In front of a roaring crowd of over 70,000 at Houston’s NRG Stadium, Mexico secured its 10th CONCACAF Gold Cup title on Sunday night, edging fierce rivals the United States 2-1 in a pulsating final.
It was the last major showdown for both nations before they co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside Canada, and the stakes were reflected in the intensity from the opening whistle.
The United States struck first, catching Mexico napping just four minutes into the contest.
A well-placed free kick from Sebastian Berhalter found Chris Richards, whose thunderous header clipped the crossbar before bouncing into the net, sending the American fans into early celebration.
But El Tri quickly regained their composure and began to dictate the pace of the game, maintaining nearly twice as much possession throughout a dominant first-half stretch.
The equalizer came in the 27th minute. Raúl Jiménez, lurking in the box, received a crisp pass from Marcel Ruíz and fired a shot into the roof of the net from close range.
After scoring, Jiménez paid tribute to his late former teammate Diogo Jota, holding up the Portuguese star’s jersey and mimicking his iconic celebration—a poignant moment that resonated across the stadium.
The second half turned into a tactical chess match, with both teams carving out chances but failing to convert. That changed in the 77th minute when Mexico made good on another set piece.
Johan Vásquez’s header redirected the free kick toward Edson Álvarez, who dove low to nod it past U.S. goalkeeper Matthew Freese. Though the assistant referee initially raised the offside flag, VAR confirmed the goal, giving Mexico a deserved 2-1 lead.
The Americans nearly forced extra time deep into stoppage, but Ángel Malagón came up with a vital save to deny Patrick Agyemang’s close-range effort.
Mexico’s defense scrambled to clear the rebound, and moments later, referee Mario Escobar blew the final whistle.
It was the eighth Gold Cup final between the continental powerhouses. With this latest triumph, Mexico now leads the all-time series 6-2 and further extends its record for most Gold Cup titles, with 10—three more than the United States’ seven.
For new U.S. head coach Mauricio Pochettino, the loss was a tough pill to swallow.
The former Chelsea and PSG boss now faces the challenge of reassembling a full-strength squad ahead of next year’s World Cup. Several key players, including Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, and Sergiño Dest, missed the tournament for varying reasons, from recovery and rest to club commitments.
The countdown is now on. Mexico will kick off the 2026 World Cup on June 11 at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, while the U.S. will begin their campaign a day later on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
