Mexico beats U.S. in U20 final after suspect red

August 10, 2026 No Comments

Mexico beats U.S. in Concacaf U20 final after questionable red cardESPN News ServicesMultiple AuthorsAug 9, 2026, 10:24 PM ET

Mexico won its second consecutive Concacaf U20 championship after beating the United States 2-0 at Estadio Azteca in the final Sunday in Mexico City.

The Americans were reduced to 10 players after Chris Applewhite was shown a straight red card for a sliding tackle on which it appeared the U.S. defender made minimal contact on Mexico’s Hugo Camberos.

Mexico already led 1-0 from a Cristóbal Alfaro header in the 28th minute, before Applewhite was sent off after a VAR review.

“It’s a dream come true. Although I scored, this is a collective achievement. I thank the fans for their unconditional support,” Alfaro mentioned in a postmatch interview. “It was an incredible experience to win at home.”

Alfaro added a second goal after the break to seal Mexico’s 15th Concacaf U20 title when U.S. keeper Kayne Rizvanovich mishandled a corner kick and the Atlante player nodded home from very close range.

Mexico finished the tournament unbeaten and conceded only one goal.

The result seals a spot in the 2028 Olympics for Mexico, with the U.S. already having booked its place as the host country. Both teams also secured places in the 2027 U20 World Cup in Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan by virtue of reaching the semifinals.

Mexico beat Canada to reach Sunday’s final, and the U.S. took down Costa Rica in the other semifinal.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.