Mexico vs Saudi Arabia

Mexico, the defending champions, have once again secured their spot in the quarter-finals, a stage they’ve consistently reached in recent years. Under Javier Aguirre’s leadership, El Tri kicked off their title defense with a gritty 3-2 victory against the Dominican Republic, followed by a confident 2-0 win over Suriname. A 0-0 draw with Costa Rica sealed their position as group leaders for the fifth straight tournament.

Advancing past the quarter-finals is familiar territory for Mexico, who have made the semi-finals in each of the last nine tournaments. However, they’ll need to stay sharp, as their last quarter-final exit came in 2005 against another guest team, Colombia, in a 2-1 defeat.

With a perfect record in their four previous encounters with Saudi Arabia in competitions like the World Cup and Confederations Cup, Mexico has plenty of reason for optimism heading into this weekend’s match. El Tri have been in solid form, winning six of their last nine games (D1, L2) since the start of 2025, fueling their confidence as they aim for consecutive titles.

For Saudi Arabia, reaching the quarter-finals in their first appearance at the tournament is a significant achievement. However, drawing Mexico, the competition’s most decorated team with nine titles, is a daunting challenge. The Green Falcons earned their place in the last eight with four points in Group D, starting with a 1-0 win over Haiti, followed by a narrow loss to the United States and a 1-1 draw against Trinidad and Tobago.

Saudi Arabia’s attack may lack potency, but their defense has been their strength, conceding only four goals in their last eight matches across all competitions. All four of their wins in that span (D2, L2) came with clean sheets. Whether their backline can hold firm against Mexico’s potent attack, which has scored 12 goals in their last seven games, will be the key question in this matchup.