Mexico beat Ecuador to reach last 16 of 2026 World Cup

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6 days · 3 summary articles
Mexico beat Ecuador to reach last 16 of 2026 World Cup
Ecuador stun Germany two-one to reach World Cup last-32 as fans celebrate
Mexico crush Czechia 3-0 at Azteca to top Group A and reach Round of 16
Continuation
Mexico ended a 40-year World Cup knockout-stage drought on Tuesday night, beating Ecuador 2-0 in a rain-soaked Azteca Stadium to reach the last 16 of the 2026 tournament. Julián Quiñones opened the scoring in the 14th minute, rifling home a fierce shot after a perfectly timed run, before Raúl Jiménez doubled the lead in the 23rd minute, sealing El Tri’s first knockout victory since the 1986 World Cup they hosted .
The match, originally scheduled to kick off at 21:00 local time, was delayed by an hour due to severe thunderstorms over Mexico City, with lightning risks forcing players to remain in the dressing rooms until 03:00 local time . When play finally resumed, Mexico dominated, with Ecuador reduced to 10 men after Piero Hincapié was sent off in stoppage time for covering his mouth while speaking to an opponent .
The victory sparked jubilant scenes inside the iconic stadium, where 87,000 fans roared their team on to a first knockout-stage win since 1986. “The Azteca remains a fortress,” wrote *Der Standard*, as Mexico maintained their unbeaten record at the stadium since 2013 . The triumph also kept alive Mexico’s hopes of a deep run on home soil, with the last-16 draw set to pit them against either England or the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday .
The match was not without controversy. Mexican fans were accused of directing homophobic chants at Ecuador’s goalkeeper Hernán Galíndez, a recurring issue for the national team’s support . Meanwhile, Ecuador’s elimination marked the third straight exit for a team from the Germany group, following Canada’s earlier defeat .
With their place in the round of 16 secured, Mexico now turn their attention to a potential clash with England, a fixture that would add further spice to a tournament already brimming with drama. For now, the focus remains on the euphoria in Mexico City, where a nation celebrated the end of a long and painful wait.
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