Mexico's Jesus Gallardo, left, Julian Quinones, centre, and Israel Reyes celebrate their World Cup Round of 32 win over Ecuador at the Mexico City Stadium. AFPMexico's Jesus Gallardo, left, Julian Quinones, centre, and Israel Reyes celebrate their World Cup Round of 32 win over Ecuador at the Mexico City Stadium. AFPCo-hosts defeat Ecuador 2-0 in Mexico City after match was delayed by an hour due to thunderstormThe NationalJuly 01, 2026Co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup continued their impressive performance at the finals as Mexico eased to a 2-0 victory over Ecuador in their World Cup Round ⁠of 32 clash in Mexico City.Julian Quinones scored a goal and provided an assist for Raul ​Jimenez as Mexico won a knockout-round match for the first time ⁠since 1986. In that instance as well, they were playing on home soil.Mexico kept a clean sheet for the fourth straight match as the World Cup co-hosts set up a potential last-16 clash with England, who face Congo later on Wednesday. Mexico will once again get to play in front of home fans.However, the match was far from straightforward as the Round of 32 clash was delayed due to a ​thunderstorm, including lightning risk around the Estadio Azteca.The match was scheduled to start at 7pm ‌local time but was postponed by ​an ‌hour.“Fifa will follow the safety protocols established by the local authorities. The safety and security of all individuals is Fifa's priority. We thank all fans for their understanding and cooperation,” the world governing body explained in a statement. The Round of 32 match between Mexico and Ecuador at Mexico City was delayed due to rain. ReutersInfoThis was not the first instance of a long weather delay at the World Cup. Thunderstorms interrupted France's match against Iraq in Philadelphia, causing a delay of more than two hours.The match in Mexico City finally resumed with more than 80,000 fans still in attendance.Mexico nearly took an early lead when Jimenez met Luis Romo's inviting cross, only ​to send ⁠a header wide.The home team broke through in the 22nd minute as Roberto Alvarado picked out Quinones who unleashed a thunderous finish into the top corner for his third goal of the tournament.Quinones then turned provider as he released Jimenez after a poor clearance from Joel Ordonez to clinch the second. Ecuador enjoyed more of the ball after the restart as they searched for a ⁠way back into the contest, but without truly threatening Mexico. The hosts controlled the tempo of the match, which allowed coach Javier Aguirre to withdraw goalscorers Quinones and Jimenez, along with 17-year-old Gilberto Mora, who received a standing ovation after becoming the youngest player to start a World Cup match since Pele.“A really good first half and in the second half we managed to stay calm behind the ball,” said Mexico coach Javier Aguirre. “Judging by the atmosphere and how happy everyone is, I'm convinced there's a real ⁠bond between the fans and the team.”Ecuador midfielder John Yeboah admitted the crowd gave an added advantage to Mexico.“I think the whole crowd is on their back. I think that gives them a lot of push. We had that same energy against Germany, so we kind of know how that feels. And yeah, obviously we are devastated,” Yeboah said.Updated: July 01, 2026, 4:56 AM