Mexico won Sunday against Panama (1-0) in the final of the Gold Cup, an annual tournament involving the best football teams from Concacaf countries (North, Central America and the Caribbean), thanks to a goal from Santiago Gimenez late in the game. Three minutes after coming into play, the 22-year-old substitute offered victory to his family (88th), and a ninth coronation in Mexico in this competition.
This unprecedented poster between a regular and Panama, who were still playing their third final, was a high-intensity match between vengeful Mexicans after their defeat on the last step last year, and Panamanians looking for a first title. Gimenez, striker from Feyenoord, in Dutch D1, entered in the 85th for Henry Martin and unlocked the game shortly after thanks to a solo number in the opposing defense, before deceiving Orlando Mosquera from the left.
SoFi Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL, then exploded. Some 73,000 spectators, most acquired in Mexico, were present. The host country of the final, the United States, had been eliminated by Panama on penalties in the half.