# Alexander López

Alexander Agustín López Rodríguez (born 5 June 1992) is a Honduran professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Liga Nacional club Olancho FC and the Honduras national team.

## Club career
### Early career

Born in Tegucigalpa, Distrito Central, Francisco Morazán, López joined Olimpia's youth system at the age of 7. He remained in the youth ranks until 2010, where he was finally able to make the breakthrough into the first team.

### Olimpia

On 8 August 2010, López made his league debut against Hispano F.C., coming on for Bani Lozano in the 70th minute. He scored his first goal – which was the second of the match – to help seal a 2–0 victory.
Following the 2012 Summer Olympics, López was continuously linked with a move to Europe, with English side Wigan Athletic being an alleged suitor for the young playmaker. However, these transfer links came to nothing, and López remained at Olimpia for the following season. In 2022, a British journalist called Kieran Morris claimed that Wigan's interest in the player, which was reported as fact in national newspapers in the UK and Honduras, had been fabricated by him and his friends, who contacted various press outlets pretending to be a club insider or journalist as a prank.

### Houston Dynamo

On 6 August 2013, López signed for Major League Soccer side Houston Dynamo as a Designated Player. He made his debut for the club on 20 August in the CONCACAF Champions League against W Connection F.C. in a 0–0 draw. He made his league debut 3 days later in the 5–0 defeat against the Montreal Impact. Despite impressing fans with demonstrations of his individual skill – most notably his 30-yard rabona chip for Jason Johnson on his first start against the New York Red Bulls – López was unable to hold down a place in the Dynamo side for the remainder of the 2013 season, as issues with homesickness and fitness prevented Dominic Kinnear from giving the Honduran an extended run in the side. He finished the season with 2 appearances, and providing 1 assist, playing no part in Dynamo's performance in the 2013 Eastern Conference finals.

### Return to Olimpia

On 18 January 2016, López returned to Olimpia and signed a six-month contract after it was confirmed that he would no longer continue with Houston Dynamo. He made his first appearance since his return the following 31 January in a 0–0 draw against Real España, replacing Romell Quioto in the 56th minute. He would help Olimpia win the 2016 Clausura tournament, which was also the club's 30th title win.

### Al-Khaleej

López signed a two-year deal with Saudi Professional League side Khaleej FC on 28 June 2016. He made his debut the following 12 August in the 3–1 defeat against Al-Faisaly, scoring his first goal. On 22 January 2017, the club announced through their social networks that they had terminated the contract of López.

### Second return to Olimpia

After his contract with Al-Khaleej was terminated, López re-signed with Olimpia. On 9 February 2017 he scored in his return match, a 7–1 win over C.D.S. Vida. López would win the inaugural CONCACAF League tournament with Olimpia in October 2017, after his side defeated Santos de Guápiles 4–1 on penalties in the second leg.

### Alajuelense

On 13 January 2018, López signed for Costa Rican side Liga Deportiva Alajuelense. He made his league debut for the club in a 3–1 loss against Pérez Zeledón. López would score his first goal in the return fixture against Pérez Zeledón in a 3–0 win.

## International career

On 18 November 2008, López made his debut for the Honduras U-17 during the 2009 CONCACAF U-17 Championship qualification match against Belize. He scored his first goal in the 53rd minute in a 9–0 victory. In 2009, he was included by Emilio Umanzor in the 21-man squad for the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Nigeria.
López represented his country at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He would only play three games, as Honduras would be eliminated by Brazil in the quarter-finals.
In October 2010, López made his senior debut for Honduras in a friendly match against Guatemala. He scored his first senior international goal on 1 September 2017 in the 2018 World Cup qualifying match against Trinidad and Tobago in a 2–1 win. His second goal would come on 21 November 2018 in a 4–1 friendly loss against Chile.

## Career statistics
### Club

    As of match played 29 September 2022
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | National cup | National cup | Continental | Continental | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Olimpia | 2009–10 | Liga Nacional | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0 |
| Olimpia | 2010–11 | Liga Nacional | 37 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | — | 44 | 3 |
| Olimpia | 2011–12 | Liga Nacional | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 22 | 0 |
| Olimpia | 2012–13 | Liga Nacional | 32 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 3 |
| Olimpia | Total | Total | 95 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | — | — | 105 | 6 |
| Houston Dynamo | 2013 | Major League Soccer | 2 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Houston Dynamo | 2014 | Major League Soccer | 10 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 12 | 1 |
| Houston Dynamo | 2015 | Major League Soccer | 16 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 18 | 0 |
| Houston Dynamo | Total | Total | 28 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 1 |
| Olimpia | 2015–16 | Liga Nacional | 19 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 19 | 2 |
| Al-Khaleej | 2016–17 | Saudi Professional League | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 12 | 2 |
| Olimpia | 2016–17 | Liga Nacional | 14 | 9 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 14 | 9 |
| Olimpia | 2017–18 | Liga Nacional | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | — | — | 21 | 4 |
| Olimpia | Total | Total | 27 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | — | — | 35 | 13 |
| Alajulense | 2017–18 | Liga FPD | 25 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 25 | 3 |
| Alajulense | 2018–19 | Liga FPD | 38 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 38 | 6 |
| Alajulense | 2019–20 | Liga FPD | 44 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 44 | 7 |
| Alajulense | 2020–21 | Liga FPD | 36 | 4 | — | — | 5 | 1 | — | — | 42 | 5 |
| Alajulense | 2021–22 | Liga FPD | 39 | 4 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 4 |
| Alajulense | 2022–23 | Liga FPD | 15 | 1 | — | — | 5 | 1 | — | — | 20 | 2 |
| Alajulense | Total | Total | 197 | 25 | — | — | 12 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 210 | 27 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 377 | 47 | 5 | 1 | 34 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 417 | 51 |
* ↑ Includes Honduran Cup, U.S. Open Cup, and Kings Cup
* ↑ Includes CONCACAF Champions League and CONCACAF League
* ↑ Includes MLS Cup Playoffs and Supercopa de Costa Rica

### International

    Scores and results list Honduras goal tally first, score column indicates score after each López goal.
List of international goals scored by Alexander López :
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1 | 1 September 2017 | Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, Trinidad and Tobago | Trinidad and Tobago | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 20 November 2018 | Estadio Municipal Germán Becker, Temuco, Chile | Chile | 1–1 | 1–4 | Friendly |
| 3 | 15 November 2020 | Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores, Guatemala City, Guatemala | Guatemala | 1–2 | 1–2 | Friendly |
| 4 | 24 March 2021 | Torpedo Stadium, Zhodino, Zhodzina, Belarus | Belarus | 1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 5 | 17 July 2021 | BBVA Stadium, Houston, United States | Panama | 2–2 | 3–2 | 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
| 6 | 2 September 2021 | BMO Field, Toronto, Canada | Canada | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 7 | 6 September 2024 | Estadio Nacional Chelato Uclés, Tegucigalpa, Honduras | Trinidad and Tobago | 1–0 | 4–0 | 2024–25 CONCACAF Nations League A |

## Honours

Olimpia
* CONCACAF League: 2017
Alajuelense
* Liga FPD: Apertura 2020
* CONCACAF League: 2020
Honduras
* CONCACAF Nations League third place: 2021
Individual
* CONCACAF League Team of the Tournament: 2017
* CONCACAF League Golden Ball: 2020