Mexico Claims First CONCACAF Nations League Title with Stoppage-Time Win Over Panama

Mexico secured their first-ever CONCACAF Nations League title with a thrilling 2-1 victory over Panama at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

Raúl Jiménez was the star of the match, opening the scoring in the eighth minute with a precise header from Roberto Alvarado’s cross. Mexico took an early lead, but Panama responded before halftime.

In the 45th minute, Panama equalized through a penalty, with Adalberto Carrasquilla converting after Cecilio Waterman was fouled inside the box. The match remained evenly poised throughout the second half, with both teams pushing for the winning goal.

The decisive moment came in stoppage time when Jiménez once again stepped up, converting a penalty to seal the victory for Mexico. This triumph marked the end of the United States' previous dominance in the CONCACAF Nations League and gave Mexico their first title in the competition. Jiménez’s performance was particularly significant, as his two goals elevated him to third place on Mexico's all-time scoring list, surpassing Cuauhtémoc Blanco with 39 goals.

Earlier in the day, Canada defeated the United States 2-1 in the third-place match, with Jonathan David scoring the winning goal.