Raúl Jiménez Sends Mexico to Gold Cup Final After Beating Honduras

Raúl Jiménez Strikes as Mexico Edges Honduras

No one expected the breakthrough to come from a teenager, but 16-year-old Gilberto Mora picked the perfect moment. In the 50th minute of a nail-biting Gold Cup semifinal, Mora’s clever assist landed at the feet of Raúl Jiménez, who smashed the ball past the Honduras keeper. That lone goal was all Mexico needed to beat Honduras 1-0 on July 2, 2025, booking a ticket to their 12th tournament final and sending Mexican fans into celebration mode.

Mora, not even old enough to drive in some countries, became the youngest player to record an assist in recent Gold Cup history. He didn’t look out of place for a second—darting past defenders with ease and delivering a pass that Jiménez could finish with trademark confidence. The veteran striker isn't new to this script either; this was his sixth career match-winning goal for Mexico by a 1-0 scoreline, and the third time he's done it at a Gold Cup.

Defensive Grit Defines Mexico's Run

If Jiménez was the headline, Mexico’s defense provided the backbone. Honduras barely got a sniff at goal, with just one shot on target and a measly 0.10 expected goals over 90 minutes. Mexico’s backline has turned stinginess into an art form, piling up five consecutive clean sheets in Gold Cup knockout matches—something they haven’t done since the ‘90s. Whenever Honduras pushed forward, the Mexican defenders shut them down with calm efficiency. Opponents in this tournament have managed less than two shots on target per game, the lowest among all teams. Goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa looked almost bored for stretches, his gloves rarely troubled by any real danger.

Javier Aguirre, guiding the squad with steady hands, has quietly carved out a reputation for getting it done when the pressure’s on. With this semifinal win, he became only the second coach to take El Tri to more than one Gold Cup final, following in the footsteps of Gerardo Martino. Aguirre’s tactical plan has stressed discipline, both defensively and in the midfield, and it's paying off.

Mexico’s dominance over Honduras in this tournament just keeps growing. It’s now seven clean sheets in nine Gold Cup meetings between the sides, a record that underlines just how difficult Honduras finds it to score against their North American rivals.

Now, the stage is set for a classic showdown in Houston. On July 6, Mexico goes up against old foes, the United States, with everything to play for. With old hands like Jiménez leading the line and fresh talent like Mora coming through, Mexico looks as strong and balanced as they have in years.