Raúl Jiménez scored from the penalty spot in minute 90 to give Mexico a 2-1 victory over Panama, earning El Tri its first Concacaf Nations League (CNL) title at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Sunday night.
The victory sealed a sweet 16-match streak for Mexico, which had previously made it to the Concacaf final in 2020 and 2024 before losing to the United States.
¡Qué definición! 😎
🇲🇽 2-1 🇵🇦#PorMéxicoTodo 💚🤍❤️ https://t.co/9H1lO3tBLN
— Selección Nacional (@miseleccionmx) March 24, 2025
Mexico was awarded the penalty when Panama defender José Córdoba inexplicably stuck out his arm to block a long centering pass by Luis Chávez near the end line. What made Córdoba’s misdeed even more egregious is that the ball appeared to be headed out of bounds.
With the game on the line, Jiménez stutter-stepped toward the ball and coolly deposited it into the back of the net as goalie Orlando Mosquera guessed wrong, diving in the opposite direction.
The goal — his second of the game — was the 39th in Jiménez’s El Tri career, moving him into third place on Mexico’s all-time scoring list.
Before the penalty call, the game seemed headed for overtime.
Panama controlled the first half, dominating possession and testing El Tri netminder Luis Malagón who made three sparkling saves to protect the lead Jiménez had provided in minute 8.
The Central Americans started the game on the front foot but found themselves trailing when Jiménez got free on the back side of the defense and headed home a picture-perfect cross from Roberto Alvarado.
Los Canaleros remained poised and focused, as Mexico ceded the initiative, allowing Panama to keep the pressure on.
In minute 41, Malagón bobbled a Panama corner kick and, in the ensuing scramble, Mexico defender Johan Vásquez fouled Cecilio Waterman. Video officials alerted referee Mario Escobar about the potential penalty and after viewing the replays Escobar concurred.
¡Buenos días, campeones! La fiesta no termina 🇲🇽 pic.twitter.com/6BFqF1K3mU
— Concacaf Nations League (@CNationsLeague) March 24, 2025
Adalberto Carrasquilla converted the spot kick and the first half ended 1-1. Panama had enjoyed 68% possession while Mexico’s performance during the first 45 minutes of the match can politely be described as uninspired.
El Tri was the more assertive team in the second half, keeping Panama pinned deep in its own territory for long stretches. However, a lack of creativity in the middle of the pitch and an over-reliance on centering passes proved ineffective.
In minute 83, the referee briefly paused the match after a large portion of the raucous crowd of 68,212 repeatedly shouted a homophobic Spanish chant that is commonly heard at Mexican national team matches, even in the United States. Anti-slur messages appeared on the scoreboard and over the public address system.
The game seemed destined for overtime until Córdoba’s untimely mistake.
Post-match data
In addition to his two goals on Sunday night, Raúl Jiménez scored twice on Thursday night, becoming the first player to score in both the semifinal and the final in a single edition of the CNL.
With his second goal, Jiménez passed Cuauhtémoc Blanco to become Mexico’s third all-time leading scorer. He is now seven goals behind Jared Borgetti who is second on the list.
Mexico defender César Montes who missed the semifinal against Canada due to an accumulation of yellow cards had 16 clearances against Panama. That was the second-most in a CNL match and the most for an El Tri player in 10 years.
“I’m happy for the players, I’m very happy about their performance,” Mexico coach Javier Aguirre said after the match. “It’s not easy to beat any team. Panama showed great resistance. I hope they qualify for the World Cup.”
The CNL trophy is the second piece of Concacaf hardware Aguirre has earned for Mexico. “El Vasco” guided El Tri to the 2009 Concacaf Gold Cup title with a 5-0 win over the U.S. in the final.
El Tri is 23-6-2 (59 goals to 17) vs. Panama, including 14-2-0 in the last 16, their longest streak without defeat in this rivalry. Panama’s only two wins came in the 2013 Gold Cup (including a 2-1 victory in the semifinal). The Canaleros’ 2-1 win in the group stage ended a 13-game winless streak vs. Mexico (0-4-9).
With reports from The Associated Press, Concacaf, Los Angeles Daily News and Fox Sports
