A sports rivalry exists between the national soccer teams of Mexico and the United States, widely considered the two major powers of CONCACAF. The first match was played in 1934, and the teams have met 74 times, with Mexico leading the overall series 36–16–22 (W–D–L). The U.S. holds the edge since 2000 though, with a 17–7–9 (W–D–L) advantage in the 21st century. Matches between the two nations often attract much media attention, public interest, and comment in both countries. The U.S.-Mexico matches are widely attended; several matches at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico have drawn over 100,000 fans, and several matches at the Rose Bowl in the United States have drawn over 90,000 fans. The most important matchups take place in quadrennial FIFA World Cup qualification matches and major tournaments such as the CONCACAF Gold Cup. The rivalry plays out often in annual friendlies scheduled during the early months in U.S. cities with large Mexican-American populations such as Los Angeles, Houston, and Chicago. History Origin The first match between the two sides was a qualifying match in Italy for the final ticket to the 1934 World Cup. The U.S. had established a professional league in 1921, but it had folded in 1933. The final score was United States 4–2 Mexico. In September 1937, Mexico began a winning streak over the U.S. in friendlies 7–2, 7–3, and 5–1 in Mexico City. Results Summary Mexico leads the series 36–16–22, with almost double the goals of the U.S. (144–86). *no longer played Gold Cup finals The United States and Mexico have met in seven Gold Cup finals to date, with Mexico holding a five games to two lead over the United States. Nations League finals List of matches Player eligibility The United States and Mexico also compete to convince players who are eligible to play for both the United States and Mexico (e.g., a player who was born in the United States to Mexican parents) to play for their particular national team. As of January 25, 2023, five players; Martín Vásquez, Edgar Castillo, Julián Araujo, Jonathan Gómez and Alejandro Zendejas have played senior level matches for both nations. Other cases include William Yarbrough, Isaác Brizuela, Miguel Ponce, Jonathan González, Efraín Álvarez and more recently in the cases of David Ochoa and Julian Araujo. Ruben Mendoza – born March 2, 1931, in St. Louis, Missouri to Mexican parents, was a dominant player in the