Mexico's players celebrate after winning their 2026 Fifa World Cup round-of-32 match against Ecuador.
Mexico turned on the style at their iconic Azteca Stadium on Tuesday night, brushing Ecuador aside 2-0 to spectacularly shatter a Fifa World Cup knockout curse dating back 40 years.
The round-of-32 match was delayed for an hour due to stormy weather, but when play finally commenced, the tournament co-hosts flew out of the blocks, mounting wave after wave of relentless attacks.
In a supercharged atmosphere, Julián Quiñones gave Mexico a thoroughly deserved lead midway through the first half with a thunderous strike, before turning provider for veteran forward Raúl Jiménez. Ecuador desperately needed to wrest back the momentum after the interval but consistently struggled to shift through the gears, leaving the home side largely in control of the tie.
Mexico had not won a World Cup knockout fixture since 1986, which coincidentally was the last time they hosted the global tournament. Tuesday's historic victory means they are now unbeaten in 10 World Cup matches at the Azteca, and they will firmly fancy their chances against either England or the Democratic Republic of Congo in the round of 16.
