Mexico tops Group A at 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup after 0-0 stalemate with Costa Rica

Despite being held to a goalless draw by Costa Rica, Mexico clinched the top spot in Group A at the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup on Sunday night at NRG Stadium. With both nations finishing on seven points, El Tri edged ahead on goal difference, securing a favorable quarterfinal matchup against Saudi Arabia in Glendale, Arizona.

The scoreline may have remained unchanged, but the night was not without late drama. A breathtaking overhead kick goal by Santiago Giménez deep into stoppage time was ruled out for offside after a lengthy VAR review, leaving fans and players stunned.

VAR denies Giménez a magical moment

In the 94th minute, Luis Chávez delivered a lofted free kick after combining with Carlos Rodríguez, sending the ball into Costa Rica’s penalty area. After Orlando Galo misjudged his clearance, Santiago Giménez pounced with an acrobatic bicycle kick that rocketed past Keylor Navas.

Celebrations were short-lived. Guatemalan referee Mario Escobar, prompted by the VAR team, reviewed the sequence and determined that Giménez was marginally offside when Chávez delivered the ball—nullifying what would have been a stunning match-winner.

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Mexico may not have found the back of the net, but they dominated possession and offensive statistics:

• Possession: Mexico – 70% | Costa Rica – 30%
• Shots: Mexico – 13 | Costa Rica – 5
• Shots on Target: Mexico – 4 | Costa Rica – 0

Despite overwhelming control, Javier Aguirre’s squad struggled to break down a resilient Costa Rican side, marshaled by Keylor Navas and bolstered by a compact defensive structure.

“We’re growing, although not at the speed I’d like,” Aguirre said post-match. “It was a good game for us that didn’t end with a victory. We’re happy with the performance. I have nothing to reproach my players for.”

El Tri had previously defeated the Dominican Republic and Suriname in their opening matches, finishing the group stage unbeaten and extending their Gold Cup unbeaten run against Costa Rica to 10 matches.

Costa Rica’s Challenges Multiply Ahead of Quarterfinals

Though Costa Rica advances to face the United States in Minneapolis, head coach Miguel Herrera faces mounting personnel challenges. Four key players will miss the quarterfinal:

• Manfred Ugalde, the team’s top scorer with 3 goals, and Carlos Mora are both suspended after accumulating two yellow cards.
• Ariel Lassiter (fractured hand) and Warren Madrigal (broken leg) are ruled out due to injuries.

“It was a difficult match, we said so beforehand,” Herrera noted. “It was very close, and we knew it would be that way. We still have things to fix, but we have a very good team — for me, the best in the region.”

Costa Rica’s best chance came in the 67th minute when Alonso Martínez unleashed a powerful 25-yard effort that rattled the crossbar, nearly stunning Mexico against the run of play.

Quarterfinals Set: Mexico vs Saudi Arabia, Costa Rica vs USA

The knockout stage is now in full focus. Mexico will take on Saudi Arabia on Saturday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, while Costa Rica face a tough test against the defending champions, the United States, on Sunday in Minneapolis.