Mexico booked their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 after defeating Ecuador 2-0 at the iconic Azteca Stadium, ending a 40-year wait for a knockout-stage victory.
The Round of 32 clash was delayed by an hour because of severe weather, but the hosts wasted no time asserting their dominance once play began.
Julian Quiñones opened the scoring in the 22nd minute with a powerful finish before setting up Raúl Jiménez, who doubled Mexico’s advantage with a superb strike into the top corner.
Ecuador struggled to recover after the interval as Javier Aguirre’s side remained firmly in control, extending their unbeaten World Cup record at the Azteca Stadium to 10 matches.
Aguirre, celebrating his first World Cup knockout win as Mexico coach, praised the strong bond within his squad and described the team as “a true family” while hailing the fans’ support.
The victory also capped an impressive tournament run for Mexico, who reached the last 16 after winning all three group matches without conceding a goal.
Teenage midfielder Gilberto Mora made history by becoming the second-youngest player to start a World Cup knockout match, while Ecuador’s difficult night ended with Piero Hincapié’s stoppage-time red card. Mexico will now face either England or the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the Round of 16 as they aim to continue their memorable World Cup campaign.
