Mexico ends USMNT streak as El Tri clinches Gold Cup glory

With victory in the Gold Cup final on Sunday, Mexico retained its CONCACAF title - and halted a long winless run in competitive meetings with the United States.

Jiménez and Álvarez secure trophy for El Tri

Goals by Raúl Jiménez and Edson Álvarez earned the Mexicans a Gold Cup triumph that ended a period of USMNT dominance that began in 2021, in the early days of Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino’s tenure. That 3-2 extra-time loss in the inaugural CONCACAF Nations League final marked the start of a golden era for the USMNT—and a painful one for Mexico.

But five years and six official matches later, Mexico is smiling again. A 2-1 victory in Houston, sealed by Álvarez’s decisive strike 13 minutes from time, flipped the script on the region’s fiercest rivalry.

Yes, Mexico had already snapped its seven-game winless streak against the U.S. last October in Guadalajara, with a 2-0 friendly win during Mauricio Pochettino’s debut FIFA window as USMNT head coach. But true dominance is measured in official competition - and in that arena, Mexico hadn’t tasted victory in six years.

When had Mexico last beaten the USMNT?

That last triumph came in the 2019 Gold Cup final at Soldier Field in Chicago, decided by a lone second-half goal from Jonathan dos Santos (1-0).

Since then, El Tri had endured a string of heartbreaks against the USMNT. A brutal 2021 saw three consecutive defeats to the Stars and Stripes: the Nations League final (3-2), the Gold Cup final (1-0), and a 2-0 loss in Cincinnati during World Cup qualifying. Then came a goalless draw at the Estadio Azteca in the return leg of that qualifying cycle, followed by a 3-0 defeat in the 2023 Nations League semif-inals in Las Vegas, and a 2-0 loss in the 2024 final in Arlington - a result that ultimately cost Jaime Lozano his job.

First away win over USMNT since 2019

This was also Mexico’s first win over the USMNT on American soil - friendly or competitive - since a 3-0 victory at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey in September 2019, which also marked Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernández’s final appearance in a Mexico shirt. Back then, Martino was still at the helm. After him came Diego Cocca, Lozano, and now Javier Aguirre - the man who finally tipped the scales back in Mexico’s favor.

The USMNT, meanwhile, had only one man in charge during their dominant run: Gregg Berhalter. Now, Pochettino has suffered a second straight defeat to Mexico - this time, with a trophy on the line. A trophy that represents a record-extending 13th CONCACAF title for El Tri.

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