Mexico beat Saudi Arabia 2-0 to set up Gold Cup semis with Honduras

Alexis Vega snapped a 19-match international goal drought, scoring in the 49th minute to help Mexico defeat Saudi Arabia 2-0 in the CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinals on Saturday night.

The defending champions advanced to the semifinals for the 18th consecutive time and will face Honduras on Wednesday in Santa Clara, California.

Vega’s goal - his first for Mexico since 2022 - came after a clever pass from Raúl Jiménez. Though Vega’s initial shot was stopped by Saudi keeper Nawaf Alaqidi, he pounced on the rebound and slid the ball through the goalkeeper’s legs. Initially flagged offside, the goal was allowed after video review, giving Mexico a long-awaited breakthrough after 166 scoreless minutes.



Mexico doubled its lead in the 81st minute thanks to an own goal by Saudi defender Abdullah Madu, who redirected Mateo Chavez’s cross into his own net while trying to defend Roberto Alvarado.

Saudi Arabia, competing in its first Gold Cup as an invited team, held Mexico scoreless through a physical first half that included yellow cards for Ali Majrashi and Jesús Gallardo after a heated exchange. Gallardo will miss the semifinal due to card accumulation.

A bright spot for Mexico was the debut of 16-year-old Gilberto Mora, who impressed over 72 minutes, becoming the youngest player to appear for El Tri.

With the win, Mexico move two victories away from a record-extending 10th Gold Cup title. Saudi Arabia, who finished group play with a win, a loss, and a draw, exits after a historic quarterfinal run.