Mexico City, July 1: Mexico has made a stunning entry into the pre-quarter finals (Round of 16) of the FIFA World Cup 2026. The co-hosting team defeated Ecuador 2-0 in a match held at the Mexico City Stadium on Wednesday. Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez scored in the first half, ensuring the team’s victory. With this win, Mexico has recorded its first knockout stage victory in 40 years.
This marks Mexico’s first World Cup knockout match since 1986. Interestingly, Mexico was also the host that year, where they secured a 2-0 win against Bulgaria. In 2026, they replicated the same scoreline, making history once again. Additionally, Mexico has become the first host nation since Italy in 1990 to win all four of its opening matches in the World Cup.
Despite a one-hour delay due to bad weather, the match did not affect Mexico’s performance. From the outset, the team adopted an aggressive approach. In the second half, Ecuador maintained more ball possession, but Mexico’s strong defense left them with no opportunities. The team has now gone four consecutive matches without conceding a goal.
In the first 15 minutes, Mexico created several good chances. Gilberto Mora, Luis Romo, Raul Jimenez, and Mora all had opportunities to score. Meanwhile, Ecuador’s John Yeboah hit the post with a shot in the 18th minute. Just four minutes later, Julian Quinones struck a powerful shot to give Mexico a 1-0 lead.
Mora, at 17 years and 259 days, became the second-youngest player to start a World Cup knockout-stage match after Pele, who was 17 years and 239 days old when he played for Brazil against Wales in 1958.
Roberto Alvarado set up Quinones with a brilliant pass. Quinones sprinted from his own half and unleashed a powerful shot from inside the penalty box, leaving Ecuador’s goalkeeper Hernan Galindez with no chance.
After scoring the first goal, Quinones continued to shine. Half an hour into the first half, he provided another excellent pass to Raul Jimenez for the second goal. On the defensive end, Cesar Montes and Johan Vasquez held strong, coming close to scoring from a header during a corner. Goalkeeper Raul Rangel also delivered an outstanding performance, achieving a clean sheet for the fourth consecutive match.
Julian Quinones, named ‘Player of the Match,’ stated, “The biggest thing today was our teamwork. A player can shine only when the entire team performs well. That’s our mindset. We must keep fighting. Life teaches us to keep struggling until we reach our destination. Thank you to everyone who supports us and believes in us.”
Mexico’s team will face the winner of the Round of 32 match between England and the Democratic Republic of Congo on July 6 at the Mexico City Stadium.
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