Mexico End Knockout Hoodoo With Win Over Ecuador To Reach World Cup Last 16

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has kicked off — and HuffPost is live-blogging every twist, turn and controversy of what’s widely shaping up to be the most political soccer tournament of all time.From the action on the pitch to the potential chaos off it, the storylines are already piling up: Iran’s tough journey to the competition amid Donald Trump’s war, the president’s close relationship with FIFA’s Peace Prize-awarding President Gianni Infantino, and simmering tensions between the U.S. and fellow host nations Mexico and Canada fueled by Trump’s tariffs and divisive rhetoric.Trump’s travel bans have kept some fans and officials out; there’s been fury over soaring ticket prices, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents could be present at games as the Trump administration continues its anti-immigration crackdown.Not to mention extreme heat concerns that scorched everyone involved the last time the U.S. hosted the tournament, some 32 years ago, in 1994.President Donald Trump, left, received the FIFA Peace Prize from FIFA President Gianni Infantino, right, in December.Andrew Harnik via Getty ImagesOn the field, the men’s national teams from 48 countries are competing in a record 104 matches across the three host nations in what will be the biggest World Cup in history.The U.S. won its group by beating Paraguay 4-1, Australia 2-0, but losing 3-2 to Turkey. Team USA will play Bosnia & Herzegovina in the Round of 32 on July 2.The final will be held on July 19 at MetLife Stadium, which is being temporarily rebranded as the New York/New Jersey Stadium for the competition.Current European champions Spain are favorites to lift the trophy. Defending champions Argentina, of Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi fame, along with France, England and Brazil, are also expected to be in the mix.Check out the full games schedule on the FIFA website.Follow along with our coverage below:Mexico End Knockout Hoodoo With Win Over Ecuador To Reach World Cup Last 16Mexico ended a 40-year wait for a World Cup knockout victory as first-half goals from Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez secured a 2-0 win over Ecuador on Tuesday, sending the co-hosts into the last 16 amid euphoric scenes at a rocking Azteca Stadium.The round of 32 victory was Mexico's first in the knockout stages of a World Cup since beating Bulgaria on home soil in 1986. They have booked a meeting with England or the Democratic Republic of Congo in the next round, with the co-hosts returning to the Azteca for the stadium's final match of the tournament."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."Kickoff was delayed by an hour due to thunderstorms but the weather did little to dampen an atmosphere that surpassed even Mexico's tournament opener, with over 80,000 fans turning the venue into a sea of green long before the opening whistle.Mexico fed off that energy from the outset and nearly took an early lead when Raul Jimenez peeled away to meet Luis Romo's inviting cross, only to stoop a header narrowly wide.Teenager Gilberto Mora then came within inches of producing one of the goals of the tournament, whipping a fierce effort from a tight angle just beyond Hernan Galindez's far post.Ecuador weathered the early pressure and almost stunned the home crowd when Gonzalo Plata launched a swift counter-attack that ended with John Yeboah skipping past his marker before drilling an angled effort against the outside of the post.Mexico's breakthrough arrived in the 22nd minute though and sparked deafening celebrations around the Azteca.Roberto Alvarado picked out Quinones with a perfectly weighted pass through Ecuador's high press and the Colombian-born forward shrugged off Willian Pacho before opening his body and unleashing a thunderous finish into the top corner for his third goal of the tournament.Mexico doubled their advantage nine minutes later after Ecuador cheaply surrendered possession on the edge of their own penalty area. Jimenez started the move himself, exchanged passes with Quinones and rifled a first-time strike into the top corner for his 47th international goal, moving within five of Javier Hernandez's all-time Mexico scoring record.The hosts looked transformed by their two-goal cushion, playing with confidence and intensity as Ecuador struggled to contain waves of green-shirted attacks roared on by the crowd.Ecuador showed signs of life before the break and almost pulled one back when Yeboah cut inside and unleashed a rising drive that forced Raul Rangel into an excellent diving save, but Mexico went into halftime firmly in control after producing arguably their most complete 45 minutes of the tournament.TEAM'S RALLYING CRYThe second half began with thousands of Mexico supporters chanting "Y si sí?" ("What if?"), a slogan that has become the team's rallying cry during the tournament as belief spread through the packed Azteca that this could finally be the year the hosts ended their long knockout drought.Ecuador enjoyed more of the ball after the restart as they searched for a way back into the contest, but without threatening Rangel.At the other end, Galindez produced an excellent save to deny Mexico captain Cesar Montes' powerful header before the defender glanced another effort narrowly wide as the co-hosts continued to threaten from set pieces.Aguirre then turned to his bench, withdrawing scorers Quinones and Jimenez along with 17-year-old Mora, who received a standing ovation after becoming the youngest player to start a World Cup match since Pele."It's too bad Mora ran out of gas, but he's just a kid - he's brave," Aguirre said. "All the players ran a lot."Ecuador threw men forward in the closing stages but found no way past a disciplined Mexico defence, still to concede a goal in the tournament, and their frustration boiled over when defender Piero Hincapie was shown a red card after covering his mouth while arguing with Santiago Gimenez.As Mexico's players embraced at the final whistle, the strains of the famous mariachi song "El Rey" (The King) rang around the Azteca, with tens of thousands of supporters singing in celebration at their team's latest success."Sunday's game is the most important one in the history of the Mexican national team and in my career," Aguirre added.Latest Live UpdatesWorld Cup Weather Watch: Belgium vs. SenegalHere's what fans can expect in Seattle for the 2026 FIFA World Cup game between Belgium and Senegal on Wednesday, including temperatures, the Fan Comfort Index (FCI) level and any weather concerns.See more World Cup weather news on The Weather Channel.1/22/2World Cup Weather Watch: USA vs. Bosnia & HerzegovinaHere's what fans can expect in the San Francisco Bay Area for the 2026 FIFA World Cup game between the U.S. & Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday, including temperatures, the Fan Comfort Index (FCI) level and any weather concerns.See more World Cup weather news on The Weather Channel.1/22/2World Cup Weather Watch: England vs. DR CongoHere's what fans can expect in Atlanta for the 2026 FIFA World Cup game between England and DR Congo on Wednesday, including temperatures, the Fan Comfort Index (FCI) level and any weather concerns.See more World Cup weather news on The Weather Channel.1/22/23 Now Declared Dead After Thousands Crowd Mexico City Streets For World Cup CelebrationsThree people died from suffocation as thousands of fans crowded Mexico City streets during World Cup celebrations, the capital's health secretariat said in the early hours of Wednesday.The deaths occurred near the Angel of Independence landmark, where thousands of soccer fans had gathered to celebrate Mexico's 2-0 victory over Ecuador in the round of 32.Emergency teams tended to three unconscious people at different locations around Paseo de la Reforma, authorities said. The capital's most emblematic boulevard and the streets around it had been closed to traffic and set up for the soccer celebrations."After receiving advanced resuscitation efforts, the deaths of a 44-year-old man and a 19-year-old woman from suffocation have been confirmed," the health authority initially said on social media.The third fatality was a 48-year-old woman who was treated on a nearby street after suffering asphyxiation and died after being taken to hospital, the secretariat added in a later post.Mayor Clara Brugada expressed her condolences to the families of the victims on X and urged everyone to "always celebrate with responsibility, care, and empathy".Mexicans took to the streets to celebrate after the national team ended a 40-year wait for a World Cup knockout victory at the Azteca Stadium in the capital, with the win against Ecuador sending the co-hosts into the last 16.The fans' euphoria, amid cheering and chants, contrasted with images shared on social media of emergency responders and paramedics tending to distressed people lying on the ground in nearby streets.With more than 20 million residents, Mexico City's metropolitan area is one of the most populous on the planet and is accustomed to large celebrations and huge crowds of people.Bosnia & Herzegovina World Cup Coach Responds To U.S. Slights Against His TeamBosnia coach Sergej Barbarez has shrugged off American slights against his team, saying they need no extra motivation for their World Cup round-of-32 clash against the United States.Former U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard said on a podcast that the Bosnians were in for a brutal reality check at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium on Wednesday, while a network reporter mocked the nation on live TV before later apologising.Barbarez said the hot takes were inevitable in the social media age and had no effect on the team. "I have to admit things like that happen on a daily basis," he told reporters on Tuesday. "We are a small country and sometimes things like that happen, but I have no problem with it. My boys don't have a problem with it ... You're playing for a place in the round of 16. If that's not motivation enough, then I don't really notice things like that."Opposing coach Mauricio Pochettino was not embracing the co-hosts being favourites in his pre-match media conference but Barbarez had little doubt."Look, of course they are favourites. Their place in the rankings, they are the hosts, the names in their team—definitely," he said. "We never had a problem with being the underdog. This role, this word, doesn't mean anything to me. You can throw this word around. It's important what happens on the pitch, and this is what I'm interested in. This is what we are interested in."Bosnia's players compete in leagues all over the world, including U.S.-born attacker Esmir Bajraktarević, who Barbarez said had brought a unique perspective to the team."Those touches of American culture are also very important because we have guys who were born all over the world," he said. "Maybe that's a big advantage for us -- that we've managed to bring together all those cultures, habits, mentalities and different approaches to football into one unit."World Cup Player Sent Off For Covering His MouthEcuador’s Piero Hincapié became the second player to be issued a red card at the World Cup under FIFA’s new rule that calls for a player to be sent off for covering their mouth during a confrontational exchange with an opponent.Hincapié was sent off in the 95th minute of Ecuador’s 2-0 loss to Mexico Tuesday in the round of 32. He was shown the red card following an exchange with Mexico forward Santi Giménez.FIFA established the new rule to prevent players from hiding abusive comments to opponents by covering their mouth.Paraguay’s Miguel Almirón was the first player to be punished under the new rule when he was sent off in a group stage match against Turkey last week.While Ecuador’s tournament is over, Hincapié will be suspended for the team's next international match.2 Dead From Suffocation During Massive World Cup Celebrations In Mexico CityTwo people died from suffocation as thousands of fans crowded Mexico City streets during World Cup celebrations, the capital's health secretariat said in the early hours of Wednesday.The incident occurred on Hamburgo and Lancaster Streets, near the Angel of Independence landmark, where thousands of soccer fans had gathered to celebrate Mexico's 2-0 victory over Ecuador in the round of 32."After receiving advanced resuscitation efforts, the deaths of a 44-year-old man and a 19-year-old woman from suffocation have been confirmed," the health authority said on social media.Defeated World Cup Coach’s Press Conference Goes On And On And On And OnMarcelo Bielsa, who exited as head coach of the Uruguayan national team after the side bowed out of the World Cup in the group stage, gave a 100-minute press conference on Tuesday in which he maintained that his message never resonated with the team.Uruguay opened play in Group H with a 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabia, then squandered a second-half lead in a 2-2 draw against Cape Verde. Needing a positive result against powerhouse Spain in the group finale to advance, Uruguay lost 1-0 on a goalkeeping error.Speaking Tuesday in Montevideo of his tenure on the job, which began in May 2023, Bielsa said, "What I have absolute certainty of is that nobody cares what I know. I know when someone cares what I know. Nothing I tried to transmit was important, at any level. That was never important from my point of view. I don't see anything bad in it -- other people aren't interested in learning what I know. Case closed."Bielsa added, "My responsibility for what happened is very clear. I cannot justify the position we finished in. In short, my management of the players I had was insufficient. We did our best, both my colleagues and I, and the players, and it wasn't enough. I am convinced that if I had chosen a different path, we wouldn't have changed the results we obtained."Despite his assessment of how his approach was received, Bielsa still believes his side deserved better results."There's not a serious, thoughtful, meditated and explained analysis which doesn't see us winning against Saudi Arabia, which doesn't see us winning against Cape Verde and which doesn't see us drawing with Spain," he said, adding, "We were sufficiently united as to run 20% more than Saudi Arabia, 30% more than Cape Verde and 25% more than Spain."Bielsa also backed goalie Fernando Muslera, who asked to exit the Spain match at halftime after his 42nd-minute mistake led to a goal. The change was made, but Uruguay failed to rally.According to Bielsa, Muslera was sick the day before the match."It's never happened to me that a player asked to be replaced because of the effect of errors he committed on his spirit," Bielsa said. "Muslera told me he was so stricken by the error he committed that he preferred to stop playing because the group's possibilities were intact and he wasn't in the best condition to face up to that second half, when we had everything to achieve."U.S. World Cup Coach Issues Apology To The MediaBefore moving his attention to the knockout round of the World Cup, U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino had to resolve one issue from the group stage.Pochettino began his news conference before Wednesday's game against Bosnia-Herzegovina by asking the media to forgive him for his curt tone following the U.S. team's 3-2 loss to Turkey in a match that had no impact on the Americans after they had already clinched the top spot in the group.“I want to apologize to the guys that were in my last press conference,” Pochettino said. “I was so frustrated. I was disappointed. I thank you and am sorry. It was my problem, not your problem. I was upset after the defeat.”Pochettino called out the media in the post-match news conference last week for not praising him and his team for having already won the group before the loss to Turkey.“For you not say congratulations that we won the group, that is a little bit sad,” Pochettino told reporters after the game.“What we need to remember is we won first place in this group,” Pochettino added while speaking in Spanish and English. “We ended up being No. 1, and we managed all the pressure and the expectations quite well."Pochettino knows the expectations are even higher now that his team has reached the knockout round and goes into the game against Bosnia as the favorite to advance.He has preached to his team that “relaxation brings concentration” and has told them to approach every game as if it was the final.“If we don’t see it in this way, I think we are going to struggle,” he said. “We are seeing already in all the games after the group stage how difficult it is. ... We don’t have another opportunity if we fail. It’s all in and knowing that game is the final of the World Cup. And if we were capable to go through, the next one is going to be another final of the World Cup.”Bosnia has already played host Canada to a draw in Toronto in the opening match and now faces a U.S. team on American soil as the underdogs. Former U.S. national team goalkeeper Tim Howard said Bosnia is “better off not even getting on a plane and going to San Francisco” for a match he believes they have no chance of winning.But the Bosnians already defied the odds by beating four-time champion Italy in the European playoffs and now have a chance to spoil the World Cup for the U.S. team.“I'm not concerned with things like that,” Bosnia coach Sergej Barbarez said about Howard's comments. “I have to admit, things like that happen on a daily basis. We are a small country and things like that sometimes happen. I have no problem. My boys don’t have a problem with that. ... We are playing to go into the round of 16. Is that not motivation enough? I don't notice things like that.”Injury updates for the US team ahead of matchPochettino had some injury updates for his team ahead of the match, saying he hoped Auston Trusty could be available after injuring his ankle late in the last game against Turkey. Trusty scored his first goal for the national team in that game.Pochettino said it would be more difficult for Cristian Roldan (quadriceps strain) and Mark McKenzie (foot irritation) to be available for the game but a final decision won't be made until Wednesday.Christian Pulisic said he is ready to start after missing the second group game with a calf injury and playing only 33 minutes as a sub in the final group match.“I feel good and ready to go for tomorrow,” Pulisic said.Fireworks, Chants And Drums: Ecuador Files World Cup Complaint Over 1,000 Mexico Fans Outside HotelThe Ecuadorian Football Federation (FEF) filed a complaint with FIFA on Tuesday after around 1,000 noisy Mexico fans gathered outside Ecuador's team hotel in Mexico City.Before Ecuador and World Cup co-host Mexico prepared to face off in the round-of-32 match Tuesday -- which ended in a 2-0 victory for Mexico -- online videos surfaced showing Mexico fans on Monday night, singing, dancing, setting off fireworks and using noisemakers outside their rival team's hotel.Police eventually broke up the gathering.While fan serenades are common occurrences ahead of big matches, FEF alleged that this particular conduct was "far removed from the principles of fair play, equality and unity that a football World Cup should represent."Ecuador's complaint requested that authorities prevent future occurrences and "adopt the necessary measures to safeguard the safety of our players, coaching staff and fans.""We trust that these unsportsmanlike acts will not overshadow the football celebration that unites two brotherly nations, and that respect, healthy competition, and fair play -- the values that give meaning to a World Cup -- will prevail at all times," the complaint added.See All Updates