The tournament is expected to showcase some of the region’s top soccer talent. Star players such as Keylor Navas (Costa Rica), Raúl Jiménez and Santiago Giménez (Mexico), Michael Murillo (Panama), and Leon Bailey (Jamaica) are all anticipated to play key roles. Still, a number of notable absences—due to injury or tactical choices—have also shaped the tournament’s storylines.

Across several squads, fans will notice that a few high-profile veterans have been left out, either through last-minute injuries or controversial selection decisions. The 2025 edition of the Gold Cup not only serves as a competitive battleground but also a testing ground for emerging talent as many teams prepare for upcoming World Cup qualifying campaigns.

Why is Henry Martín not playing in the Gold Cup?

Mexico will be without Henry Martín, a significant absence for the defending champions. The Club América striker was included in the preliminary roster ahead of the Liga MX final, sparking optimism that he would feature in the national team again. However, an injury sustained during the second leg against Toluca ruled him out of contention. As a result, Ángel Sepúlveda, who had a standout season with better scoring numbers, earned the nod to replace him in the final squad.

What other absences are affecting Mexico?

In addition to Martín, Mexico will also be without rising goalkeeper Alex Padilla and young defender Ramón Juárez. Padilla, who plays in Europe but recently joined Pumas UNAM, has impressed at the club level but did not make the final list. Juárez, who played a pivotal role for Club América under André Jardine, was also surprisingly left out. Technical decisions appear to be the primary reason behind their omissions, raising questions about the strategic direction of the squad.

The 2025 Gold Cup will also miss several other regulars from across the region. While injuries remain an unavoidable part of the soccer, some fans are expressing frustration over perceived favoritism or lack of clarity in squad decisions. For Mexico, the focus now shifts to how well their chosen roster can rise to the occasion without some of its regular anchors.

When and where is the match?

The tournament opener between Mexico and the Dominican Republic will be held at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Kickoff is scheduled for 10:15 p.m. ET, marking the official start of the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup. The reigning champions will be in the spotlight, and expectations are high as El Tri aim to set the tone early in their title defense.

The North American team needed a huge win against Saudi Arabia in order to advance to the knockout stage. In combination with the result in Argentina vs Poland game, Mexico still had the chance of staying alive, but it wouldn’t be easy.

After a very tough 0-0 in the first half, everything was set for an exciting ending. Mexico needed to defeat the Asians and with tons of goals in order to eliminate either Poland or Argentina and get the second place in Group C.

Henry Martin scores Mexico’s first goal in Qatar 2022

It was until the third match in Qatar 2022 when Mexico was able to score a goal in the tournament. Even though El Tri had tons of opportunities against Poland and Argentina, it was against Saudi Arabia when it finally arrived.

In the second half of the game, Henry Martin, Club America’s striker, made every Mexican fan scream at Lusail Stadium. He found the ball in front of Saudi Arabia’s goalkeeper and pushed it to put the first goal of the match.

After that moment, Luis Chavez quickly scored the second one with an absolute banger. Pachuca’s midfielder gave Mexico the 2-0 and kept their dreams of going to the Round of 16 alive.