The U.S. Men’s National Team defeated Mexico 3-0 Saturday night in the 80th meeting between the Concacaf rivals, delivering a statement victory ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The win marked the USA’s third straight victory under head coach Mauricio Pochettino and matched the USMNT’s second-largest margin of victory over Mexico. Eighteen-year-old Julian Hall opened the scoring in the 28th minute, continuing his remarkable international start by scoring in each of his first three appearances. Hall became just the third player in USMNT history to accomplish the feat, joining Eddie Johnson and Alexander Rae. Goalkeeper Diego Kochen also impressed in his first international start, recording a clean sheet as the U.S. defense held Mexico without a shot on target in the first half.
The defining moment came in the 62nd minute when 17-year-old Cavan Sullivan doubled the USA’s lead with a spectacular long-range finish after pressuring Mexico goalkeeper Jose Rangel into a poor pass. At 17 years and five days old, Sullivan became the youngest goal scorer in USMNT history and the youngest player to score against Mexico in the modern era. Sullivan and Hall also became the first pair of teenagers to score for the United States against Mexico in the same match. Mexico was reduced to 10 players after Mateo Chávez was sent off in the 67th minute, and Malik Tillman added a third goal in the 84th minute to complete the 3-0 victory. The USMNT remains unbeaten against Mexico in Arizona and will look for its fourth consecutive win when it faces fellow 2026 World Cup co-host Canada on Oct. 6 in St. Paul, Minnesota.
