Mexico booked their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup round of 16 with a convincing 2-0 victory over Ecuador on Tuesday, earning their first World Cup knockout-stage triumph since 1986.
The match at the packed Estadio Azteca began later than scheduled after a lightning delay of nearly an hour, but the home supporters remained in full voice as El Tri took charge from the opening minutes.
Julian Quiñones broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute with a superb finish before Raúl Jiménez added a second nine minutes later to give Mexico a comfortable advantage before the break.
The result echoed Mexico’s famous 2-0 victory over Bulgaria at the same stadium during the 1986 World Cup, which had stood as the nation’s last knockout-stage success.
With the expanded 48-team tournament format, however, the win only sends Mexico into the round of 16 rather than the quarterfinals. Javier Aguirre’s men will return to the Azteca on Sunday to face either England or DR Congo for a place in the last eight.
Mexico’s dominance at the iconic stadium also continued, with the team recording its 70th victory in 89 competitive matches there while remaining unbeaten in 10 World Cup games played in Mexico City.
Defensively, El Tri made more history by becoming only the fourth side in World Cup history to win their opening four matches of a tournament without conceding a single goal.
Ecuador’s campaign, which had gathered momentum after a shock victory over Germany in the group stage, came to an end on a disappointing note.
Their frustrations were compounded in stoppage time when defender Piero Hincapié was shown a red card under a new regulation that penalises players for covering their mouths while speaking to opponents.
