The 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup enters its thrilling knockout stage, with defending champions Mexico, known as ‘El Tri,’ preparing to face invited guest Saudi Arabia in a highly anticipated Quarterfinal match. This crucial encounter is scheduled for Saturday, June 28, at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, as Mexico aims to continue its pursuit of another Gold Cup title.
Mexico’s journey to the quarterfinals has been impressive, showcasing their dominance in Group A. Under the guidance of coach Javier ‘Vasco’ Aguirre, El Tri secured their spot as undefeated group leaders, accumulating seven points. Their group stage performance included a 3-2 victory over the Dominican Republic, a 2-0 win against Suriname, and a goalless draw with Costa Rica, demonstrating both offensive prowess and defensive solidity (TUDN, El Paso Times).
In contrast, Saudi Arabia, participating as an invited nation, navigated a more challenging path through Group D to finish as runners-up with four points. Their group stage saw them clinch a narrow 1-0 victory over Haiti, suffer a 1-0 defeat to the United States, and secure a 1-1 draw against Trinidad & Tobago (TUDN).
This Quarterfinal match also marks a recent reunion for the two nations, who last met in the group stage of the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup, where Mexico emerged victorious with a 2-1 scoreline. Historically, Mexico holds a significant advantage over Saudi Arabia, maintaining an undefeated record across six previous encounters since 1995, with five wins and one draw. Notable past results include dominant victories in the Copa Confederaciones, such as 5-1 in 1999 and 5-0 in 1997 (TUDN, ESPN).
For this crucial fixture, Mexico’s confirmed starting lineup features Ángel Malagón in goal, with a defensive line of Edson Álvarez, Johan Vásquez, Erik Lira, Gilberto Mora, Julián Araujo, and Jesús Gallardo. The midfield and attack will be spearheaded by Roberto Alvarado, Marcel Ruiz, Raúl Jiménez, and Alexis Vega (TUDN, ESPN). However, El Tri will be without key players Luis Chávez, who suffered a serious injury, and César Montes, due to accumulated yellow cards (TUDN). Saudi Arabia’s confirmed XI includes Nawaf Alaqidi, Abdulelah Alamri, Abdullah Madu, Saud Abdulhamid, Nawaf Bu Washl, Ali Majrash, Ali Alhassan, Ziyad Aljohani, Feras Albrikan, Saleh Alshehri, and Abdulrahman Alobud (TUDN). Interestingly, 19 players from the Qatar 2022 World Cup squads – 12 from Mexico and seven from Saudi Arabia – are part of their respective teams for this Gold Cup, adding a layer of familiarity to the contest.
The match will be officiated by American referee Lukasz Szpala (TUDN). Despite the expected temperature of approximately 39 degrees Celsius in Phoenix, the State Farm Stadium is a roofed venue, ensuring optimal playing conditions (TUDN).
Mexico enters the match as the overwhelming favorite, with various sportsbooks listing their moneyline odds around -195 to -200, while Saudi Arabia is a significant underdog at +500 to +600 (FOX Sports, El Paso Times). Predictions from outlets like Sports Mole suggest a tight 1-0 victory for Mexico, while NBC and El Paso Times anticipate 2-0 and 2-1 wins for El Tri, respectively. The consensus points towards Mexico advancing to the semifinals, where they will face Honduras, who secured their spot after defeating Panama in a penalty shootout (TUDN, El Paso Times).
Fans in Mexico can catch the live action on Canal 5, TUDN, and ViX. In the United States, the game will be broadcast on FS1 (English), Univision, TUDN, and available for streaming on tudn.com, the TUDN app, and ViX (TUDN, El Paso Times). Kick-off is scheduled for 8:15 PM Mountain Time, 9:15 PM Central Time, and 10:15 PM Eastern Time on Saturday, June 28, 2025.
