Mexico City, July 1: Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez’s impressive first-half goals propelled Mexico into the Round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup 2026. The co-hosts celebrated their first knockout stage victory in four decades with a convincing 2-0 triumph over Ecuador at the Mexico City Stadium on Wednesday.
This match marked Mexico’s first knockout game in the World Cup since they hosted the tournament in 1986. The score mirrored their only previous knockout win against Bulgaria in the same year, which was also the last time Mexico hosted the event. Additionally, Mexico has become the first host nation to win their initial four World Cup matches since Italy in 1990.
Kick-off was delayed by an hour due to poor weather conditions, but the co-hosts were eager to start, dominating the early exchanges. Although Ecuador controlled possession after halftime, Mexico’s resilient defense maintained their impressive streak of four matches without conceding a goal in the 2026 finals.
In the opening 15 minutes, players like Gilberto Mora, Luis Romo, and Jimenez had opportunities to score. Ecuador’s John Yeboah nearly found the net in the 18th minute, hitting the post, but it was Quinones who broke the deadlock with a powerful shot just four minutes later, according to FIFA.
At just 17 years and 259 days old, Mora became the second youngest player to start a World Cup knockout match, following Pele, who was 17 years and 239 days when he played for Brazil in 1958.
Roberto Alvarado delivered a precise pass behind the Ecuador defense, allowing Quinones to sprint towards goal and unleash a fierce shot past goalkeeper Hernan Galindez from inside the box, as reported by FIFA.
With the momentum on their side, Quinones assisted Jimenez to extend Mexico’s lead just after the half-hour mark. The defense, led by Cesar Montes and Johan Vasquez, was solid, with both players nearly scoring from headers during corner kicks. Goalkeeper Raul Rangel remained unbeatable, achieving four consecutive clean sheets.
“Teamwork is what matters most today,” Quinones stated after being named Player of the Match. “You can shine as an individual, but that’s only possible due to the team’s excellent performance. We must continue to fight. That’s how life is: you fight until you achieve your goals. Thank you to everyone who supported us and believed in us.”
Mexico is set to face the winner of the Round of 32 match between England and Congo DR at the Mexico City Stadium on July 6.