Last-minute penalty leads Mexico to its first Nations League victory

Raúl Jiménez scored from the punishment spot successful infinitesimal 90 to springiness Mexico a 2-1 triumph implicit Panama, earning El Tri its archetypal Concacaf Nations League (CNL) rubric astatine SoFi Stadium successful Inglewood, California, connected Sunday night.

The triumph sealed a saccharine 16-match streak for Mexico, which had antecedently made it to the Concacaf last successful 2020 and 2024 earlier losing to the United States.

¡Qué definición! 😎

🇲🇽 2-1 🇵🇦#PorMéxicoTodo 💚🤍❤️ https://t.co/9H1lO3tBLN

— Selección Nacional (@miseleccionmx) March 24, 2025

Mexico was awarded the punishment erstwhile Panama defender José Córdoba inexplicably stuck retired his limb to artifact a agelong centering walk by Luis Chávez adjacent the extremity line. What made Córdoba’s misdeed adjacent much egregious is that the shot appeared to beryllium headed retired of bounds.

With the crippled connected the line, Jiménez stutter-stepped toward the shot and coolly deposited it into the backmost of the nett arsenic goalie Orlando Mosquera guessed wrong, diving successful the other direction. 

The extremity — his 2nd of the crippled — was the 39th successful Jiménez’s El Tri career, moving him into 3rd spot connected Mexico’s all-time scoring list. 

Before the punishment call, the crippled seemed headed for overtime. 

Panama controlled the archetypal half, dominating possession and investigating El Tri netminder Luis Malagón who made 3 sparkling saves to support the pb Jiménez had provided successful infinitesimal 8.

The Central Americans started the crippled connected the beforehand ft but recovered themselves trailing erstwhile Jiménez got escaped connected the backmost broadside of the defence and headed location a picture-perfect cross from Roberto Alvarado.

Los Canaleros remained poised and focused, arsenic Mexico ceded the initiative, allowing Panama to support the unit on.

In infinitesimal 41, Malagón bobbled a Panama country footwear and, successful the ensuing scramble, Mexico defender Johan Vásquez fouled Cecilio Waterman. Video officials alerted referee Mario Escobar astir the imaginable punishment and aft viewing the replays Escobar concurred.

¡Buenos días, campeones! La fiesta nary termina 🇲🇽 pic.twitter.com/6BFqF1K3mU

— Concacaf Nations League (@CNationsLeague) March 24, 2025

Adalberto Carrasquilla converted the spot footwear and the archetypal fractional ended 1-1. Panama had enjoyed 68% possession portion Mexico’s show during the archetypal 45 minutes of the lucifer tin politely beryllium described arsenic uninspired. 

El Tri was the much assertive squad successful the 2nd half, keeping Panama pinned heavy successful its ain territory for agelong stretches. However, a deficiency of creativity successful the mediate of the transportation and an over-reliance connected centering passes proved ineffective.

In infinitesimal 83, the referee concisely paused the lucifer aft a ample information of the raucous assemblage of 68,212 repeatedly shouted a homophobic Spanish chant that is commonly heard astatine Mexican nationalist squad matches, adjacent successful the United States. Anti-slur messages appeared connected the scoreboard and implicit the nationalist code system.

The crippled seemed destined for overtime until Córdoba’s untimely mistake. 

Post-match data

In summation to his 2 goals connected Sunday night, Raúl Jiménez scored doubly connected Thursday night, becoming the archetypal subordinate to people successful some the semifinal and the last successful a azygous variation of the CNL.

With his 2nd goal, Jiménez passed Cuauhtémoc Blanco to go Mexico’s 3rd all-time starring scorer. He is present 7 goals down Jared Borgetti who is 2nd connected the list.

Mexico defender César Montes who missed the semifinal against Canada owed to an accumulation of yellowish cards had 16 clearances against Panama. That was the second-most successful a CNL lucifer and the astir for an El Tri subordinate successful 10 years.

“I’m blessed for the players, I’m precise blessed astir their performance,” Mexico manager Javier Aguirre said aft the match. “It’s not casual to bushed immoderate team. Panama showed large resistance. I anticipation they suffice for the World Cup.”

The CNL trophy is the 2nd portion of Concacaf hardware Aguirre has earned for Mexico. “El Vasco” guided El Tri to the 2009 Concacaf Gold Cup rubric with a 5-0 triumph implicit the U.S. successful the final.

El Tri is 23-6-2 (59 goals to 17) vs. Panama, including 14-2-0 successful the past 16, their longest streak without decision successful this rivalry. Panama’s lone 2 wins came successful the 2013 Gold Cup (including a 2-1 triumph successful the semifinal). The Canaleros’ 2-1 triumph successful the radical signifier 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