Rayados secured second place in Group E and will take on Borussia Dortmund next Tuesday in Atlanta

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Inter Milan topped the group with seven pointsRiver Plate and Urawa Reds were eliminatedBerterame, Deossa, and Corona scored for MonterreyFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱AFPTELL ME MORE

Monterrey wrapped up an impressive group stage performance at the Club World Cup by defeating Urawa Reds 3-0 in a do-or-die match for Domènec Torrent’s side. Inter’s 2-0 victory over River Plate kept from finishing top of Group E, meaning the Mexican side will now face Borussia Dortmund next Tuesday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Fully aware of what was at stake, Torrent sent out an attack-minded lineup, which paid off after 30 minutes with a stunning long-range strike from Colombian midfielder Nelson Deossa to open the scoring. The momentum continued just four minutes later when Germán Berterame netted Monterrey’s second goal after a well-placed assist from Alfonso Alvarado.

The party had just begun for the Mexican club, and it was Jesús "Tecatito" Corona who capped off a dominant first half with a brilliant strike from distance in the 39th minute to make it 3-0.

Monterrey’s 10-minute blitz gave them a comfortable cushion heading into halftime. With the result effectively sealed, Torrent used the second half to manage the match and rest key players by making five substitutions. It’s worth noting that Torrent left Sergio Canales and Lucas Ocampos on the bench.

In the final minutes, Berterame capped off the party for by scoring his second goal in the 90+7th minute.

AdvertisementAFPDID YOU KNOW?

Six teams from the Americas have qualified for the Round of 16 at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup: Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense, Inter Miami, Monterrey, and Palmeiras. So far, the eliminated sides are: Boca Juniors, LAFC, Pachuca, River Plate, and the Seattle Sounders.

Getty Images SportTHE MVP

The MVP has to go to Domenec Torrent, who delivered an outstanding group stage performance at the Club World Cup in what were just his first three official matches as Monterrey’s head coach. Following the departure of Martín Demichelis, Torrent arrived under pressure to make a strong impression in the tournament, despite limited preparation time. Securing second place in Group E is undoubtedly a great result for both Monterrey and the club’s board, who put their trust in Torrent to lead the team after Demichelis’ disappointing stint.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportTHE BIG LOSER

The big loser is River Plate, as the Argentine team – one of the most popular in Latin America – failed in their Club World Cup campaign after starting with a win over Urawa Reds, a draw with Monterrey, and a loss in the final group stage match against Inter Milan, the Champions League runner-ups. Without a doubt, the elimination of Marcelo Gallardo and his team, along with Boca Juniors and Atlético de Madrid, will be among the most criticized of the tournament.

Governing bodies, venues and brands have turned to influencers to pump up interest in the CWC – with more to come in 2026

In the run-up to the Club World Cup, Gianni Infantino walked the fine line of aggressively promoting the expanded tournament, while not exactly sitting down for lengthy media interviews. Public appearances showing off a glitzy CWC trophy, or photo-ops in the White House? Sure.

But when it came to one of the few extended conversations, the FIFA President made a curious choice: iShowSpeed. Seriously.

It was a wonderfully choreographed event, Infantino “surprising” the streamer, who has 36.5 million followers on Instagram and 41.2M subscribers on YouTube. “Speed” played along with the whole act, pretended to be shocked, and asked a few basic questions, in a skit-adjacent format, that basically served as an infomercial for the Club World Cup.

A cynic might call it avoidance of some real issues. In reality, it was smart business, Infantino realizing that much of the soccer culture in the United States exists online – and with a younger demographic. And as the Club World Cup rolls from the group stage into this weekend’s knockout round, influencers, streamers and social media personalities have been the fuel keeping the movement going.

“He had the FIFA Club World Cup trophy in the room where they're exploding fireworks and doing crazy sh*t, you know?” John Shin, who goes by GoodVibesJohn to his 98,000 Instagram followers, told GOAL. “But that's basically the entertainment industry, especially for the younger generation. And I think what FIFA and Infantino, particularly, what he's trying to do, is he's tapping into that sort of space.”

• Getty Images
  

  Fighting tradition

  This has probably been coming for a while. There are constant debates around America’s ability to expand its soccer culture, and how it might push for authenticity. More seasoned voices might always exist, but for a new generation – the very demographic FIFA is openly trying to target – interactions with the game occur primarily through their devices.

  And accordingly, influencers have responded. Some work directly with FIFA. Others partner with a wide range of brands. There are plenty, too, who are leveraging their own content to simultaneously promote the tournament and increase their follower base. But whatever the method, it has become a mutually beneficial transaction in which more eyes are on some form of the sport, and individual brands grow.

  “It’s basically been constantly promoting the Club World Cup. And it’s been good,” Kevin Sika-Nartey, known to his 142,000 Instagram followers as KevinFooty, said.

Advertisement

• Finding an angle

  For most, curating a decent following isn’t the hard part. You just need an angle. TheoKicksBalls, a streamer based in Philadelphia, has developed his profile by making a series of videos claiming that any given viewer “sucks at soccer.” He has 226,000 followers and racks up views in the millions.

  Making money, though, is harder. It’s far from a simple system. The vast majority of content creators don’t work with brands directly. Instead, they are represented by a handful of agencies, sprinkled across the U.S. and the world.

  A shoe or apparel brand, for example, will coordinate with an agency, hand them a budget for a creator, and then connect with individual personalities. A couple of thousand dollars is typically on offer – although it depends on agents and follower base. Traditionally, in the American soccer space, brand deals were difficult to come by.

  But the Club World Cup has brought an influx of cash for creators.

  “I’ll have brand deals with sponsors that are putting money into the Club World Cup that want individual videos or personalized reels that are more like advertising based,” he said.

  Watch every FIFA Club World Cup game free on DAZNStream now

• Getting the timing right

  For Sika-Nartey, it started in September 2024. He says he was asked directly by FIFA to piece together an Instagram post hyping up the Club World Cup. He worked alongside another creator, Imluppe, to shoot a video in New York City’s Times Square. It’s 15 seconds, back to front.

  Here’s Luppe, pointing to a screen showing Vitinha Maradona spinning around a defender. There’s Sika-Nartey, looking up at a billboard promising “the best 32 clubs in the world” coming to the States. Luppe juggles, Sika-Nartey flicks.

  One commenter promises that the “CWC’s gonna be a movie” with a fire emoji. A series of other creators in the soccer space interact. At the end of it all, the video was posted as part of FIFA’s campaign.

  The process was quick. The agency assigned the content to the duo quickly, and FIFA gave them two hours after their shoot to post. That meant creating the video, editing, uploading and making extra footage that didn’t make the cut far faster than usual.

  “They're very smooth, but in terms of deliverables, they want content like right away,” Sika-Nartey said.

  FIFA is selective, the creator says. Most have been gearing up for the tournament months in advance, noting it as an inflection point for American soccer – especially as a precursor to the 2026 World Cup in North America – and a chance to raise their own profile. Such is the case for Alfardy Ali – who has 47,000 Instagram followers.

  “This stuff I posted about the Club World Cup is just me, saying it's more than just a tournament or a money grab, or just another tournament to tire players out,” Ali said. “Like, it's not even brands or companies reaching out. It's just me just trying to, like, I don't know, just talk about football.”

  A year ago, Scott realized the same. It was, in fact, what drove him into social media in the first place.

  “I started making content, like a little over a year ago now,” he said, “and my whole thing was it's kind of now or never, because of these huge events in the U.S. coming up: the Club World Cup, as well as, like, the Gold Cup and even Leagues Cup, just like major tournaments.”

  The same goes for those with relatively small followings. Lilibeth Rendon works for Area Sports Network, has a job in real estate in Manhattan, but also has an Instagram account with 9,000 followers. She knows that this could be important as she continues to grow.

  “There's a lot of brands in America that like European soccer,” she said. “So it's like, you get to see your favorite teams – like, I'm a prime example of that – in an official competition. And it's finally not a friendly.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• John Shin
  

  Putting in the hours

  There are more demanding jobs in the world, certainly. But what perhaps isn’t considered in the whole process is the number of hours that most creators put in. It might seem trite from the outside to have sympathy for people who get to watch soccer for a living – and kick a ball around on social media to make a few thousand dollars.

  There’s an element of truth to that. But the CWC has also required travel, energy and editing work to a unique degree.

  "It’s been crazy, bro, this past month. It's just like constant. I fall asleep and I wake up and I'm like, ‘Bro, I'm so tired.’ I haven't really rested. We were in Orlando for the weekend, and when we came back, I was so jetlagged. And then I had to edit a [commercial] video and submit to them. I fell asleep with the phone in my hand while I was editing,” Sika-Nartey said, FaceTiming goal after just waking up. “It was crazy, bro.”

  It’s more challenging for those who have full-time jobs. Shin works from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on most days. He is a chemical engineer. He is an elder statesman in the New York City creation space, having made social media content – mostly around Manchester United – for 11 years. He is 33, and has been attacking the tournament while also dealing with, well, life.

  “I'm worried that, like, one day, just like, at the flick of the switch, I'm just gonna just sleep for like, 20 hours or something,” Shin joked.

  Others have travelled long distances. Scott has spent hours in the car going from Pennsylvania to New York and back, hitting as many games as possible to create content. Sometimes, there isn’t even money behind it. But for him, exposure is key to keeping his hundreds of thousands of followers happy.

  “This is my first major tournament, but everything I've experienced so far is like very last minute, like ‘Hey we have these tickets, do you wanna come?’” Scott said.

  Sometimes, that means multiple trips in a week. Some are paid, some aren’t. Rendon is following Real Madrid up and down the East Coast on her own dime – all in the name of capturing content with Los Blancos.

Rob Keogh gave Northamptonshire supporters a rare moment to celebrate with a stunning century against Essex at Wantage Road, scoring 154 off just 147 balls.With the county already relegated and playing for pride after a nightmare season, Keogh put on a show with boundaries all around the ground as Northamptonshire claimed their first batting bonus point at home this summer and closed on 279 for 6 on day one of this LV= Insurance County Championship match.Keogh batted with a sense of freedom, taking the positive, attacking route, but timing the ball to perfection and not offering any chances. Strong on the drive and cutting and punching firmly off the back foot, when Essex resorted to bowling short, he dismissively hooked and pulled the ball away to the ropes, hitting 23 fours and four sixes.He ticked off milestones along the way too, passing 6,000 career first-class runs and becoming Northamptonshire’s highest run scorer in the Championship this season. The innings neatly bookends his season following 116 in the Steelbacks’ opening fixture against Kent in April.Keogh came to the wicket after Jamie Porter (2 for 82) had struck twice, finding plenty of movement outside off-stump and immediately took the positive route against the Essex seamer, sharing a stand of 107 with Saif Zaib (28) in exactly 25 overs.Earlier Essex won the toss and decided to field and Sam Cook and Porter took a wicket apiece to reduce Northamptonshire to 23 for 2 after five overs. First Emilio Gay was adjudged to have edged Cook behind to the keeper. Then in the next over Porter squared up Steelbacks skipper Luke Procter, the ball flying off the inside edge to Matt Critchley at third slip who took a good low catch.Azad was joined by Indian batter Karun Nair and the pair batted for 12 overs, putting on 40. Azad moved onto 32, picking up five streaky boundaries behind square on both sides of the wicket. He eventually middled one through backward point before Simon Harmer’s second delivery earned the breakthrough, an arm ball which trapped Azad lbw.Nair (21), fresh from scoring 150 at the Oval last week, played a couple of handsome shots including a beautifully timed on drive off Porter, but departed when he got an inside edge onto his stumps against the same bowler with Northamptonshire 95 for 4.Keogh then took command against Porter, driving through midwicket and extra cover, pulling over midwicket and guiding him off the back foot to bring up Northamptonshire’s 100 in the 27th over.After reaching his half-century off 62 balls before tea, Keogh continued to score freely after the interval, garnering 14 off one over from Harmer. He slog swept the spinner for four, hit the next ball over long-on for six and then played a back-foot punch for another boundary.He moved towards three figures by pulling Porter for six and four and then swung Critchley through mid-on to bring up his 16th first-class century off 105 balls. Consecutive boundaries followed off Umesh Yadav including a push down the ground for four before he pulled the Indian quick behind square for six and smashed him back over his head for four.Zaib largely played the supporting role to Keogh but deployed the sweep shot against the spinners to good effect before he was caught behind off Critchley. It was the twelfth time in 19 innings this season that Zaib has been dismissed between 25 and 49.In his next over, Critchley (2 for 22) trapped Lewis McManus lbw with Northamptonshire 214 for 6. Keogh, though, was joined by Justin Broad, who kept him company in a partnership of 65 off 76 balls, scoring just 17 as Keogh went on the rampage at the other end.

The batter had remained in Australia since his arrest last November

AAP28-Sep-2023

Sri Lanka batter Danushka Gunathilaka has been found not guilty of sexually assaulting a Tinder date through the act of “stealthing”.Judge Sarah Huggett acquitted the 32-year-old as he sat at Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court on Thursday listening to the decision. He said he was looking forward to returning to playing after his acquittal.”The evidence establishes that there was no opportunity for the accused to remove the condom during intercourse because that intercourse was continuous,” the judge said in handing down the verdict.Judge Huggett found the complainant, who cannot be legally named, appeared to be an intelligent, calm and responsive witness who did not deliberately give false evidence.However, at times the woman gave the impression she was “motivated by a desire to paint the cricketer in an unfavourable light”, the judge said.”I find that the evidence regarding the complaint far from supports the complainant. Rather it undermines the reliability of her evidence.”The cricketer’s defence team signalled he will apply for the Crown to pay his legal costs of defending the allegation.Outside court, Gunathilaka thanked his lawyers, parents and others who supported him during what he described as a very hard 11 months.”I’m happy my life is normal again,” he said. “I can’t wait to go back and play cricket.”Gunathilaka and the woman matched on the dating app and met for drinks at Opera Bar in November 2022 before having pizza together in the Sydney CBD and then catching a ferry to the woman’s eastern suburbs home.Police initially brought four charges against Gunathilaka, who was arrested at the Hyatt Regency hours before the Sri Lankan cricket team was due to fly out of the country. Prosecutors later dropped three of those charges.In statements to police and the court, the woman accused the batsman of various acts of aggression and violence such as slapping her buttocks, forcefully kissing her and bruising her lips and choking her during sex.There was no suggestion by prosecutors at trial that any of these acts constituted an offence, although the woman in her evidence said the sex was non-consensual.Gunathilaka always maintained his innocence, pleading not guilty to one count of sexual intercourse without consent relating to the cricketer’s alleged “stealthing”, or removing his condom during sex without the woman’s consent.During the judge-alone trial, defence lawyers questioned the credibility of the complainant, claiming her story shifted over time and that she edited her version of events to paint Gunathilaka as an aggressive person.Judge Huggett also heard evidence from two of the woman’s friends who described her as fragile and distraught the day after the cricketer attended her home.Police officers who spoke to the woman were also questioned about the way they handled the case, including omitting crucial details, throwing out notes and potentially contaminating witnesses.Judge Huggett on Thursday described the conduct of police in prosecuting Gunathilaka as “very concerning” and “far from satisfactory”.Gunathilaka has been on bail during the trial but was unable to play international cricket or return to his hometown of Colombo.

MatériaMais Notícias

Fernando Marçal encaixou como uma luva no Botafogo. O lateral-esquerdo chegou ao clube na segunda janela de transferências e fez apenas nove jogos pelo Glorioso, mas a impressão é de um impacto bem maior que o número de partidas e processo de adaptação.

+Botafogo: Quem é João Paulo Costa, coordenador que vai auxiliar projeto de criar estilo de jogo único no clube

A fase é tão positiva que faz o lateral-esquerdo pensar na Seleção Brasileira. Em entrevista exclusiva ao LANCE!concedida no Espaço Lonier, CT do Botafogo, o camisa 21 falou sobre este objetivo. Veja a entrevista completa com Fernando Marçal no vídeo acima!

+ Quem vai para a Copa do Mundo? Veja o Termômetro da Seleção Brasileira após a última Data Fifa

– Eu sonho sempre com a Seleção. Uma das conversas em casa, quando era para voltar ao Brasil, foi isso: da visibilidade maior (no país)… Conheço o estilo de jogo da Seleção Brasileira porque, independente do horário eu assistia aos jogos, sempre me vi encaixando muito bem nesse time. Não dá pra dizer que, se viesse mais cedo (ao Brasil), teria essa chance, mas estou trabalhando para tê-la, seja agora ou mais para frente – afirmou.

+Equipe comercial do Botafogo faz visita ao Sevilla e quer ‘criar boa relação’

A lateral-esquerda, vale lembrar, é uma das maiores ‘dores de cabeça’ de Tite para os últimos meses antes da lista final para a Copa do Mundo do Qatar. Guilherme Arana está machucado não há uma unanimidade entre Alex Telles, Renan Lodi e Alex Sandro. Marçal se vê como o nome ideal.

– Tem muitos jogadores bons no Brasil, mas com características diferentes de jogo. Hoje, olhando o cenário, não só de jogadores brasileiros no Brasil, mas no mundo, eu faria a Seleção Brasileira jogar melhor no lado esquerdo pelo estilo de jogo. Aqui no Botafogo temos o Jeffinho no lado esquerdo e na Seleção tem um jogador do mesmo estilo (Neymar, Vinícius Júnior), eu me vejo fazendo esse jogador jogar. Ali atrás a Seleção não precisa tanto de um jogador como o Marcelo já foi, hoje precisam de mais segurança e boa saída de bola, é mais meu estilo. Não dá pra dizer se tem melhor que eu, são estilos diferentes, mas olhando o cenário mundial eu me vejo encaixo melhor nesse time – analisou.

+Luís Castro critica organização do Botafogo e admite dificuldades no trabalho: ‘Poucas coisas resolvidas’

VOCÊ PODE CONFERIR A ENTREVISTA COMPLETA COM FERNANDO MARÇAL NO CANAL DO LANCE! NO YOUTUBE CLICANDO AQUI!

RelacionadasBotafogoGoiás x Botafogo: onde assistir, prováveis escalações e desfalques para jogo do BrasileirãoBotafogo27/09/2022BotafogoBotafogo Way: treinadores elogiam iniciativa e diretor explica projeto do clubeBotafogo27/09/2022BotafogoAdversário do Botafogo, Goiás perdeu apenas dois jogos como mandante no BrasileirãoBotafogo27/09/2022

تحدث الدولي البرازيلي فينيسيوس جونيور، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ريال مدريد عن ملهمه الأول في عالم الساحرة المستديرة وما الذي تعلمه من والديه.

وتزداد الشكوك حول استمرار فينيسيوس، مع ريال مدريد بالمواسم المقبلة بعد الأنباء التي ترددت بعدم رغبة اللاعب في تجديد عقده إلا عندما يتساوى راتبه مع الفرنسي كيليان مبابي.

وقال فينيسيوس، خلال تصريحات نقلتها مجلة “جي كيو”: “اللعب على هذا المستوى العالي ومع أكبر نادي في العالم ومع منتخبي الوطني، لا يزال حلمًا بالنسبة لي”.

اقرأ أيضًا | اتحاد جدة السعودي يجهز مليار يورو لخطف نجم ريال مدريد

وأكمل: “أعلم أن مسيرتي ملهمة للآخرين وخاصةً الشباب من نفس جيلي، ومعرفة أن قصتي قد تكون حافزًا لـ شخص ما على السعي وراء أحلامه تعني لي الكثير، تمثيل فريقي وبلدي وعائلتي في أكبر المحافل أمر لن أعتبره أمرًا مفروغًا منه أبدًا”.

وعن مصدر إلهامه كشف: “إنهما مصدر إلهامي الأكبر، لقد عملا بجد ليمنحاني الفرص التي أحظى بها اليوم، إن تفانيهما وحبهما وتضحياتهما هي ما يدفعني للأمام كل يوم، كل ما أفعله هو أن أجعلهما فخورين بي”.

وعن ملهمه في كرة القدم أتم فينيسيوس: “لقد ألهمني كريستيانو رونالدو أيضًا بعمله الرائع وتفانيه، فهو لا يتوقف أبدًا عن السعي ليكون الأفضل”.

MatériaMais Notícias

Para o próximo jogo do Ceará no Campeonato Brasileiro, diante do Cuiabá, o técnico Lucho González ganhou três alternativas para a montagem da equipe. Além do meio-campista Richard Coelho (recuperado de forte bolada no empate sem gols com o Atlético-MG), também voltam os atacantes Vina e Mendoza, nomes que cumpriram suspensão na última rodada.

RelacionadasBrasileirãoParcial de Ceará x Cuiabá dá conta de 15 mil ingressos vendidosBrasileirão12/10/2022BrasileirãoExames apontam concussão cerebral de Richard após bolada em Atlético-MG x CearáBrasileirão10/10/2022BrasileirãoAtlético-MG fica no empate contra o Ceará e perde chance de entrar no G-6 do BrasileirãoBrasileirão09/10/2022

>Marcelo Gallardo anuncia que deixará o River Plate no fim do ano

Vindo de cartão vermelho contra o Goiás que lhe rendeu até mesmo uma multa aplicada pelo Vozão, a situação de Vina foi comentada por um companheiro de equipe, o atacante Cléber, entendendo que a situação não traz preocupação para os próximos duelos, pelo contrário.

Para ele, contar com a volta dos dois jogadores que são os artilheiros da equipe em 2022 (Mendoza tem 20 tentos enquanto Vina marcou 12 vezes) é fundamental para o confronto que pode significar maior afastamento do risco de rebaixamento ou mesmo a entrada do Alvinegro no Z4 do Brasileirão.

-O Vina é um jogador muito importante para nós fora e dentro de campo. A gente sabe que naquele jogo (contra o Goiás) foi um momento difícil pro grupo, mas aquilo passou, estamos pensando no próximo jogo. Tivemos conversa internamente com os jogadores e o foco está todo no Cuiabá – disse Cléber, complementando:

-São jogadores importantes, decisivos, que com certeza vão nos ajudar nesse jogo contra o Cuiabá. O professor vai escalar a melhor opção para chegarmos contra eles e fazermos uma grande partida para sair com a vitória.

Aguirre’s team will return to action during the September FIFA window, facing Japan on Sept. 6 and South Korea on Sept. 9.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

El Tri claimed their 10th Gold Cup titleAguirre delivers results – but doubts remainMalagón faces heavy criticismFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱AFPWHAT HAPPENED?

Javier Aguirre has revived the Mexican national team, both in spirit and results. Since taking over for a third time in July 2024 – after Mexico’s Nations League loss to the U.S. under Jaime Lozano – Aguirre has made it a priority to restore pride, identity, and unity within. His mission is working: Mexico won their first Nations League earlier this year and just captured its 10th Gold Cup title with a 2-1 win over the United States.

“The players want to be here again. I see pride in representing the country,” Aguirre said post-match. “There used to be complaints about bonuses or travel. Not anymore. The connection with the fans is back.”

While Mexico didn’t show their best football during the tournament, the results speak for themselves. Aguirre’s leadership is evident.

“I’m tired… but tonight, not even God takes this beer from me,” he joked after the final.

With no more official matches before the 2026 World Cup, Mexico will play friendlies against Japan and South Korea in September, then South American opponents in October.

AdvertisementAFPWHAT THE MEXICAN MEDIA SAID

Mexico may have lifted the Gold Cup – and done so undefeated – but that hasn’t silenced its critics back home. In the wake of Sunday’s victory, much of the Mexican media remains unconvinced by El Tri’s performance and wary about what lies ahead.

David Faitelson, a journalist for TUDN, offered a blunt reality check.

"Let’s call it what it is: Mexico beat the U.S. ‘B’ team," he said.

While acknowledging that Mexico played better and earned the title, Faitelson underscored a key point: the United States did not field their strongest squad.Others were even more pointed. Álvaro Morales, an analyst for on ESPN, controversially argued that the result wasn’t enough to secure Javier Aguirre’s place as head coach:

"He beat a team made up of athletes cut from other sports. The U.S. first team didn’t play, and if not for Luis Ángel Malagón’s late save, the game could’ve ended in a draw," he said.

Pepe del Bosque of TNT Sports backed that criticism by listing the U.S. stars who were unavailable for the tournament, placing Mexico’s achievement in a broader context:

"[Cameron] Carter-Vickers of Celtic, [Joe] Scally from Gladbach, [Antonee] Robinson from Fulham, [Sergino Dest] from PSV, [Weston] McKennie from Juventus, [Yunus] Musah from AC Milan, [Christian] Pulisic from AC Milan, [Gio] Reyna from Dortmund, [Tim] Weah from Juventus, Monaco's Folarin Balogun along with Ricardo Pepi of PSV, and others were all missing. Yes, Mexico was better today, but the context matters."

Amid the criticism, some voices called for perspective. ESPN analyst and former executive Francisco Gabriel de Anda offered a more measured take:

"Mexico did its job, but winning the Gold Cup doesn’t guarantee success at a World Cup," he said.

Veteran journalist José Ramón Fernández struck a similar tone, acknowledging the victory but warning that greater challenges lie ahead.

"Aguirre can enjoy the Gold Cup, but now comes the real challenge. The pressure will only increase from here," he said.

AFPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Despite doubts about this generation, Aguirre has made the most of young talents like Alexis Vega, Gilberto Mora, and Marcel Ruiz, who were key players in the Gold Cup. With Edson Álvarez emerging as a strong captain, and a solid core including Johan Vásquez and a resurgent Raúl Jiménez, the team looks ready to face 2026 with renewed hope.

The coaching staff finally looks solid, with Rafael Márquez serving as Aguirre’s assistant. The era of experiments, inexperienced coaches, and foreign managers coming just to cash in seems to be over. The Mexican Football Federation appears to be making the right moves, and the results this summer reflect that.

A strong generation is emerging. While there may not be a Hugo Sánchez, Rafael Márquez, or Andrés Guardado, this is now the team of Johan Vásquez, Edson Álvarez, and Raúl Jiménez. The foundation is there, and for the first time in a while, El Tri feels unified, competitive, and proud to wear the jersey.

Despite winning the Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament award, Luis Ángel Malagón, Club América’s shot-stopper, was one of the most heavily criticized players during the Gold Cup. Heading into the tournament, Malagón was widely considered Mexico’s top goalkeeper and the presumed starter for the 2026 World Cup. However, his shaky performances throughout the competition exposed some weaknesses, sparking debate over whether he should remain No. 1. While many still view him as the leading candidate, the coming months will be crucial in determining if he holds onto the role – or if a new contender steps up to claim the spot.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

AFPDID YOU KNOW?

With the Gold Cup final win, Javier Aguirre reached 50 victories in 79 matches as head coach of Mexico across his three tenures – a remarkable achievement that underscores his experience and impact. The victory also adds to Mexico’s historical record against the United States: has now won 39 of 80 all-time encounters between the two regional rivals.

Big picture: Semi-finals and Champions Trophy to play for

England – check, Pakistan – check, Sri Lanka – check, Netherlands – next?Coming into this tournament, Afghanistan had just one win – in 2015 – to show for their previous two World Cup campaigns. Now, they have beaten three previous World Cup winners in this edition alone, and are gunning for two crucial points against Netherlands to turn up the heat in the race for the semi-finals.Lucknow was Afghanistan’s adopted home turf back in 2019, when they faced West Indies in one Test, three T20Is and three ODIs. While they did not have much success in the ODIs back then, the familiarity with the venue could give them an edge in this contest.Related

• Stats – Netherlands' record-breaking rearguard blitz

• Crafty Azmatullah Omarzai on his way to be Afghanistan's own Hardik Pandya

• Farooqi hits his straps to help keep Sri Lanka under wraps

• Netherlands hope to keep 'intensity, dedication and spirit' intact in race for Champions Trophy spot

Afghanistan have solved some serious problems during their campaign. They were overly reliant on their top order for runs but the middle order has come to life with Hashmatullah Shahidi and Azmatullah Omarzai finding form. Fast bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi is coming off a four-wicket haul against Sri Lanka, having shown there’s more to Afghanistan’s attack than just spin.And they have been clinical – not mercurial – in their victories. After dismantling England comfortably during their defence in Delhi, they chased down targets against Pakistan and Sri Lanka with a calmness that showed they belonged at the World Cup. Another victory will take Afghanistan to eight points, level with Australia and New Zealand who are in third and fourth place.Afghanistan, however, are up against a team that also has much to play for. Netherlands are still in the running for the semi-finals, though their chances are slim, but they have a real shot at qualifying for the 2025 Champions Trophy. To do that, they need to finish in the top eight at this World Cup, and taking two points off Afghanistan will open a four-point lead over the two teams currently below them (Bangladesh and England).Having taken down South Africa earlier in the tournament, Netherlands come into Friday’s fixture fresh off a win against Bangladesh. Their bowling – apart from the thumping against Australia – has been consistent but their batting has lacked firepower. Netherlands have scored 250-plus just once in this high-scoring tournament and have needed their middle and lower order to come to their rescue several times.At a venue where run-scoring hasn’t been as easy, Netherlands will need to find a way to succeed against an Afghanistan attack that is much more than the exceptional Rashid Khan.

Form guide

Afghanistan: LWLWW (last five ODIs, most recent first)
Netherlands: LWLLW

In the spotlight: Azmatullah Omarzai and Aryan Dutt

Azmatullah Omarzai had a mere 35 runs in four ODI innings at 11.66 at the end of 2022. The allrounder has turned a corner in 2023: 305 runs in 12 ODIs with three fifties and an average of 43.57. He is currently Afghanistan’s fifth highest run-scorer in the tournament with 203 runs at 50.75. He has also chipped in with his medium pace, taking five wickets at 39.80. Omarzai’s variations in the middle overs could be key.Offspinner Aryan Dutt has bowled the first over for Netherlands in every game so far this tournament and has been economical in the powerplay. He has sent down 23 overs in the powerplay, taking three wickets and conceding just 4.56 per over. No other bowler has bowled more maidens than Dutt’s seven and he will be coming into the game high on confidence after taking 1 for 26 in ten overs against Bangladesh.

Team news

Ikram Alikhil hurt his finger against Sri Lanka but Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott confirmed the wicketkeeper-batter was available for selection. If Lucknow is likely to aid spin, Afghanistan could look to bring in Noor Ahmad for Naveen-ul-Haq. They played four spinners against Pakistan in Chennai and Noor took 3 for 49 in that match.Afghanistan (possible): 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz, 2 Ibrahim Zadran, 3 Rahmat Shah, 4 Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), 5 Azmatullah Omarzai, 6 Ikram Alikhil (wk), 7 Mohammad Nabi, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 10 Naveen-ul-Haq/Noor Ahmad, 11 Fazalhaq FarooqiNetherlands are unlikely to make changes to the XI that beat Bangladesh.Netherlands (possible): 1 Max O’Dowd, 2 Vikramjit Singh, 3 Wesley Barresi, 4 Colin Ackermann, 5 Scott Edwards (capt & wk), 6 Bas de Leede, 7 Sybrand Engelbrecht, 8 Logan van Beek, 9 Shariz Ahmad, 10 Aryan Dutt, 11 Paul van Meekeren

Pitch and conditions: Another slow burner?

The pitch for the game is a mixture of black and red soil and could help the spinners. Before the square was re-laid earlier this year, the Ekana Stadium wasn’t known for high scores. Only once in 16 ODI innings has a team scored 300-plus here – by South Africa earlier in the competition.

Stats and trivia: Mujeeb on the cusp of a hundred

• Mujeeb Ur Rahman is one away from 100 ODI wickets. If he gets there on Friday, he will be the fourth Afghanistan bowler to reach the landmark.
• Vikramjit Singh is 12 short of 1000 runs in ODIs.
• Rahmat Shah needs 95 to become the fourth Afghanistan batter to reach 4000 runs in international cricket.
• Scott Edwards has played three ODIs against Afghanistan and scored a fifty each time.

Quotes

“We are here at a World Cup, we’re not playing the Champions Trophy. The focus is the semi-final for us. We’re not interested in what’s happening in two years’ time. We’ve got a game to win tomorrow.”
“We’re not going to make the semis by just talking about it. We have to play good cricket. How well we start tomorrow is going to be crucial and how well we finish.”

Retiring allrounder says he was “upset, angry, disappointed” after not being offered a deal

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Nov-2023David Willey has described not being awarded a central contract by England as “the final nail in the coffin” of his international career, following the announcement of his retirement earlier in the week.Willey, 33, called time on an eight-year England career that had seen him play more than 100 times in the white-ball formats, as well as collecting a T20 World Cup winner’s medal. But speaking to Sky Sports, he admitted to being “upset, angry and disappointed” at being the only member of England’s ODI World Cup squad left out of the batch of contracts for 2023-24 and beyond, saying it had made his decision to retire easier.”That for me was probably the final nail in the coffin really, and made my decision a lot easier,” he said. “These conversations around contracts all happened before we came out. So when we joined up at Lord’s [before flying to India for the ODI World Cup], I knew I was the only one that didn’t have one. It was difficult.Related

Willey does the donkeywork as thoroughbred Archer returns to haunt his World Cup dreams

David Willey named as Northamptonshire T20 captain on return to club

Willey to retire from international cricket after World Cup

Stokes to undergo knee surgery after World Cup and 'hopefully be fine' for India Tests

“I feel with two World Cups in 12 months, knowing my position in the squad, should there be injuries or whatever, I’m a chance and feel like I’m always a chance. I’m not involved in how these [things] are put together, who selects them. I don’t necessarily have to agree with them. But you know, there are decisions that are made and I have to respect them and, and I make decisions based on how I feel around them.”[I was] upset, angry, disappointed. But as I said, I respect their decision. Don’t have to agree with it and it made my decision a lot easier.”Willey has rarely been a default pick for England but battled back into contention after the disappointment of being left out of the 2019 World Cup squad at the last minute, with Jofra Archer parachuted into the side. He was involved in the 2022 T20 World Cup win – although didn’t play a game at the tournament in Australia – having previously been part of the XI beaten in the final of the 2016 event.He has also had to juggle involvement in franchise T20 tournaments with family life and playing for England. Willey has signed up for the ILT20 in January and could be retained for the subsequent IPL, having also appeared in the Big Bash, PSL and SA20.”So over the last six to eight months, the landscape’s changing,” he said. “It’s always been hard for me to make sure I’m in [England] squads and I’ve got no guarantees, and the anxiety leading up to every selection. Then when I am playing, looking over my shoulder, it starts to weigh heavy on you and I’ve done that for a long time now.”I was desperate to play in this World Cup and it was great to be here. But you know all that rolled into one. I just felt I’ve given my all and I don’t think I can to do that anymore.”Having been left out at the start of the ongoing ODI World Cup, Willey has been one of England’s better performers after coming into the side, taking five wickets in three games. But with their World Cup defence effectively over, he decided now was the time to make an announcement on his future.”Towards the back end of the summer, I knew it was always going to be around this time. I knew it was coming. I wasn’t sure what my involvement would be in the white-ball stuff in England before we came. [I] made the side here, and I’ve managed to get into the side and perform.”I just feel that there’s not very many opportunities in cricket to walk away when the time is right for you. And I really wanted to finish my career, whatever my involvement is in these last three games, able to enjoy it, and not carrying the weight of this decision, and looking over my shoulder thinking if I’m not performing, I’m out of the side again”To have played three games …and that game against India, full crowd in a World Cup in India. I walked out to bat there, they were doing a strobe light show, you know, and I thought as I walked down the steps, I thought I’m done.”