March 25 — On Sunday night Mexico beat Panama 2-1 infront of the 68,000 fans in the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles to win the Concacaf Nations League. In June they will be back again to open the defence of their defence of their Gold Cup title. That championship was won in 2023, also at the SoFi Stadium and also against Panama in front of a sold out crowd.
The June 14 game will be the opening match of the 18th edition of the Gold Cup, Concacaf’s blue riband national men’s team competition. The final will be played at the NRG Stadium in Houston on July 6.
Mexico will be seeded top of their group in the 16-team competition that has so far qualified eight Concacaf teams to the group stage: Canada, Curaçao, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Mexico, Panama, and the United States.
Saudi Arabia will play as guests in the competition while the remaining seven slots are currently at the final round of the preliminary play-offs that will complete tonight.
In the two-legged ties Trinidad lead Cuba 2-1, Suriname lead Martinique 1-0, Honduras lead Bermuda 5-3, St Vincent and Jamaica are tied at 1-1, Guadeloupe lead Nicaragua 1-0, Guyana lead Guatemala 3-1, and Costa Rica lead Belize 7-0.
“We are very excited to announce that the opening match of the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup will take place at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, CA, featuring the reigning Gold Cup and Nations League champions, Mexico,” said Concacaf President and FIFA Vice President Victor Montagliani.
“The incredible passion for football in Greater Los Angeles was on full display during the recently concluded Concacaf Nations League Celebration Week, where more than 125,000 fans came together for an unforgettable festival of elite football, music, and community events.”
The Gold Cup marks the last opportunity for Concacaf’s three host nations for 2026 – USA, Mexico and Canada – to play competitively in a tournament before the World Cup kicks off.
“SoFi Stadium proudly welcomes back the Gold Cup, further strengthening our partnership with Concacaf and showcasing our ability to host world-class international tournaments,” said Adolfo Romero, vice president of programming and booking at SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park.
“With the highly anticipated Mexico tournament debut and the excitement building on the road to the FIFA World Cup next summer, SoFi Stadium continues to solidify its position as a global soccer hub in Los Angeles, bringing together passionate fans and elite athletes on the world stage.”
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