The Mexican team achieved a historic victory in the Azteca Stadium, in Mexico City, by beating Ecuador 2-0 in the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup. With this result, the Mexican team ended a drought of more than 40 years without winning a direct elimination match in a World Cup.
The score repeated the 2-0 with which Mexico beat Bulgaria four years ago decades and put an end to a streak that weighed on the team. El Tri advanced to the round of 16 after a solid performance in all its lines.
One of the protagonists was the Colombian nationalized Mexican striker Julián Quiñones, a player for Al-Sadd, from Saudi Arabia. The attacker was chosen as the best footballer of the match after an outstanding performance.
Quiñones opened the scoring in the 22nd minute with a high-quality finish. He attacked the space with speed and connected with a powerful shot that entered the corner of the Ecuadorian goal. In addition to the goal, he collaborated in defensive tasks and was a constant offensive option.
The forward has established himself as a key piece in coach Javier “Vasco” Aguirre’s scheme. His offensive contribution has been decisive in the team’s performance.
Quiñones enters history
With his score against Ecuador, Quiñones reached three goals in the tournament. He had previously scored against South Africa, in the opening match, and against the Czech Republic, in the group stage.
With that figure he equaled Rafael Márquez, who scored in Germany 2006, South Africa 2010 and Brazil 2014, and Cuauhtémoc Blanco, scorer in France 1998, Korea-Japan 2002 and South Africa 2010.
In addition, he surpassed Jared Borgetti, scorer of two goals in Korea-Japan 2002.
Now, Quiñones was one score away from reaching the top Mexican scorers in World Cup history:
- Javier “Chicharito” Hernández (4 goals)
- Luis “Matador” Hernández (4 goals)
Luis Hernández scored his four goals in France 1998, while Javier Hernández distributed them between South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.
What’s next for Mexico
Mexico will play at least one more game in the World Cup after qualifying for the round of 16. The performance shown fuels the enthusiasm of the fans, who dream of seeing their team continue making history as host of the tournament.
With a solid team, high-level players and the momentum of breaking a historic barrier, the team led by Javier Aguirre will face the next phase with aspirations of remaining among the protagonists of the World Cup.