Two quick first-half goals allowed Mexico to erase decades of heartbreak in the World Cup knockout rounds and book a place in the Round of 16 this weekend.

The match against Ecuador started an hour later than initially scheduled due to thunderstorms in Mexico City. The hosts almost started a storm of their own when Raúl Jiménez sent a diving header wide after Luis Romo sent a cross in on a quick break in the seventh minute.

A thunderbolt of a different kind struck 15 minutes later. Julian Quiñones took an outlet pass down the Mexican left and dribbled into the Ecuadorian box. Quiñones unleashed his shot and ripped it past Hernán Galíndez to open the scoring, sending Estadio Azteca into delirium as Mexico took a 1-0 lead.

The Mexicans were looking to win a knockout game for the first time since the last World Cup held in the country, back in 1986. The crowd exploded with every tackle and shot, jeered at every foul whistled against El Tri. It was as intense an atmosphere as this tournament has seen, one that actually began building the night before, when Mexican fans reportedly made noise outside of Ecuador’s hotel for hours into the night to disturb their sleep.

Jiménez ensured those fans would keep making noise into the wee hours of Tuesday. After taking a pass from Quiñones just inside the 18-yard box, he fired it past Galíndez for the second goal of the game. The strike rocked the Ecuadorians, whose stingy defense had been their hallmark throughout qualifying for this World Cup, and La Tri gathered together for a pep talk as Azteca boomed around them.

It’s been an emotional tournament for Jiménez, whose father passed away earlier this year. It’s also the realization of a dream for the striker who suffered a devastating head injury in 2020 that threatened to end his career. He dove onto the turf in pure glee after his goal and was quickly dogpiled by his teammates before unleashing a mighty roar to the home nation faithful in the stands.

The halftime break appeared to calm Ecuador, as they grew into the game during the opening minutes of the second frame. Unfortunately for the yellow-clad challengers, the multitude of passes around the Mexican box resulted in little. Instead, it was Mexico who had the best scoring opportunities.

Though the Ecuadorians attempted to ratchet up the pressure on the Mexican net in the final portion of the game, they never truly looked capable of mounting a comeback. El Tri were able to ease to the final whistle, especially after Piero Hincapié received a red card in the final minutes for covering his mouth, a new FIFA rule. Mexico will play the winner of England-Democratic Republic of the Congo on Sunday in Mexico City. (CNN Sports, 2026-07-01)