second leg, a 4-0 loss.

Najar scored Nashville SC's first goal of the 2025 campaign, a goal that proved to be the winner in a 2-0 victory over the Portland Timbers. Najar has been a standout performer in his first season in Music City, earning MLS Team of the Matchday honors.

Bryan Acosta was not selected after missing Nashville SC's first three matches of the season with injury. His last match for Honduras was their 2-0 win over Mexico, leaving the match with an injury.

How will this impact Nashville?

Nashville travel to Philadelphia Union on Sunday, March 16, and then return home against CF Montréal on Saturday, March 22. Najar will miss both matches, and depending on fitness once he returns from Honduras's match on March 25, his availability for Nashville's home match against FC Cincinnati on March 29 could be impacted.

Julian Gaines is the natural backup option for Najar on Nashville's roster, but hasn't featured yet during the 2025 season, recovering from an injury suffered in preseason. He returned to full training last week and could be an option against Philadelphia on Sunday.

Josh Bauer, a center back, has featured as a right back several times, and spent much of preseason as the backup right back. He gives Nashville another option, as does Alex Muyl, who could shift over from a left midfield role in an emergency.

UPDATED March 13, 1:29 pm: Nashville SC confirmed on Thursday that Andy Najar will not leave on international duty until Monday, March 17. He will be available for Nashville SC's match against Philadelphia Union on the 16th, only playing for Honduras in their two-legged Gold Cup qualifying series against Bermuda on March 21 and 25.

Related

Nashville SC’s Andy Najar and Eddi Tagseth named to MLS Team of the Matchday

Nashville SC grabbed their first win of 2025 on Saturday, beating the Portland Timbers 2-0. With three points in the bag, Andy Najar and Eddi Tagseth were named to the MLS team of Matchday 3 for their performances. Andy Najar scored his first goal for Nashville SC just before halftime,

SixOneFive Soccer | Nashville's independent soccer newsSixOneFive Soccer Staff