The Mexican team, one of the hosts of the 2026 World Cup, which is held in North America, will face Ecuador tonight in the round of 32 in search of a place in the round of 16. The match will be played at the Azteca Stadium, in Mexico City, where the tricolor team will try to end a 40-year streak.
El Tri, led by Javier “Vasco” Aguirre, reached this stage after a perfect group stage, with three wins in the same number of games and nine points, a historical record for the Mexican team. Now he will seek to break a streak that dates back to 1986, the last World Cup in which Mexico hosted and also the last time they won a direct elimination match.
In that tournament, the tricolor team beat Bulgaria 2-0 at the Azteca Stadium. Since then, Mexico has not won a direct elimination match in a World Cup, so tonight they will seek to end that drought at the Coloso de Santa Úrsula.
Since Mexico 1986, the team has not managed to overcome a direct elimination round. In this edition, under the command of Aguirre, will try to change history and take one more step towards the long-awaited “fifth game.”
However, he will have a serious rival. Mexico will face Ecuador, which advanced as one of the best third parties in the competition after surprising with a victory over Germany on the last date of the group stage. The South American team is going through a good moment and will look to strike a blow.
In addition, recent history favors Ecuador, since Mexico has failed to beat it in its last three meetings, which adds difficulty to the duel.
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The meeting promises great intensity. Mexico will have the support of a fan who will fill the stadium and support their team during the 90 minutes, or even longer if the match is decided in extra time or on penalties. The objective is clear: to end a streak of 40 years old and win a direct elimination match in a World Cup again.