Mexico beats U.S. 2-1 to claim 10th Gold Cup Title

Mexico beat the United States 2-1 at NRG Stadium to win their 10th Gold Cup title, overcoming an early defeat and still fighting, though there was a tough VAR review to end the championship in front of 71,000 fans.

Edson Alvarez’s 77th-minute header proved great as El Tri claimed its second Gold Cup crown in a row. Even though the U.S. scored the first goal in the fourth minute, Mexico still took over ball possession and got the win.

The United States entered the final without many of their starters, instead relying on a younger squad that showed that they had a chance throughout the tournament. The match began nicely for the Americans, with Chris Richards scoring after Sebastian Berhalter’s free kick, which gave the U.S. a 1-0 lead. It was a good start and the defender’s second international goal.

Mexico, however, quickly came back. In the 27th minute, striker Raul Jimenez received a pass from Marcel Ruiz inside the box and buried a left-footed shot past goalkeeper Matt Freese. Jimenez celebrated with a tribute, taking off his jersey honoring his former teammate, Diogo Jota, who died in a car crash. The remainder of the match witnessed Mexico quickly gain control. Though the U.S. had great opportunities, including a near miss from Alex Freeman, it was Mexico that created more pressure. A non-call on a Jorge Sanchez handball in the U.S. box went in El Tri’s favor, adding more frustrations to Americans.

Then, in the 77th minute, Mexico used a tremendous free kick from Alexis Vega. Johan Vasquez saw Alvarez at the back post, and though initially flagged offside, VAR showed he was inside.

At the final whistle, Mexican players celebrated by dancing in a circle to Vicente Fernandez’s El Rey, which is a culturally significant song, representing resilience, pride, and Mexican identity, while the U.S. squad looked on in visible disappointment. Despite the result, many young Americans, including Berhalter, Freeman, Diego Luna, and Malik Tillman, discussed their cases for the 2026 World Cup.

The loss marks the first time since 2019 that Mexico has beaten the U.S. in a final. Pochettino will begin to restore the team’s talent with his young team.