Six goals in the first half propelled Mexico to a commanding 6-0 victory against Trinidad and Tobago in Group A of League A of the Road to the Concacaf Women's Gold Cup on Tuesday night at the Estadio Hidalgo in Pachuca, Mexico.

With the win, Mexico now sits in first place in the group with six points through two matches, while Trinidad and Tobago remain on zero points after one game.

Mexico wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard, as Maria Sanchez scored for the second game in a row by stabbing home a cross from Scarlett Camberos before the three-minute mark for a 1-0 lead.

Greta Espinoza quickly doubled the advantage to 2-0 in the 10th when Trinidad and Tobago goalkeeper Kimika Forbes spilled a long-range shot, allowing Espinoza to stroke home the rebound.

Mexico then made it 3-0 in the 19th with a sparkling goal in transition that saw Alicia Cervantes polish off the counterattack with a right-footed laser into net.

A long-distance effort from Alexia Delgado that rolled off the fingertips of Forbes and into goal extended it to 4-0 in the 25th, followed by Charlyn Corral turning in a blocked shot in the 39th for a 5-0 lead.

Corral was instrumental again in the 42nd, sending in a cross that allowed that was tapped home by Cervantes to stretch it to 6-0.

With the six-goal advantage, Mexico could play to their liking and patiently wait to carve out any further scoring chances. However, the Trinidad and Tobago defence held firm in the second 45, leading to the 6-0 final.

With their preparations marred by financial constraints, Trinidad and Tobago’s senior women’s Head coach Richard Hood is bracing for the daunting task of trying to secure a spot in next year’s Concacaf Women’s Gold Cup. 

Hood and his Soca ladies will begin their hunt for qualification on September 26 away to Mexico, and the performance there is expected to set the tone for the remainder of the busy period.

Aside from the financial woes which has limited their preparations, Hood is also faced with the issue of some senior players being reluctant to represent the twin island republic, which means he will have to rely on his young charges to make the most of the campaign.

“I would say we are in a difficult position. We always knew that we were going to be in a difficult position because there are certain constraints where the TTFA is concerned, financially that is, and we will never get the kind of preparation that we really need in order to excel. But as a staff, we accept that and we will try to do the best we can do with the limited resources available to us,” Hood said in a recent interview with Guardian Media Sports.

“We are going to put our best foot forward, we are going to prepare the team to the best of our abilities, and hopefully on game day, we get the players to come out and execute the plan and we get the results we are hoping for,” he added.

Despite being a mere six weeks into camp, Hood has identified some positives in terms of player quality that he believes can be used to good effect.

“Based on what I have seen so far; we have two maybe three players who can definitely be added to our roster. The problem we always encounter though, is whether the university players would be released from their colleges. We have communicated with the players and most of them, who we are interested in, have indicated that they will be available, so for the most part, we ought to get the players that we want,” he shared.

Trinidad and Tobago are in Group A of League A alongside Mexico and Puerto Rico. After opening on the road, the Soca ladies will host the return leg against the Mexicans on October 27, before visiting Puerto Rico on December 1 and again on December 5, at home.

After group play, the three League A group winners will qualify for the 2024 Women’s Gold Cup Group Stage. The three second-place finishers of the League A groups and the three League B group winners, will advance to the Women’s Gold Cup Preliminaries.

“The encouraging thing for me is that there is some talent that we could work with. There are some players I would have liked to be part of it who, for one reason or the other, will not be part of it, some locally and some foreign-based players as well. But we will work with what we have and do the best with what we have,” Hood ended.

League A Group B comprises Panama and Guatemala with the loser of the Olympic playoff between Jamaica and Canada to join them.

Meanwhile, Group C is made up of Costa Rica, Haiti and St Kitts and Nevis.

The 2023 Concacaf Boys’ Under-15 Championship wrapped up on Sunday with the United States claiming the League A title with a 4-2 victory over Mexico at the Estadio Olimpico Felix Sanchez in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

The duel for Third-Place in League A saw an all-Caribbean affair end in a 3-1 victory for Haiti over Jamaica, also at the Estadio Olimpico Felix Sanchez.

Nicaragua are champions of League B after edging Saint Lucia 2-1 at the Stadion Rignaal Jean Francisca in Willemstad, Curacao.

In the League B Third-Place Match at the Stadion Rignaal Jean Francisca, Martinique defeated Bermuda 7-6 in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw.

In League C in the Dominican Republic, Saint Martin claimed the title thanks to a 4-1 win over Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in the Final. 

Meanwhile, in the Third-Place Match that was completed on Saturday, Turks and Caicos Islands topped Dominica 1-0.

Mexico are champions of the Concacaf Gold Cup for a ninth time, as Santiago Gimenez struck for a dramatic late winner to deliver Mexico a 1-0 victory over Panama in the 2023 Gold Cup Final on Sunday evening at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California.

Just minutes into the match as second half substitute, Gimenez scored in the 88’ with a sensational strike to seal the title for Mexico.

There were few chances for either side in the opening half hour. Panama forward Ismael Diaz had an early look at goal in the second minute, but was unable to get off a clean shot, while Mexico’s Uriel Antuna shot right at Panama goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera in the 12’

As far as true scoring threats, the biggest one of the first 45 minutes for Mexico did not arrive until the 42’ when a Luis Romo cross from the right wing was dummied, allowing a clean, sweeping shot from Orbelin Pineda that was saved by Mosquera. Henry Martin was there for the follow up on the doorstep, but again Mosquera came up big.

As for Panama, a shot from Anibal Godoy that bounced wide past outstretched Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa in first half stoppage time served as the best opportunity for Los Canaleros.

Panama stayed strong and almost found a goal late on when Edgar Barcenas swung a shot wide in the 87’.

The decisive moment would come a minute later in the 88’, as Gimenez, introduced into the game just minutes earlier, received a pass from Pineda with his back to goal, spun around the defender, charged toward net and slotted home a left-footed finish he’ll never forget, earning Mexico the dramatic 1-0 triumph.

Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz are left to pick up the pieces of another failed Concacaf Gold Cup campaign, as they again fell by the wayside at the semi-final stage, losing 0-3 to Mexico in an entertaining encounter at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, on Wednesday.

Henry Martin opened the scoring in the 2nd minute, before Luis Chavez (30th) inflicted more pain, leaving substitute Roberto Alvarado (90+3) to throw salt in the Jamaicans wounds and send eight-time champions Mexico into their third-consecutive Gold Cup final.

They will meet 2005 and 2013 finalists Panama in Sunday’s final, after the Central Americans defeated United States 5-4 on sudden-death penalty after playing out a 1-1 stalemate in full and extra time at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California.

With a large turnout of Jamaican spectators inside the 61,000-capacity stadium, the Reggae Boyz, who were finalists in the 2015 and 2017 tournaments, and also 2019 semi-finalist, started with a burst of purpose but it evaporated as briskly as it started.

This, as Mexico won possession from the failed Jamaican attack, in the middle of the park and broke down the right channel.  A long pass switching the point of attack was picked up by Jesus Gallardo, whose pass across the 18-yard box found an unmarked Martin, who applied an easy finish beyond Andre Blake.

The Mexicans went close to doubling the lead eight minutes later, but Blake diving full stretch to his left, denied Erick Sanchez’s left-footed effort from the top of the 18-yard box.

Though the Jamaicans orchestrated a few quick breaks, using their speed an athleticism down the channels, they were unable to make it count in the final third, where the lacked composure.

In fact, it wasn’t until the 24th minute that they got a shot off at Guillermo Ochoa’s goal when Demarai Gray found space for a right-footer from outside the 18-yard box that was easily collected by the Mexican shot stopper.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, they soon found themselves two goals down at the half-hour mark when Chavez’s delightfully taken left-footed free kick from about 25 yards out, rendered a five-man wall useless, beating Blake’s full stretch dive to his right.

While the action remained lively for the most parts, neither team was able to create any more meaningful chances in the latter stages of the half, as they went to the break with the score unchanged.

Heimir Hallgrimsson made a tactical change at the top of the second half, bringing on striker Shamar Nicholson for holding midfielder Kevon Lambert and the move worked to some extent, as the Reggae Boyz started seeing more possession of the ball in the attacking third.

They went close to pulling on back in the 54th minute, after Leon Bailey orchestrated a decent buildup in which he switched the attack to Michail Antonio, who whipped a one-time pass across the face of goal, but Nicholson was late in arriving at the far post.

As the Jamaicans continued to enjoy a good passage of play with Mexico at a lull, Antonio had the opportunity to hit the target from a solo run in the 75^th minute. However, the West Ham United man was hesitant in pulling the trigger and the belated effort was charged down.

Both teams continued the probe for goals, the Jamaicans moreso, but while they came up empty in their hunt, Jaime Lozano’s side helped themselves to another. Poor defending by Damion Lowe allowed Gallardo a free run in the box to play a pass across the face of goal for Alvarado to tap in from close range in time added.

Teams: Jamaica- Andre Blake, Damion Lowe, Javain Brown (Dexter Lembikisa 51st), Kevon Lambert (Shamar Nicholson 46th), Bobby Reid, Amari'i Bell, Dishon Bernard, Joel Latibeaudiere (Daniel Johnson 85^th), Leon Bailey, Demarai Gray, Michail Antonio (Dujuan Richards 85^th)

Subs not used: Jahmali Waite, Coniah Boyce-Clarke, Adrian Mariappa, Kemar Lawrence, Jonathan Russell, Kaheem Parris, Corey Burke,

Booked: Brown (29^th), Lambert (39^th), Bernard (55^th)

Mexico –Guillermo Ochoa, Jorge Sanchez, Cesar Montes, Johan Vasquez, Jesus Gallardo, Erick Sanchez (Carlos Rodriguez 62^nd), Luis Romo, Luis Chavez (Edson Alvarez 72nd), Uriel Antuna (Roberto Alvarado 72^nd), Henry Martin (Santiago Gimenez 63^rd), Orbelin Pineda (Diego Lainez 87^th)

Subs not used: Antonio Rodriguez, Angel Malagon, Julian Araujo, Gerardo Arteaga, Ozziel Herrera, Israel Reyes, Victor Guzman

Booked: Antuna (61^st), Alvarez (90^th)

Referee: Mario Escobar (Guatemala)

Assistant referee: Luis Ventura (Guatemala); Humberto Panjoj (Guatemala)

Fourth Official: Bryan Lopez (Guatemala)

A gallant and gutsy performance from Jon Ryder was not enough to beat Mexican fighter Canelo Alvarez in front of more than 50,000 people in Guadalajara, Mexico.

A bruised and bloodied Ryder lost by unanimous decision in a heroic effort against one of the world’s best fighters in front of a raucous crowd at Akron Stadium.

The judges scored the fight 120-107 on one card and 118-109 on the other two to improve Canelo’s record to 59-2-2 in his first fight in Mexico since 2011.

Both fighters used the first two rounds to feel each other before a Canelo jab caused blood to pour from Ryder’s nose.

Canelo then knocked down Ryder with a clean one-two in the fourth round and it looked ominous for the 34-year-old from Islington.

But he got back up and fought through the 12 rounds, coping vicious punches throughout the fight while spitting blood from his mouth but held on until the last bell.

Ryder had previously lost five career fights to Billy Joe Saunders, Nick Blackwell, Jack Arnfield, Rocky Fielding, and the most recent being Callum Smith in 2019 by unanimous decision.

The loss ended his four-fight win streak with his record now sitting at 32-6.

Reggae Boyz Head Coach Heimir Hallgrimsson is happy that his team came away with a point in their CONCACAF Nations League fixture against powerhouses Mexico at the Azteca Stadium on Sunday.

The Reggae Boyz took the lead in the seventh minute through a spectacular right-footed volley from outside the box by Fulham midfielder Bobby Reid.

Mexico capitalised on a defensive lapse by the Jamaicans to make in 1-1 10 minutes later before the away team, once again, took the lead when Edson Alvarez scored an own-goal in the 32^nd minute.

Napoli star Hirving Lozano then converted a 47^th minute penalty to complete the scoring on the day with both teams settling for a 2-2 draw.

“It is a difficult place to come,” said Hallgrimsson to reporters after the game.

“They are one of the powerhouses in CONCACAF so we knew it was going to be a difficult match. I think we did some good things but we are starting a journey together,” he added.

While acknowledging that the team has a lot of improvements to make, the Iceland native was encouraged by the fact that the team can get something out of a game in hostile territory.

“I know we need to improve a lot of things still but, the good thing about this game for us is that it shows even though we go away and play in a difficult stadium like the Azteca, we can still get something from the game,” he said.

Mexico and Jamaica played to a 2-2 draw in the final encounter in Group A of League A in the 2022–23 Concacaf Nations League at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, Mexico.

The tie assures Mexico the top spot in the group and a place in the Concacaf Nations League  finals in June.

Jamaica goalkeeper Jahmali Waite started for the visitors and made a pivotal save early to deny Hector Moreno in the 6’, as the home side looked dangerous early on set pieces.

Bobby De Cordova-Reid placed the Reggae Boyz in the lead with a right-footed laser from outside the box in the 8’, marking his third international goal and first in a League A match.

The hosts responded shortly after as Orbelín Pineda pounced on a rebound inside the box in the 17’, tying the encounter at one apiece.

Jamaica regained the lead off a corner kick in the 33’ when the service from De Cordova-Reid bounced off the left thigh of Edson Álvarez for an own goal.

The match was temporarily suspended due to lightning in the 34’ and restarted as soon as conditions were deemed safe to resume.

After the restart, Hirving Lozano was denied by the top post in the 43’ as Mexico was inching closer to the tying goal.

Henry Martin was brought down inside the box by defender Ravel Morrison as Mexico earned a penalty in the first minute into injury time. Hirving Lozano converted in the 45'+2 to tie 2-2.

Luis Chavez attempted to test Waite from long range in the 54’ but the shot went just wide.

Guillermo Ochoa came up with a quick-witted save in the 57’ on a Jamaica corner headed by Shamar Nicholson.

Second half substitute Diego Laínez saw his own attempt denied by the woodwork in the 75’ as the home side continued to search for the victory.

Lozano nearly had his second of the night, and the potential game-winner, in second half injury time but the attempt was just inches from the far post.

Aston Villa forward Leon Bailey and Spartak Moscow striker Shamar Nicholson headline a 23-man squad named by the Jamaica Football Federation on Monday for the CONCACAF Nations League fixture between the Reggae Boyz and Mexico at the Azteca on March 26.

Bailey and Nicholson are two of a number of players who were not apart of the squad for the two friendlies against the Soca Warriors in Jamaica last week.

Defenders Damion Lowe, Amari’i Bell and Kemar Lawrence are also among those who have returned to the squad while regular skipper Andre Blake remains absent through injury.

The match will commence at 7:00pm JA time (8:00pm ET).

The full squad is as follows: Goalkeepers: Jahmali Waite (Pittsburgh Riverhounds), Coniah Boyce-Clarke (Reading), Amal Knight (Lexington), Defenders: Amari’i Bell (Luton Town), Ethan Pinnock (Brentford), Dexter Lembikisa (Wolves), Adrian Mariappa (Unattached), Damion Lowe (Philadelphia Union), Richard King (Cavalier), Javain Brown (Vancouver Whitecaps), Kemar Lawrence (Minnesota United), Midfielders: Jonathan Russell (Barnsley), Bobby Reid (Fulham), Demario Phillips (Mt. Pleasant), Kevon Lambert (Phoenix Rising), Daniel Johnson (Preston North End), Ravel Morrison (DC United), Kaheem Parris (Dynamo Kyiv), Forwards: Jamal Lowe (Bournemouth), Cory Burke (NY Red Bulls), Trivante Stewart (Mt. Pleasant), Shamar Nicholson (Spartak Moscow), Leon Bailey (Aston Villa)

The expanded 2026 World Cup may not necessarily feature three-team groups amid criticism of the proposed reforms, says FIFA's chief of global football Arsene Wenger.

In January 2017, the FIFA Council voted to increase the number of teams participating in the World Cup finals from 32 to 48, with the first tournament under the new format set to take place across the United States, Mexico and Canada in four years' time. 

FIFA initially said the new format will contain 16 groups of three teams, with the top two in each advancing to a 32-team knockout stage, but that proposal has attracted renewed criticism recently.

Several thrilling group-stage finales at the current tournament in Qatar, where Japan and South Korea advanced in dramatic circumstances and the possibility of Poland and Mexico being separated via their disciplinary records emerged, have provoked calls to abandon the plan.

The existing proposal would see an end to groups being decided by simultaneous fixtures on matchday three, but Wenger has revealed the format could yet be altered.

"This is not decided, but it will be 16 groups of three, 12 groups of four, or two sides of six groups of four, like you organise two 24-team [tournaments]," Wenger said on Sunday.

"I will not be able to decide that, it will be decided by the FIFA Council, and I think it will be done in the next year."

Earlier this week, it was also reported FIFA were considering the introduction of group-stage penalty shoot-outs under the new format, with winning teams being granted a bonus point. 

Sixteen cities were officially selected to host games at the 2026 World Cup earlier this year, with Vancouver, Toronto, Guadalajara, Monterrey and Mexico City joining 11 locations across the USA.

Lionel Messi says he did not disrespect Mexico during post-match celebrations following Argentina's World Cup victory last week after incurring the wrath of Canelo Alvarez.

Messi helped Argentina bounce back from a shock opening defeat at the hands of Saudi Arabia in Qatar with a 2-0 win at Lusail Stadium on Saturday.

Video footage appeared to show Messi catching a Mexico shirt with his foot in the dressing room after that win, prompting a furious response from Canelo, though the boxing superstar later apologised for his comments.

Messi does not believe he did anything wrong and has nothing to apologise for.

"It was a misunderstanding," he stated. "Those who know me know that I don't disrespect anyone. These are things that happen in the locker room after the game.

"I don't have to ask for forgiveness because I didn't disrespect the people of Mexico or the jersey."

Argentina wrapped up their Group C campaign with a 2-0 victory over Poland, with Mexico crashing out despite a 2-1 win over Saudi Arabia.

Lionel Scaloni's side will face Australia in the round of 16 on Saturday.

Tata Martino accepted responsibility for Mexico's "huge failure" at the World Cup and confirmed his contract had now expired with little prospect of him returning to the role.

Martino has been a largely unpopular El Tri coach, and his standing was not helped by Wednesday's elimination in the group stage at Qatar 2022.

Mexico came agonisingly close to making the last 16 at an eighth straight World Cup before they were instead knocked out on goal difference behind Poland in Group C.

After second-half goals from Henry Martin and Luis Chavez against Saudi Arabia at Lusail Stadium, Mexico were tied with Poland on points, goal difference and goals scored, having drawn their head-to-head encounter.

With the full-time whistle having blown in Poland's match against Argentina, Mexico were heading out due to an inferior fair play record when Salem Al Dawsari pulled one back for Saudi Arabia in stoppage time.

Ultimately, Martino's men had left it too late to stage a recovery, and plenty of the ire was directed at the coach, whose name had been jeered ahead of kick-off.

Told of his status as a "villain" in Mexico, Martino replied: "I can't tell you anything abut people's opinions.

"I am the main [person] responsible for the frustrations we have. I'm responsible and it's a source of great sadness.

"I assume all the responsibility of this huge failure. It's been eight World Cups this hasn't happened."

Martino's contract was to expire after the World Cup, and he continued: "I have no reasons at the moment to think the future should be different. The contract expired with the final whistle and there is nothing else to do."

Chavez was asked for his opinion later in the news conference and added: "We are the players, we assume full responsibility.

"I would say in the second match [against Argentina] we didn't fully understand what he [Martino] wanted to see on the pitch.

"We defended well for some time but didn't create enough chances."

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia coach Herve Renard accepted his side did not deserve to advance with their performance against Mexico.

However, he sought instead to focus on their campaign as a whole – including the shock opening win over Argentina.

"Congratulations to the players. We did our best," he said. "Today it was more difficult for us, but we don't have to forget what we did together. I will always protect them. I'm proud of their World Cup."

Mexico fell painfully short of the last 16 of the World Cup as a 2-1 win over Saudi Arabia at Lusail Stadium left them behind Poland on goal difference.

Salem Al Dawsari's stoppage-time consolation sealed El Tri's elimination, although they were already on their way out by an even finer margin.

An inferior fair play record to Poland, who had already lost 2-0 to Argentina, was set to separate the sides until that point.

Mexico still had two minutes in which to add a decisive third to second-half strikes from Henry Martin and Luis Chavez, but the goal they had chased for so long proved beyond them.

Tata Martino's men perhaps paid for not making more of a first half they dominated, going closest when Mohammed Al Owais denied Alexis Vega in the third minute.

The second period initially went according to plan as Cesar Montes flicked Chavez's corner into the centre of the six-yard box, where Martin could not miss.

One quickly became two thanks to a sensational Chavez free-kick, but Hirving Lozano and substitute Uriel Antuna saw potentially precious goals ruled out for offside, leaving Mexico agonisingly short heading into stoppage time.

Full-time in the Poland match was followed by Al Dawsari strolling through to net an effort that ultimately meant little but felt like a heartbreaker for Mexico.

Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez has issued an apology to Lionel Messi after he accused the Argentina forward of disrespecting the Mexico flag in the World Cup.

The boxing superstar reacted furiously after a video from the dressing room following Argentina's 2-0 victory over Mexico appeared to show Messi catching a Mexico shirt with his foot during the celebrations, which was on the floor.

Canelo declared "I ask God that I don't find him" but, having attracted criticism following his comments, has now backtracked and issued an apology to the Argentina captain.

"These last few days I got carried away by the passion and love I feel for my country and made comments that were out of place for which I want to apologise to Messi and the people of Argentina," he posted on Twitter. "Every day we learn something new and this time it was my turn.

"I wish both teams much success in their matches today and here we will continue supporting Mexico until the end."

Both sides went into the final round of matches in Group C with hopes of advancing to the knockout stage of the competition, with Argentina tackling Poland and Mexico taking on Saudi Arabia.

Mexico always reach the last 16 of the World Cup. It is just what they do. Progress beyond that point has been the issue.

But El Tri head into their final Group C fixture at Lusail Stadium on Wednesday at risk of elimination, needing to beat Saudi Arabia to have any chance of advancing.

Tata Martino's side have shown little sign of delivering such a result so far, drawing with Poland only after Robert Lewandowski had a penalty saved and then losing 2-0 to Argentina.

Mexico are winless in four World Cup matches, only enduring a worse sequence across their first 13 finals games.

They have not scored in any of those four outings either, with 49 attempts in that time producing just nine on target.

Perhaps their luck will change against Saudi Arabia, who have kept only one clean sheet in 18 World Cup matches – that rate of 5.6 per cent the worst in tournament history among teams to play 10 or more games.

"While we still have a chance, we have to try to do it," Martino said after losing to Argentina. "Saudi Arabia need to try to win and score goals, and we do, too.

"I think that in life and in this case, with these players, we are used to picking ourselves up, above all when we have to. It's hard, though; it's definitely hard."

Saudi Arabia could go through with a draw, although they will have to win to ensure they cannot be impacted by the result between Poland and Argentina.

They have only made it through the group stage once previously, in their first participation in 1994.

"I hope [the Saudi fans] won't give up," coach Herve Renard said following a 2-0 defeat to Poland.

"When you are fans, you need to support your team when it's a fantastic day. But you also need to support your team to make history in the third game. I would like to see one more time a green stadium."

Mexico are unbeaten against Saudi Arabia, winning four of their five previous meetings, which all occurred between 1995 and 1999.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Saudi Arabia – Mohammed Kanno

Kanno really stood out as Saudi Arabia might a bright start against Poland, providing a goal threat from midfield as he attempted a joint-high four shots. His support will be key as the Green Falcons go on the attack again.

Mexico – Raul Jimenez

Martino played without a natural forward against Argentina, but he surely cannot afford to do so again as Mexico need goals. They have only had five shots on target, with no player contributing more than one. After coming off the bench twice, Jimenez may now be called upon to produce at a big moment.

PREDICTION

Despite their recent World Cup woes, Mexico are strong favourites to get the win they need to stay in contention. The supercomputer rates their chances at 56.4 per cent.

A second Saudi Arabia upset of the group stage is given only a 21.2 per cent shot, while the draw – which would see Mexico eliminated and may not be enough for Saudi Arabia either – has a 22.4 per cent likelihood.