Mexico–United States soccer rivalry

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Mexico-United States soccer rivalry
United States vs. Mexico during the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification.
LocationNorth America (CONCACAF)
Teams Mexico
United States
First meetingMay 24, 1934
1934 World Cup qualification
USA 4–2 Mexico
Latest meetingMarch 24, 2024
2024 CONCACAF Nations League Final
Mexico 0–2 USA
Statistics
Meetings total77
All-time series36–17–24 (W–D–L) (Mexico)[1]
Largest victoryMexico 7–2 USA
1958 World Cup qualification
April 28, 1957

The Mexico–United States football rivalry is a sports rivalry between the national football teams of the two countries, widely considered the two major powers of CONCACAF. It began with the first match played in 1934. The teams have met 77 times, with Mexico leading the overall series 36–17–24 (W–D–L). The U.S. holds the edge since 2000 though, with a 19–8–9 (W–D–L) advantage in the 21st century.

It is considered as one of the greatest rivalries in international soccer for its incidents involving fans, team brawls, and competitiveness, which is exemplified by political issues surrounding Mexico–U.S. relations.[2][3] Matches between the two nations often attract much media attention, public interest, and comment in both countries. The U.S.-Mexico matches are widely attended; several matches at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico have drawn over 100,000 fans, and several matches at the Rose Bowl in the United States have drawn over 90,000 fans.

The most prominent matchups take place in quadrennial FIFA World Cup qualification matches and major North American tournaments such as the CONCACAF Gold Cup and CONCACAF Nations League. The rivalry also plays out with occasional friendly exhibition games, which media outlets often consider "anything but friendly".[4][5]

History[edit]

Origin[edit]

The first match between the two sides was a qualifying match in Italy for the final ticket to the 1934 FIFA World Cup. The U.S. had established a professional league in 1921, but it had folded in 1933. The final score was United States 4–2 Mexico. In September 1937, Mexico began a winning streak over the U.S. in friendlies 7–2, 7–3, and 5–1 in Mexico City.

1940s–1980s: Mexico dominance[edit]

Following that initial victory by the US in 1934, Mexico went unbeaten in the next 24 games between the two nations, with 21 wins and three draws. The US would not record its second victory over its southern neighbor until 46 years later in 1980, when they won a 1982 World Cup qualifier 2–1 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.[6] Overall, the first 50 years of the rivalry concluded with Mexico holding a commanding lead in the series, 22 wins to the United States' two, with three draws.

1990s: Mexico foothold and early U.S. emergence[edit]

In 1990, the US qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1950 and fourth time overall, thanks in part to the Cachirules scandal which caused Mexico to be banned from the qualification tournament. This decade saw the US begin to field more competitive sides, challenging the dominance of Mexico for the first time since 1934. However, despite a few notable US victories, such as a 2–0 triumph in the inaugural edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 1991, and a 4–1 win on penalties following a 0–0 draw in the quarterfinals of the 1995 Copa America, Mexico still got the better of the US in the '90s, with five wins to three, alongside six draws.

2000s–2014: U.S. advantage[edit]

The first decade of the new millennium saw the United States turn the tides of the rivalry. In 2001, the US and Mexico faced off in a 2002 World Cup qualifier at Columbus Crew Stadium, which saw the US defeat their archrivals 2–0 in a match dubbed La Guerra Fria ("The Cold War") by Mexican media due to the sub-freezing temperatures it was contested in. The following year, the two nations would face off in the World Cup itself for the first, and so far only, time in their history in the Round of 16. Goals from Brian McBride and Landon Donovan gave the US another 2–0 victory.

The US would continue their dominance throughout the rest of the decade and into the first half of the next, with three more 2–0 victories in home World Cup qualifiers at Crew Stadium. The penchant for the US to defeat Mexico by that particular score line led to US fans taunting their rivals by chanting dos a cero ("two to zero"). Also within this time frame, the US would defeat Mexico 2–1 in the 2007 Gold Cup final. Mexico would return the favor in the following final in 2009 with a 5–0 victory, albeit against a US side which was not fielding its best players, and repeat the feat 2 years later with a 4–2 comeback victory against a full-strength US team. The following year, the US would defeat Mexico at the Estadio Azteca for the first time, winning a friendly match 1–0, and then during 2014 World Cup qualifying, the US earned their second ever point in the Azteca by way of a 0–0 draw.

A low point in the rivalry for Mexico came in 2013, when, in the final match day of World Cup qualifying, Mexico found themselves on the brink of elimination. With El Tri trailing in their match against Costa Rica and Panama holding a 2–1 lead over the US, Mexico had found themselves in 5th place and were minutes away from failing to qualify for the World Cup. However, in stoppage time, an equalizing goal from American Graham Zusi saved Mexico, vaulting them past Panama and into 4th place in the table, ensuring their qualification to the intercontinental playoff, where they would defeat New Zealand to qualify for the World Cup. The goal caused the Mexican commentator for TV Azteca to exclaim "God Bless America!" in English, and led to Zusi being dubbed San Zusi ("Saint Zusi") by Mexico fans.

Ultimately, from 2000 to 2014, the US was dominant, with 12 wins to Mexico's five, together with five draws.

2015–2019: Mexico back on top[edit]

Following the 2014 World Cup, Mexico regained its footing in the rivalry, starting with a 3–2 extra time victory in the 2015 CONCACAF Cup. In 2018 World Cup qualifying, Mexico finally broke the Dos A Cero streak with a 2–1 win, their first triumph over the US in Crew Stadium. Ultimately, the second half of the 2010s would mark the lowest point of the rivalry for the US since the 1990s, as they would fail to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. Then, the following year, Mexico would defeat the United States 1–0 in the 2019 Gold Cup Final, then humiliate the Americans 3–0 in a September friendly, which was Mexico's most lopsided victory over their rivals since 2009.

Overall, the second half of the 2010s saw Mexico win four times and the US win two times, along with one draw.

2021–present: U.S. golden generation's dominance[edit]

Following the United States' failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup and the two 2019 defeats, the US revamped their lineup, fielding a roster composed of younger players competing in top European leagues. This saw the tide turn once again in their favor, starting in 2021 with the inaugural CONCACAF Nations League final, one of the most thrilling matches in the rivalry's history, which the US won 3–2 after extra time. Then, 2 months later in the Gold Cup final, the US, despite fielding a weaker roster compared to Mexico, who brought most of their first choice players, once again defeated their archrivals in extra time, this time by a 1–0 score line. Finally, in November, the US defeated Mexico yet again in a 2022 World Cup qualifier at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati by the infamous Dos A Cero score, marking the first 3-game winning streak by the US over Mexico in their history.

At the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League Finals, the United States eliminated Mexico in a resounding 3–0 victory at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas where the game had 4 red cards and 10 yellow cards for violent behavior on both sides, including Weston McKennie having his shirt ripped off by Mexican players. The match was called eight minutes into what were supposed to be 12 minutes of stoppage time amid homophobic chanting by Mexican fans; CONCACAF officially said the match was ended at the referee's discretion.[7][8] In the following year in the 2024 CONCACAF Nations League final, the U.S. defeated Mexico 2–0 to clinch the title again.

As of March 24, 2024, the U.S. remains unbeaten against Mexico in the 2020s, with 5 wins and 2 draws.[6]

Results[edit]

Summary[edit]

Mexico leads the series overall 36–17–24, with 145 goals for Mexico and 92 for the United States. In the 21st century the U.S. leads the series 19–8–9, with 50 goals opposed to Mexico's 33.

Years Matches For Mexico Draw For the U.S. Goals
All Time 77 36 17 24 Mexico 145–92 United States
1930s–1940s 7 6 0 1 Mexico 38–12 United States
1950s–1960s 8 6 2 0 Mexico 30–8 United States
1970s–1980s 12 10 1 1 Mexico 27–7 United States
1990s 14 5 6 3 Mexico 17–15 United States
2000s 16 4 2 10 Mexico 13–23 United States
2010s 13 5 4 4 Mexico 17–15 United States
2020s 7 0 2 5 Mexico 3–12 United States
Main Championship Titles Mexico United States
FIFA Confederations Cup*
1
0
CONCACAF Gold Cup
9
7
CONCACAF Nations League
0
3
CONCACAF Championship*
3
0
CONCACAF Cup*
1
0

*no longer played

FIFA World Cup[edit]

FIFA World Cup
Tournament Winner Final Score Runner-up
2002
United States
2–0
Mexico

Gold Cup finals[edit]

The United States and Mexico have met in seven Gold Cup finals to date, with Mexico holding a five games to two lead over the United States.[6]

CONCACAF Gold Cup finals
Tournament Winner Final Score Runner-up
1993
Mexico
4–0
United States
1998
Mexico
1–0
United States
2007
United States
2–1
Mexico
2009
Mexico
5–0
United States
2011
Mexico
4–2
United States
2019
Mexico
1–0
United States
2021
United States
1–0 (a.e.t.)
Mexico

Nations League finals[edit]

CONCACAF Nations League Finals
Tournament Winner Final Score Runner-up
2021
United States
3–2 (a.e.t.)
Mexico
2024
United States
2–0
Mexico

CONCACAF Cup[edit]

CONCACAF Cup
Tournament Winner Final Score Runner-up
2015
Mexico
3–2 (a.e.t.)
United States

List of matches[edit]

Matches marked in bold are final matches played for a title.

Legend
Mexico win
United States win
Date Location Competition Result Attendance Series (W-D-L)
May 24, 1934 Stadio Nazionale, Rome, Italy 1934 FIFA World Cup qualifier 4–2 10,000 1–0 USA
September 12, 1937 Parque Asturias, Mexico City, D.F. Friendly 7–2 21,000 1–0–1
September 19, 1937 Parque Necaxa, Mexico City, D.F. 7–3 22,000 2–0–1 MEX
September 26, 1937 5–1 3–0–1 MEX
July 13, 1947 Estadio Tropical, Havana, Cuba 1947 NAFC Championship 5–0 5,400 4–0–1 MEX
September 4, 1949 Estadio de los Deportes, Mexico City, D.F. 1949 NAFC Championship[n 1] 6–0 60,000 5–0–1 MEX
September 18, 1949 6–2 54,500 6–0–1 MEX
January 10, 1954 1954 FIFA World Cup qualifier 4–0 60,000 7–0–1 MEX
January 14, 1954 3–1 40,000 8–0–1 MEX
April 7, 1957 Estadio Olímpico Universitario, Mexico City, D.F. 1958 FIFA World Cup qualifier 6–0 75,000 9–0–1 MEX
April 28, 1957 Veterans Memorial Stadium, Long Beach, California 7–2 12,500 10–0–1 MEX
November 3, 1960 Wrigley Field, Los Angeles, California 1962 FIFA World Cup qualifier 3–3 8,000 10–1–1 MEX
November 6, 1960 Estadio Olímpico Universitario, Mexico City, D.F. 3–0 80,000 11–1–1 MEX
March 7, 1965 Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California 1966 FIFA World Cup qualifier 2–2 19,337 11–2–1 MEX
March 12, 1965 Estadio Olímpico Universitario, Mexico City, D.F. 2–0 64,285 12–2–1 MEX
September 3, 1972 Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, D.F. 1974 FIFA World Cup qualifier 3–1 29,891 13–2–1 MEX
September 10, 1972 Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California 2–1 9,620 14–2–1 MEX
October 16, 1973 Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, D.F. Friendly 2–0 14,000 15–2–1 MEX
September 5, 1974 Estadio Universitario, San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León 3–1 25,000 16–2–1 MEX
September 8, 1974 Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas 1–0 22,164 17–2–1 MEX
August 24, 1975 Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, D.F. 2–0 18–2–1 MEX
October 3, 1976 Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California 1978 FIFA World Cup qualifier 0–0 31,171 18–3–1 MEX
October 15, 1976 Estadio Cuauhtémoc, Puebla, Puebla 3–0 35,000 19–3–1 MEX
September 27, 1977 Estadio Universitario, San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León Friendly 3–0 20,000 20–3–1 MEX
November 9, 1980 Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, D.F. 1982 FIFA World Cup qualifier 5–1 90,000 21–3–1 MEX
November 23, 1980 Lockhart Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 2–1 2,126 21–3–2 MEX
October 17, 1984 Estadio Neza 86, Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl, Estado de México Friendly 2–1 22–3–2 MEX
March 12, 1991 Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California 1991 North American Nations Cup 2–2 6,261 22–4–2 MEX
July 5, 1991 1991 CONCACAF Gold Cup semi-final 2–0 41,103 22–4–3 MEX
July 25, 1993 Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, D.F. 1993 CONCACAF Gold Cup Final 4–0 120,000 23–4–3 MEX
October 13, 1993 RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C. Friendly 1–1 23,927 23–5–3 MEX
June 4, 1994 Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California 1–0 91,123 23–5–4 MEX
June 18, 1995 RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C. 1995 U.S. Cup 4–0 38,615 23–5–5 MEX
July 17, 1995 Estadio Parque Artigas, Paysandú, Uruguay 1995 Copa América quarterfinal 0–0 (4–1) PK 15,000 23–6–5 MEX[a]
June 16, 1996 Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California 1996 U.S. Cup 2–2 92,216 23–7–5 MEX
January 19, 1997 1997 U.S. Cup 2–0 31,725 24–7–5 MEX
April 20, 1997 Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifier 2–2 57,877 24–8–5 MEX
November 2, 1997 Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, D.F. 0–0 115,000 24–9–5 MEX
February 15, 1998 Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup Final 1–0 91,255 25–9–5 MEX
March 13, 1999 Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California 1999 U.S. Cup 2–1 50,234 26–9–5 MEX
August 1, 1999 Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, D.F. 1999 Confederations Cup semi-final 1–0 aet (0–0) 65,000 27–9–5 MEX
June 11, 2000 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey 2000 U.S. Cup 3–0 45,008 27–9–6 MEX
October 25, 2000 Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California Friendly 2–0 61,072 27–9–7 MEX
February 28, 2001 Columbus Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier 24,329 27–9–8 MEX
July 1, 2001 Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, D.F. 1–0 110,000 28–9–8 MEX
April 3, 2002 Invesco Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado Friendly 1–0 48,476 28–9–9 MEX
June 17, 2002 Jeonju World Cup Stadium, Jeonju, South Korea 2002 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 2–0 36,380 28–9–10 MEX
May 8, 2003 Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas Friendly 0–0 69,582 28–10–10 MEX
April 28, 2004 Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas 1–0 45,048 28–10–11 MEX
March 27, 2005 Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, D.F. 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifier 2–1 110,000 29–10–11 MEX
September 3, 2005 Columbus Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio 2–0 24,685 29–10–12 MEX
February 7, 2007 University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona Friendly 62,462 29–10–13 MEX
June 24, 2007 Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup Final 2–1 60,000 29–10–14 MEX
February 6, 2008 Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas Friendly 2–2 70,103 29–11–14 MEX
February 11, 2009 Columbus Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier 2–0 23,776 29–11–15 MEX
July 26, 2009 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup Final 5–0 79,156 30–11–15 MEX
August 12, 2009 Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, D.F. 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier 2–1 110,000 31–11–15 MEX
June 25, 2011 Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup Final 4–2 93,420 32–11–15 MEX
August 10, 2011 Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Friendly 1–1 30,138 32–12–15 MEX
August 15, 2012 Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, D.F. 1–0 56,000 32–12–16 MEX
March 26, 2013 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier 0–0 85,500 32–13–16 MEX
September 10, 2013 Columbus Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio 2–0 24,584 32–13–17 MEX
April 2, 2014 University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona Friendly 2–2 59,066 32–14–17 MEX
April 15, 2015 Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas 2–0 64,369 32–14–18 MEX
October 10, 2015 Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California CONCACAF Cup 3–2 aet (1–1) 93,420 33–14–18 MEX
November 11, 2016 Mapfre Stadium, Columbus, Ohio 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier 2–1 24,650 34–14–18 MEX
June 11, 2017 Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, D.F. 1–1 71,537 34–15–18 MEX
September 11, 2018 Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee Friendly 1–0 40,194 34–15–19 MEX
July 7, 2019 Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup Final 1–0 62,493 35–15–19 MEX
September 6, 2019 MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey Friendly 3–0 47,960 36–15–19 MEX
June 6, 2021 Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado 2021 CONCACAF Nations League Final 3–2 aet (2–2) 37,648 36–15–20 MEX
August 1, 2021 Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, Nevada 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup Final 1–0 aet (0–0) 61,514 36–15–21 MEX
November 12, 2021 TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio[9] 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier 2–0 26,000 36–15–22 MEX
March 24, 2022 Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, D.F. 0–0 47,000 36–16–22 MEX
April 19, 2023 State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona Friendly 1–1 55,730 36–17–22 MEX
June 15, 2023 Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, Nevada 2023 CONCACAF Nations League semi-final 3–0 65,000 36–17–23 MEX
March 24, 2024 AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas 2024 CONCACAF Nations League Final 2–0 59,471 36–17–24 MEX

Player eligibility[edit]

The United States and Mexico also compete to convince players who are eligible to play for both the United States and Mexico (e.g., a player who was born in the United States to Mexican parents) to play for their particular national team. As of January 25, 2023, five players; Martín Vásquez, Edgar Castillo, Julián Araujo, Jonathan Gómez and Alejandro Zendejas have played senior level matches for both nations.

Other cases include William Yarbrough, Isaác Brizuela, Miguel Ponce, Jonathan González, Efraín Álvarez and more recently in the cases of David Ochoa and Julián Araujo.

  • Ruben Mendoza – born March 2, 1931, in St. Louis, Missouri to Mexican parents, was a dominant player in the St. Louis leagues during the 1950s and 1960s. He earned four caps with the U.S. national team and was a member of the 1952, 1956 and 1960 U.S. Olympic teams.
  • Gerardo Mascareño – born July 4, 1970, in Silver Spring, Maryland began his professional career with the Los Angeles Lazers of the MISL in 1988. Later builds a career Mexico in the early 1990s where he plays for both of Guadalajara's top clubs and bitter rivals (Atlas and Guadalajara), this move stirred controversy as it was revealed that Mascareño himself was not born on Mexican soil. On October 23, 1996, Mascareño makes his sole appearance with the Mexico national team in a friendly match against Ecuador, losing the match 1–0.
  • William Yarbrough – born March 20, 1989, in Aguascalientes, Mexico to American parents, has an extensive career with Liga MX club León. Yarbrough did participate with a Mexico U20 squad in 2007 but did not obtain any playing minutes. In March 2015 he appears for the U.S. team in a friendly against Switzerland.
  • Isaác Brizuela – born August 28, 1990, in San Jose, California to Mexican parents. Brizuela has made an entire career with Liga MX clubs Toluca, Atlas and Guadalajara. He was part of the Mexican delegation that obtained the gold medal in the 2011 Pan American Games. He makes his full appearance with Mexico in 2013.
  • Miguel Ponce – born April 12, 1989, in Sacramento holds an extensive career with Liga MX clubs Guadalajara, Toluca and Necaxa. Ponce was part of the Mexico squads that took part in the 2011 Copa América, obtained gold medals at the 2011 Pan American Games and the 2012 Olympic Games. Makes his full appearance scoring one goal at the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
  • Jonathan González – born April 13, 1999, in Santa Rosa to Mexican parents. A product of the U.S. national team youth program, González was part of the U.S. U20 squad that won the 2017 CONCACAF U-20 Championship. In 2014 he enters Liga MX club Monterrey's juvenile program and is eventually promoted to the senior squad in July 2017. In December 2017 González publicly states his wish to represent Mexico on the official scale. In January 2018 FIFA granted his request and he made his full appearance with Mexico on January 31 in a friendly match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. González has also been involved in Mexico's youth squad projects such as the 2018 Toulon Tournament in which Mexico's U20 ended as runners-up of the tournament.
  • Efraín Álvarez – born June 19, 2002, in Los Angeles, California to Mexican parents, Álvarez, a product of the LA Galaxy youth reserve made his first team debut appearance with the Galaxy in March 2019. In 2015 Álvarez made appearances with the United States U15 squad leaving a good impression on the youth level scene. However, a snubbing in part of US Soccer in 2016 made Álvarez reconsider on whether to continue in the US youth development program or move to Mexico. During the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup he scored 4 goals for the Mexico U17 squad which earned him good press reviews. In November 2020, he was called up for a senior U.S. national team training camp session prior to a friendly match against El Salvador which was to take place on December 9. However, he did not receive any playing minutes as his FIFA clearance eligibility had not been met. In March 2021, he was listed on both the U.S. and Mexican Olympic team preliminary rosters but his clearance situation was still undetermined. Finally in March 2021, Álvarez accepts call-ups to the Mexico national squad making his debut appearance on March 30 in a friendly match against Costa Rica. On July 10, 2021, Efraín Álvarez became officially cap-tied to the Mexico national team due to having relieved an injured Hirving Lozano early on against Trinidad and Tobago in the opening match of the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
  • David Ochoa – born January 16, 2001, in Oxnard, California to Mexican parents, plays with MLS side D.C. United since 2022. Ochoa had recently represented the USMNT's U17, U18 and U23 youth levels and was even part of the senior USMNT as the third choice goalkeeper during the 2021 CONCACAF Nations League Finals. Shortly after the Nations League final it was reported that Ochoa spent time training with the Mexico national team ahead of the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup as he did not receive any playing minutes with the USMNT during the Nations League. In August 2021, Ochoa files a one-time switch to FIFA to join the Mexico national team.
  • Julian Araujo – born August 13, 2001, in Lompoc, California, Araujo had already represented various USMNT youth level squads and even appeared in one friendly match with the senior USMNT in December 2020 against El Salvador. In August 2021, Araujo had requested a one-time switch to FIFA to join the Mexico national team. FIFA authorized the transfer in early October 2021.

Managers[edit]

Only one manager has managed both national teams; Bora Milutinović, who managed Mexico first from 1983 to 1986, playing host to that year's World Cup and a second time from 1995 to 1997. With the United States, Milutinović managed the Stars and Stripes from 1991 to 1995, again playing host in the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

Incidents[edit]

Prior to an Olympic qualifying game in Guadalajara, Mexico, on February 10, 2004, Mexican media reported that U.S. player Landon Donovan urinated on the field during practice, which angered Mexican fans and media outlets.[10] Subsequent video showed Donovan actually urinated near some bushes outside the practice areas. Two days later, on February 12, 2004, Mexico defeated the U.S. 4–0, and the crowd was heard chanting "Osama, Osama, Osama", in reference to Osama bin Laden and the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.[11]

In a friendly held in Glendale, Arizona on February 7, 2007, Landon Donovan scored in injury time to give the U.S. a 2–0 lead and win over Mexico. After the goal, Mexico goalkeeper Oswaldo Sánchez tried to trip U.S. player Eddie Johnson as Johnson was running to celebrate the goal. No contact was made, and no reprimand resulted.[12]

On February 11, 2009, the first qualifier for the 2010 World Cup was held in Columbus Crew Stadium, and resulted in a 2–0 victory for the U.S. against Mexico. After the game, as both teams headed through the tunnels to the locker room, Mexican assistant coach Francisco "Paco" Javier Ramírez slapped Frankie Hejduk in the face.[13] Hejduk did not retaliate, and Ramirez was not reprimanded.

On June 6, 2021, in the first CONCACAF Nations League final at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, the game between the two rivals was marred by several incidents of overly physical play and team brawls. In extra-time after Christian Pulisic scored a game-winning penalty to make it 3–2, Pulisic shushed the Mexican crowd in his celebration, which caused them to throw projectiles on the field injuring U.S. player Gio Reyna.

In the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier on November 12, 2021, Mexican player Luis Rodríguez violently fouled U.S. player Brenden Aaronson and clawed his eyes, receiving only a yellow to the dismay of the U.S. side. The U.S. would win the game 2–0.[14]

On June 15, 2023, at the semi-final game between the U.S. and Mexico during the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League finals, the game was seen as a rematch of the previous 2021 Nations League matchup and resulted in a U.S. 3–0 victory. The game ultimately had 4 red cards and 10 yellow cards for violent behavior on both sides, including Weston McKennie having his shirt ripped off by Mexican players. Several off-field incidents occurred involving Mexican fans, including thrown projectiles on the field and homophobic chanting which the match was called eight minutes into what were supposed to be 12; CONCACAF officially said the match was ended at the referee's discretion.[7][8]

Women's soccer[edit]

The two countries also have a rivalry between their women's teams, though the United States has won most matchups.

On January 28, 2018, the Mexican U-20 squad defeated the United States' team in the finals of the 2018 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship. After a 1–1 draw in the first 90 minutes, Mexico won the match on penalty kicks, scoring 4 against the U.S. total of 2. It was the third time the CONCACAF U-20 Championship featured U.S. and Mexico in the final game, and the first time that Mexico won.[15]

Summary[edit]

The United States leads the series 40–1–2, outscoring Mexico 172–17.

List of matches[edit]

Legend
Mexico win
United States win
Date Location Competition Result Attendance Series (W-D-L)
April 18, 1991 Stade Sylvio Cator, Port-au-Prince, Haiti 1991 Concacaf Championship 12–0 40,000 1–0–0 USA
August 13, 1994 Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard, Montreal, Quebec 1994 Concacaf Championship 9–0 1,821 2–0–0 USA
September 12, 1998 Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts Friendly 9–0 35,462 3–0–0 USA
March 28, 1999 Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California 3–0 21,000 4–0–0 USA
May 5, 2000 Providence Park, Portland, Oregon 8–0 6,517 5–0–0 USA
December 10, 2000 Robertson Stadium, Houston, Texas 3–2 11,121 6–0–0 USA
January 12, 2002 Blackbaud Stadium, Charleston, South Carolina 7–0 5,634 7–0–0 USA
October 27, 2002 Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California 2002 Gold Cup 3–0 5,568 8–0–0 USA
September 7, 2003 Spartan Stadium, San Jose, California Friendly 5–0 13,510 9–0–0 USA
November 3, 2003 Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas Friendly 3–1 23,176 10–0–0 USA
February 29, 2004 Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica, San Jose, Costa Rica 2004 Olympic Qualifying 2–0 3,000 11–0–0 USA
March 5, 2004 Estadio Eladio Rosabal Cordero, Heredia, Costa Rica 3–2 2,500 12–0–0 USA
May 9, 2004 University Stadium, Albuquerque, New Mexico Friendly 3–0 17,805 13–0–0 USA
October 16, 2004 Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri 1–0 20,435 14–0–0 USA
December 8, 2004 Home Depot Center, Carson, California 5–0 15,549 15–0–0 USA
October 23, 2005 Blackbaud Stadium, Charleston, South Carolina 3–0 4,261 16–0–0 USA
September 13, 2006 PAETEC Park, Rochester, New York 3–1 6,784 17–0–0 USA
November 22, 2006 Home Depot Center, Carson, California 2006 Gold Cup 2–0 6,128 18–0–0 USA
April 14, 2007 Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts Friendly 5–0 18,184 19–0–0 USA
October 13, 2007 Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri 5–1 10,861 20–0–0 USA
October 17, 2007 Providence Park, Portland, Oregon 4–0 10,006 21–0–0 USA
October 20, 2007 University Stadium, Albuquerque, New Mexico 1–1 8,972 21–1–0 USA
April 6, 2008 Estadio Olimpico Benito Juarez, Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua 2008 Olympic Qualifying 3–1 5,083 22–1–0 USA
March 28, 2010 Torero Stadium, San Diego, California Friendly 3–0 3,069 23–1–0 USA
March 31, 2010 Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, Utah 1–0 3,732 24–1–0 USA
November 5, 2010 Estadio de Béisbol Beto Ávila, Cancún, Quintana Roo 2010 World Cup Qualifying 2–1 8,374 24–1–1 USA
June 5, 2011 Red Bull Arena, Harrison, New Jersey Friendly 1–0 5,852 25–1–1 USA
January 24, 2012 BC Place, Vancouver, British Columbia 2012 Olympic Qualifying 4–0 7,599 26–1–1 USA
September 3, 2013 RFK Stadium, Washington, DC Friendly 7–0 12,594 27–1–1 USA
September 13, 2014 Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, Utah 8–0 8,849 28–1–1 USA
September 18, 2014 Sahlen's Stadium, Rochester, New York 4–0 5,680 29–1–1 USA
October 24, 2014 PPL Park, Chester, Pennsylvania 2014 Concacaf Championship 3–0 8,773 30–1–1 USA
May 17, 2015 StubHub Center, Carson, California Friendly 5–1 27,000 31–1–1 USA
February 13, 2016 Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas 2016 Olympic Qualifying 1–0 15,032 32–1–1 USA
April 5, 2018 EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Florida Friendly 4–1 14,360 33–1–1 USA
April 8, 2018 BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas 6–2 15,349 34–1–1 USA
October 4, 2018 Sahlen's Stadium, Cary, North Carolina 2018 Concacaf Championship 6–0 5,404 35–1–1 USA
May 26, 2019 Red Bull Arena, Harrison, New Jersey Friendly 3–0 26,332 36–1–1 USA
February 7, 2020 Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, California 2020 Olympic Qualifying 4–0 11,292 37–1–1 USA
July 1, 2021 Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field, East Hartford, Connecticut Friendly 4–0 21,637 38–1–1 USA
July 5, 2021 4–0 27,758 39–1–1 USA
July 11, 2022 Estadio Universitario, San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León 2022 CONCACAF W Championship 1–0 20,522 40–1–1 USA
February 26, 2024 Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, California 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup 2–0 11,612 40–1–2 USA

In popular culture[edit]

A 2012 documentary, Gringos at the Gate / Ahi Vienen Los Gringos, written and directed by Pablo Miralles, Roberto Donati, and Michael Whalen,[16] focuses on the cultural differences between the United States and Mexico when it comes to football. This includes the conflict of Mexican-American players in the U.S. while their family might support Mexico.[17]

The three-part documentary series Good Rivals, originally titled Good Neighbors, focused on the rivalry and featured interviews from past players and coaches. It was released in 2022 on Amazon Prime Video.[18]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Matches that go to penalty shootouts are always counted as ties by FIFA, regardless of which team won.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Compare Teams". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on August 12, 2015. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  2. ^ "Top 10: International football rivalries". ESPN.com. October 7, 2015. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  3. ^ "Top 10 international rivalries - CNN.com". edition.cnn.com. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  4. ^ "U.S.-Mexico soccer exhibition will be anything but friendly Wednesday night". Dallas News. April 18, 2023. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  5. ^ FALLAS, BERNARDO (February 6, 2008). "Mexico-U.S. soccer match anything but friendly". Chron. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c Bonn, Kyle (June 24, 2023). "USA vs Mexico history head to head in men's soccer: H2H results and finals between USMNT and El Tri". The Sporting News. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  7. ^ a b "USMNT vs Mexico, summary: Game suspended, red card, score, goals & highlights | Concacaf Nations League". Diario AS. June 16, 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  8. ^ a b Cesar Hernandez (June 15, 2023). "Referee ends USMNT rout over Mexico early amid anti-gay chants". ESPN. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  9. ^ "U.S. Soccer Selects Cincinnati as Host for USA-Mexico, Presented by Allstate, for November World Cup Qualifier". www.ussoccer.com. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  10. ^ "EU – México | Donovan orinó la cancha del Jalisco". Es.rec.deportes.futbol.narkive.com. February 11, 2004. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
  11. ^ Whiteside, Kelly (February 12, 2004). "USATODAY.com – Notebook: Mexicans' behavior part of the game". Usatoday30.usatoday.com. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
  12. ^ "USA v Mexico 2/7/07". YouTube. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
  13. ^ "Frankie Hejduk Gets Slapped By a Mexican Coach". Bleacher Report. February 13, 2009. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
  14. ^ "After the latest Dos Á Cero, it's time to be excited about the USMNT again". Deadspin. November 13, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  15. ^ "USA falls to Mexico in PKs in CONCACAF Women's U-20 title match". soccerwire.com. January 29, 2018. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  16. ^ "Gringos at the Gate (2012)". IMDb.com. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
  17. ^ [1] Archived November 1, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  18. ^ White, Peter (August 11, 2022). "Soccer Docuseries About Rivalry Between Mexico & America Kicks Off At Amazon". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 15, 2023.

External links[edit]