Guatemala shocked just about everyone by knocking Canada out of the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup. The quarterfinal ended 1–1 in regular time, but Guatemala pulled off a dramatic 6–5 win in the penalty shootout. The game took place Sunday at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. With the win, the team reached the semifinals for the first time since 1996, something nobody really saw coming, and handed Canada yet another frustrating early exit from a knockout round.
It was a tense match, full of momentum shifts and a clear difference in how both sides handled their chances. Jonathan David put Canada in front, but Rubio Rubín’s header brought things level and forced penalties. José Morales eventually hit the winner after Luc de Fougerolles smacked his shot off the crossbar.
Canada started strong but faded fast
Things actually looked good for Canada at first. They had control, they had the ball, and at 30 minutes, they got the lead. Jonathan David calmly slotted home a penalty after Tani Oluwaseyi was brought down in the box by Aaron Herrera. That goal gave David his eighth in as many Gold Cup appearances, making him the top scorer in the team’s tournament history. Everything was going according to plan.
Until it wasn’t. Just before halftime, Jacob Shaffelburg was shown a second yellow for a rough challenge near midfield. That red card changed everything. Canada, who had been pushing, suddenly pulled back. With one less player, the game slipped out of their control.
Guatemala saw the gap and went for it
With a full 45 minutes to play against ten men, Guatemala didn’t need to rush. They just had to waitand they did. In the 69th minute, Oscar Santis swung in a cross from the left, and Rubio Rubín timed it perfectly. His header was clean, hard, and impossible to stop. That goal tied it up, but more than that, it flipped the pressure. Canada wasn’t chasing the win anymore. They were just trying to hold on.
And that was clear. The Canadians, despite all the talent and experience on the field, never got back into the match. In fact, they didn’t take a single shot on goal during the entire second half. Not one.
It went to penalties, but Canada cracked earlier
The shootout was tense, as expected. Canada started strong — Promise David converted, and Santis answered. Both sides traded goals for a while. Jebbison, Cornelius, and Choinière hit theirs for Canada; Samayoa, Herrera, and Lom for Guatemala.
Then came the turning point. Cyle Larin, one of Canada’s leaders, had his shot saved by Kenderson Navarro. Guatemala had the match on a silver platter, but José Pinto couldn’t finish, it went wide. Canada got back in it when Saliba scored, and Altán matched him.
And then De Fougerolles stepped up. He went for power and hit the crossbar. That miss was all Guatemala needed. José Morales took the final shot and buried it, sending his team to the semifinals.
One mistake. One winner. Guatemala celebrated. Canada stood still. It was a fitting ending. For Guatemala, this run is already historic, getting through the group stage, surviving the quarters, and now sitting among Concacaf’s top four for the first time in nearly three decades.