Mexico has won the Gold Cup for the ninth time. In the final, the team clinched a narrow win over the surprise team from Panama.
The favorite prevailed 1-0 (0-0) against Panama in Los Angeles thanks to a late goal from Joker Santiago Gimenez (88th). The 22-year-old striker from Dutch champions Feyenoord Rotterdam had been substituted on just three minutes earlier. He completed a counterattack following a Panama corner with his fourth goal in 18 caps.
The Gold Cup is the continental tournament of the national teams from North and Central America and the Caribbean and is comparable to the European Championship.
Goalscorer Jimenez: “It’s incredible”
“It’s incredible”Gimenez said after the win in front of 73,000 fans at NFL team LA Rams’ SoFi Stadium, “And it’s impressive how much togetherness we have in the team. I don’t have to emphasize that, the title is the proof.” Games from the 2026 World Cup will also be played in the SoFi Stadium.
Big crowd: 73,000 fans in Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium at the Gold Cup final
Mexico had already won the tournament in 1993, 1996, 1998, 2003, 2009, 2011, 2015 and 2019 and is a record winner ahead of the USA with seven titles. For Panama, who eliminated seven-time winners USA in the semifinals, it was their third defeat in their third appearance in the final after 2005 and 2013.