USA and Mexico in the Nations League final again, two years before the World Cup

7 months ago 53

For the third time in three editions, the United States are in the final of the CONCACAF Nations League. And just like in 2020, they’ll face Mexico in the hope of retaining their title. But what does that tell us, given that both teams will be organising a World Cup in just over two years’ time?

Next night, the USA host Mexico, their greatest enemy, at the AT&T Stadium in Texas for the final of the CONCACAF Nations League 2023/24. Almost three years ago, it was Christian Pulisic who gave his team a 3-2 victory in overtime. Last year, the same Pulisic put his team on the right track with two goals in the semi-final (3-0).

Mexico have therefore been struggling for some time against their North American rivals. Despite not being favourites on paper, the Mexicans are hoping to spring a surprise after their 3-0 win over Panama in Thursday’s semi-final.

The United States, for their part, want to win a title they have yet to share. Admittedly, the Nations League isn’t the most prestigious competition, but with two years to go until the 2026 World Cup, it’s an opportunity to put themselves to the test. Above all, it’s an opportunity for European observers to assess the value of two of the three future hosts.

After 1970 and 1986 for the Mexican national team and 1994 for the USA, the two countries will once again be at the centre of the world’s attention and, as with any event of this kind, a good performance is essential. Mexico has never done better than reach the quarter-finals of a World Cup on every occasion it has hosted the tournament. As for the United States, they reached the semi-finals in 1930…

Although this Nations League final isn’t necessarily significant, the players who make up the two teams give hope for 2026.