Preview: The Gold Cup final between the US and Mexico
Mauricio Pochettino’s USA can complete a resurgent Gold Cup campaign by beating rivals Mexico in Sunday’s showdown in Houston.
By Graham Ruthven
A rivalry resumed
Matches between Mexico and the USA always matter, but Sunday’s meeting between the two CONCACAF rivals will be played with even more at stake.
Not only is the 2025 Gold Cup up for grabs, Mexico and USA are preparing for the 2026 World Cup on home soil and so Sunday’s match will be analysed through the prism of what it will mean for the tournament a year from now.
Mauricio Pochettino has been without many of his best players including Christian Pulisic, Antonee Robinson and Weston McKennie this summer, but others such as Diego Luna and Malik Tillman have stepped up in their place.
Mexico ground out a win over Honduras in their semi-final to secure a place in Sunday’s Gold Cup final with Javier Aguirre’s team currently on a run of four straight clean sheets in the competition.
El Tri are just one win away from successfully defending the Gold Cup title they won two years ago. They are widely seen as favourites to lift the trophy again.
Key players
Luna produced his best performance in a US jersey in the 2-1 semi-final victory over Guatemala, scoring both goals to get his team through a tricky test. His second goal in particular was an excellent piece of attacking play.
Tillman has also proved himself as a difference-maker for the USA at the 2025 Gold Cup, scoring three goals in four games. The PSV attacking midfielder will pose a threat against Mexico on Sunday.
Chris Richards has stood out as the USA’s dominant defensive presence while Tyler Adams has featured in every game he has been fit for at the base of Pochettino’s midfield.
Raúl Jiménez scored the only goal of the game as Mexico beat Honduras with the Fulham striker still El Tri’s sharpest attacking threat. Gilberto Mora set up Jiménez and the 16-year-old has been the breakout star of the 2025 Gold Cup.
Edson Álvarez will hold things together for Aguirre’s team in the centre of the pitch while César Montes and Johan Vásquez are expected to start once again in central defence, giving El Tri a solid foundation.
Team news
Johnny Cardoso has been nursing an ankle injury for much of the 2025 Gold Cup, but could be back on the USA bench for the final having returned to training this week. It’s very unlikely the Real Betis midfielder will start.
Pochettino faces a decision in midfield with Adams, Sebastian Berhalter, Luca De La Torre and Jack McGlynn contesting for three places in the lineup. Despite a shaky performance against Guatemala, Matt Freese is expected to keep his place in goal.
Luis Chávez had to leave the Mexico campaign after suffering a serious ACL injury last week with the Dynamo Moscow midfielder expected to miss the next eight months of action. Otherwise, Aguirre has a fully fit and available squad to choose from.
Prediction
These two giants of CONCACAF have met each other in seven previous Gold Cup finals, with Mexico coming out on top in five of those. For this one though, we think Pochettino’s side will redress the balance a little: USA 2-1 Mexico.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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