SANTA CLARA, California – There is just something about the Concacaf Gold Cup that brings out the best in Mexico attacker Uriel Antuna.

The 25-year-old enjoyed a Man of the Match performance with a pair of assists in El Tricolor’s 3-1 victory over Haiti last Thursday night in Group B play at State Farm Stadium in Glendale Arizona, which sealed Mexico’s passage to the quarterfinals.

Four years prior, Antuna scored four goals to help Mexico earn their eighth Gold Cup crown in the 2019 edition. Overall in his Gold Cup career he has four goals and four assists in eight matches.

It is pretty evident that if Antuna is in the mix in a Gold Cup, Mexico will reap the rewards.

“It’s difficult to explain because I only enter the field to enjoy the football, to play with my teammates, to enjoy what it is to play football, to run for my national team, to sweat for the jersey,” said Antuna in an exclusive interview with Concacaf.com.

“It’s honestly hard to give you a concrete answer about why I always play well in Gold Cups, but I always try to give my best. Sometimes it goes well, sometimes not, I just always try to give my best,” added Antuna.

Antuna has had similar success in other Concacaf tournaments, such as the Concacaf Men’s Olympic Qualifying Championship in 2021 when he scored three goals in five games, or two goals in six games in the 2019-20 Concacaf Nations League.

It means a lot to the Cruz Azul man that he always seems to raise his game under the bright lights of Concacaf.

“Concacaf tournaments help you to keep growing and keep learning. They are tournaments in which each game the opponents are tougher, it’s more difficult to face each opponent, and not just for Mexico but for any team that plays in these types of tournaments. They are important tournaments and you keep growing and learning,” said Antuna.

While Antuna has already enjoyed many great moments in the Gold Cup in his young career, his debut in the tournament in 2019 when he became the first Mexico player to tally a hat trick in a Gold Cup debut in the 7-0 win versus Cuba to open the group stage will rank as a favorite.

“It was a very special night, because practically the day before I wasn’t on the Gold Cup squad and then on the day of the game, I found out I was going to be a starter. After two minutes I scored a goal. The game went on, I scored two more goals and had an assist, so it was really special and a night I won’t ever forget,” concluded Antuna.