Mexico vs Ecuador, FIFA World Cup Match Report: El Tri end 40-year elimination curse, beat Ecuador 2-0 to reach last 16

Mexico’s Raul Jimenez (right) celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal. (AP photo) Co-hosts Mexico finally ended four decades of World Cup knockout heartthrobs with a clinical 2-0 win over Ecuador in their round of 32 encounter on Tuesday, securing their first knockout stage victory at the tournament since 1986.First-half goals from Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez were enough for Javier Aguirre’s side to book a place in the round of 16, where they will face the winners of the England-DR Congo clash. The win also snapped Mexico’s unwanted streak of eight consecutive knockout stage eliminations, the longest such run in World Cup history.The match, which was delayed by an hour due to heavy rain and lightning, was only the second game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be disrupted by bad weather.

A first-half blitz ends a decade of frustration

Mexico wasted little time pushing forward after the kick-off and were rewarded in the 22nd minute when Quiñones capitalized on a defensive error to give the visitors the lead.The momentum remained firmly with El Tri and just nine minutes later, experienced striker Raúl Jiménez doubled the advantage with an even finish to put Mexico completely in control before the break.The result marked Mexico’s first knockout stage victory since defeating Bulgaria in the Round of 16 during the 1986 World Cup on home soil. Since then, El Tri suffered seven round-of-16 exits between 1994 and 2018 before enduring a group stage exit at Qatar 2022.

Records fall as Mexico marches on

Ecuador enjoyed more possession after the restart and looked to claw their way back into the contest, but Mexico’s disciplined defense stood firm to keep another clean sheet. Ecuador’s frustration deepened deep into stoppage time when defender Piero Hincapié was sent off.The victory was Mexico’s fourth in a row at the tournament and extended their impressive run without conceding a goal, underscoring their credibility as one of the strongest remaining sides in the competition.Teenage midfielder Gilberto Mora also made history. At the age of 17 years and 259 days, he became the second-youngest player ever to start a FIFA World Cup knockout match, behind only Brazilian legend Pelém, who did so at the age of 17 years and 239 days at the 1958 World Cup.Meanwhile, Jiménez added another milestone to his remarkable career. At 35 years and 56 days, he became the oldest Mexican to score in a World Cup knockout game and the first Mexican in his 30s to find the back of the net in the knockout rounds of the tournament.With history finally on their side, Mexico will now look to make the most of home advantage as they chase an even deeper path to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.