Mexico take on Saudi Arabia this weekend in the quarter-final of the Concacaf Gold Cup.
The sides will meet in Arizona at the State Farm Stadium in what will be the second-ever meeting between these two nations.
Facing each other at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Mexico raced into a two-nil lead thanks to goals from Henry Martín and Luis Chávez, but a late consolation goal from Salem Al-Dawsari helped soften the blow. Despite the result, both sides crashed out of the competition during the group stages.
Eighteen months on, and both sides are looking to keep their title hopes alive with a place in the final four up for grabs.
Mexico
El Trí had an almost perfect opening three games in the Gold Cup group stages. Wins over the Dominican Republic and Suriname set the scene before a goalless draw with Costa Rica prevented any hopes of maximum points.
Jubilation quickly turned to frustration in Las Vegas when Santiago Giménez had the ball in the back of the net thanks to a last-minute overhead kick, but a controversial VAR decision disallowed the goal.
Throughout the group matches, manager Javier Aguirre rotated his starting eleven, giving the full squad valuable minutes. Not only did the 66-year-old rotate the team, but he also utilised different formations. In the opening two games, Mexico used a 4-4-2 formation with Giménez and Julián Quiñones playing a game each alongside Raúl Jiménez. Against Costa Rica, Aguirre changed the system to play a 4-3-3 as Chávez came into a three-man midfield whilst Jiménez played as the sole striker.
Since Aguirre returned for a third time in September 2024, Mexico have only suffered two defeats in 15 games. The fine run of form helped El Trí win a first-ever Concacaf Nations League and secure a 1-0 win prior to this competition against an impressive Turkey.
Mexico have won the Gold Cup nine times, having shared the title with the United States since 2013. If El Trí can go on and a tenth Gold Cup, it'll be the first since 2011 that a nation has won consecutive titles, going back to when Mexico beat the United States in back-to-back finals, including a memorable 5-0 win in the 2009 edition.
Saudi Arabia
This is the first time that Saudi Arabia has ever taken part in the Concacaf Gold Cup.
In December 2024, Concacaf President Victor Montagliani stated that the decision was made to highlight the close ties between Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation.
Reports from the BBC suggest that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) has made a significant investment in the competition and will be invited to the 2025 and 2027 editions of the event.
In regards to their efforts on the pitch, Saudi Arabia finished second in their group.
Hervé Renard's men started the campaign with a narrow 1-0 victory against Haiti before suffering a result of the same scoreline against the United States. In the final game of the group, a 1-1 draw against Trinidad and Tobago was enough to ensure they would reach the knockout rounds.
Now comes Saudi Arabia's biggest task. Meeting pre-tournament favourites, Mexico, may be an uphill task, but Saudi Arabia and Renard are no strangers to an upset.
During the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the Saudis caused an unimaginable shock when they came from behind to beat Argentina in their opening game.
Mexico vs Saudi Arabia: Match Details
Saturday 28 June 2025 (8:15 CST)
State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
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