First, the fans burst into cheers at NRG Stadium after the final whistle blew Sunday to finish the final act of Mexico’s 2-1 triumph over the U.S. in the 2025 Gold Cup final.
Then, the Mexico supporters in Houston started singing.
The song “El Rey” blasted over the speakers and thousands belted out the words. “Pero sigo siendo el rey,” the fans dressed in green sang.
In English: “But I’m still the king.” And, on this night in Houston, Mexico remained the king.
El Tri overcame an early deficit to win its second straight and 10th overall Gold Cup in front of a crowd where their fans outnumbered the U.S.
“This trophy is also for them,” said striker Raúl Jiménez, who scored Mexico’s first goal.
Sunday’s game, with a crowd of 70,925, was the first Gold Cup final to be played in Texas. It was also the third time the U.S. and Mexico played in Houston after draws in 2003 and 2008.
There’d be no tie this time. With the score equal at 1, the Mexico fans erupted in the second half after it appeared captain Edson Álvarez had put the team ahead off a set piece. A free kick from the wide part of the pitch had been flicked on by Johan Vásquez to Álvarez, who finished the job.
But the assistant referee raised the flag for offside, to the disappointment and disbelief of the fans and team. Those feelings dissipated, though, when a VAR review reversed the call.
U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino didn’t agree.
“In this tournament, Mexico suffered two disallowed (goals). The same happened today. It’s difficult to disallow the third,” Pochettino said.
It wasn’t the only controversial call to go against the U.S. in the second half and draw the ire of Pochettino. About 10 minutes earlier, Mexico defender Jorge Sánchez stopped a Max Arfsten run in the box with his foot and then steadied himself with his left hand on the ball.
No handball was called. Pochettino said it was “embarrassing.”
“Homie palmed the ball like Shaq in the box,” U.S. centerback Chris Richards said.
The U.S. might not have had the crowd on its side or feel like it got the right calls but the Americans did score first just minutes after kickoff thanks to the head of Richards.
Sebastian Berhalter whipped in a cross from a free kick that dropped into space between the Mexico defense. Richards connected with the cross and the ball smashed off the bar and down over the line for an early 1-0 lead.
“It was hostile but I think also exciting,” said Richards, who played youth soccer in the Houston area for a short while, of the crowd. “These are the kind of games that you want to play.”
But the early deficit didn’t seem to faze Mexico. El Tri controlled much of the game from that point, finishing with a 60-40 possession advantage and 16 shots to just 6 for the U.S.
Mexico also won 12 corners while the USMNT failed to earn a single corner in the match.
The first goal for Mexico came, unsurprisingly, from Jiménez, who is on a torrid run of clutch goalscoring. Jiménez scored in the 27th minute, taking a through ball and immediately banging it into the top netting for an equalizing goal.
