Player profile

Honduras’s all-time leading scorer, who won his first cap in 1993, is enjoying a new lease of life under coach Reinaldo Rueda.

Recalled after a long absence at the start of 2009, Pavon came off the bench to score in a friendly victory against Chile and went on to score seven goals in nine qualifiers, making him Honduras’s leading scorer in the qualifying campaign.

He scored the only goal in their final game, a crucial 1-0 win over El Salvador which helped book their place in South Africa.

A prolific scorer, he has played in Spain, Italy, Mexico, Guatemala and the USA, where he joined the LA Galaxy at the same time as David Beckham.

He is now back with Honduran league side Real Espana, based in the industrial city of San Pedro Sula. His coach, Argentine Mario Zanabria, describes him as an “area animal.”

Pavon has become an idol off the pitch. Married with two children, he recently became the figurehead for a United Nations campaign to prevent violence against women.