Mexico and the United States are playing for Concacaf supremacy in the Gold Cup final. Photograph: Chandan Khanna/AFP/Getty Images

Team USA stunned Mexico earlier in the first half, but in the end, Mexico proved too strong against a young and somewhat inexperienced squad, as El Tri won their 10th CONCACAF Gold Cup title 2-1 in Houston on Sunday Night. USMNT defender Chris Richards shocked Mexico with a brilliant header in the 4th minute to give Team USA a 1-0 lead. However, Mexico’s Raúl Jiménez tied the game in the 27th minute to level the match. Mexico virtually dominated much of the match, but Team USA had their moment late in the first half when Diego Luna shot inside the box sailed over the goal.

The US again had its chance when Mexico’s Jorge Sánchez fell hand-first onto the ball inside the 18-yard box in the 67^th minute, which was not called a handball. Despite the pleas from head coach Mauricio Pochettino and the players on the field, the referee decided it did not warrant a penalty, and there was no official VAR check. Mexican captain Edson Álvarez scored the game-winning goal in the 77th minute to give his team the lead 2-1. Team USA had one last chance in the 87th minute when Tim Ream shot a long pass to Patrick Agyemang broke free, but as he got to the end of the box, he couldn’t take the shot until the Mexican defense was there to steal and clear the ball away.

For Team USA, it was their second loss against Mexico and first loss against them in the CONCACAF Finals since 2019. They’ll have 340 away from the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which should give Team USA a glimpse of the competition they’ll face next summer. Key players such as Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah, Timothy Weah, and Gio Reyna weren’t on the roster, but the players that played in the Gold Cup could earn a roster spot in next year’s World Cup and could play a huge role next summer. It was a bitter loss for this squad, but it was a valiant effort.