Heavy storms and a one-hour weather delay could not dampen the spirits of a roaring Estadio Azteca crowd on Tuesday, as tournament co-hosts Mexico put on a clinical performance to defeat Ecuador 2-0 and advance to the FIFA World Cup Round of 16.
The victory marks a historic milestone for El Tri, breaking a 40-year drought without a win in a World Cup knockout match. The last time Mexico tasted success in the elimination rounds was during the 1986 tournament, which they also hosted. With this latest triumph, Mexico extends its formidable, unbeaten World Cup record at the iconic Azteca Stadium to 10 consecutive matches.
From the opening whistle, the home side dominated the tempo, launching relentless waves of attack against the Ecuadorian defense. The breakthrough came midway through the first half when Julian Quinones ignited the stadium with a thunderous strike to put Mexico ahead. Quinones turned playmaker shortly after, delivering a precise assist to veteran forward Raul Jimenez, who doubled the lead and left Ecuador reeling before halftime.
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Ecuador struggled to shift into higher gears after the interval, unable to mount any sustained pressure to threaten the Mexican advantage. The South American side bows out of the tournament having scraped through the group stage in third place, managing only two goals across their campaign.
Mexico, meanwhile, enters the round of 16 as one of the tournament’s most formidable contenders. They join title favorites France and reigning champions Argentina as the only three teams to have won all three of their group-stage matches. Remarkably, El Tri has yet to concede a single goal in the competition.
As the co-hosts look ahead, their flawless defensive record and home-field advantage will make them a daunting opponent for either England or the Democratic Republic of Congo in the next round.
