by the El Reportero staff
Mexico’s Under-20 men’s national team completed a memorable tournament by winning the 2026 Concacaf championship, qualifying for the 2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup and securing a place in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
El Tri defeated the United States 2-0 in the Aug. 9 final at Estadio Banorte in Mexico City, defending the title it won in 2024. Cristóbal Alfaro scored both goals as Mexico claimed its record 15th Concacaf U-20 championship.
Alfaro opened the scoring in the 28th minute with a header following a set piece. The United States was reduced to 10 players late in the first half when captain Chris Applewhite received a red card after a video review of his challenge on Hugo Camberos.
Alfaro struck again in the 69th minute, capitalizing on a defensive mistake and heading the ball into the net from inside the penalty area. Mexico protected its advantage and completed the tournament undefeated, conceding only one goal.
Mexico reached the championship match by defeating Canada 2-1 in the Aug. 7 semifinal. Canada scored in the sixth minute, but Alfaro equalized shortly after halftime. Camberos then converted a penalty in the 78th minute to complete the comeback and guarantee Mexico’s Olympic qualification.
The tournament’s four semifinalists—Mexico, the United States, Canada and Costa Rica—earned berths in the 2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan. Because the United States had already qualified automatically for the 2028 Olympics as the host country, Mexico secured Concacaf’s available Olympic berth by winning the championship.
The victory restored momentum for Mexico after the country failed to qualify for the men’s soccer tournament at the 2024 Paris Olympics. It also confirmed another strong generation of young Mexican players, with Camberos finishing as the tournament’s leading scorer and receiving the Best Player award.
Mexico’s Under-23 team experienced a different conclusion at the Central American and Caribbean Games. It earned the silver medal after drawing Venezuela 2-2 in the men’s final in Santo Domingo and losing the penalty shootout 3-2. Mateo Levy scored Mexico’s two goals, but Venezuela prevailed from the penalty spot to capture the gold medal.
References: Concacaf, U.S. Soccer.
