Fixture: Mexico vs Ecuador
Venue: Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico
Stage: FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32
Result: Mexico 2-0 Ecuador
Goals: Julian Quinones 22′, Raul Jimenez 31′
Attendance: Over 80,000
Weather: Kickoff delayed by one hour due to thunderstorms

Key Facts

• Mexico secured their first FIFA World Cup knockout-stage victory in 40 years.
• The last time Mexico won a World Cup knockout match was against Bulgaria at the 1986 World Cup, also played on home soil.
• The victory sends the co-hosts into the Round of 16, where they will face either England or DR Congo.
• Estadio Azteca will host its final match of the tournament when Mexico return for their next knockout fixture.
• Mexico remain yet to concede a goal at the 2026 World Cup.

Match Summary

Backed by a passionate home crowd that transformed the Azteca into a sea of green, Mexico produced one of their finest performances of the tournament to defeat Ecuador 2-0 and advance to the last 16.

The hosts dominated the opening stages, with Raul Jimenez heading narrowly wide before teenage sensation Gilberto Mora almost produced a spectacular opener from a tight angle.

Ecuador threatened briefly on the counterattack when John Yeboah struck the outside of the post, but Mexico soon took control.

Julian Quinones opened the scoring in the 22nd minute after latching onto Roberto Alvarado’s incisive pass, shrugging off defender Willian Pacho and blasting a powerful finish into the top corner for his third goal of the tournament.

Nine minutes later, Mexico doubled their advantage. Ecuador surrendered possession in a dangerous area and Jimenez combined brilliantly with Quinones before firing a first-time strike into the roof of the net for his 47th international goal.

The two-goal cushion allowed Mexico to play with growing confidence as Ecuador struggled to contain the hosts.

Historic Milestones

• Raul Jimenez’s goal was his 47th for Mexico, leaving him just five behind all-time leading scorer Javier Hernandez.
• Seventeen-year-old Gilberto Mora became the youngest player to start a World Cup match since Pele.
• Mexico extended their defensive record, remaining one of the few teams yet to concede a goal at the tournament.

Second-Half Story

Mexico supporters repeatedly chanted “Y si sí?” (“What if?”), the slogan that has become the team’s rallying cry during the tournament.

Although Ecuador enjoyed more possession after halftime, they rarely troubled goalkeeper Raul Rangel. Mexico continued to create chances, with captain Cesar Montes twice going close from set pieces.

Coach Javier Aguirre later withdrew Quinones, Jimenez and Mora to standing ovations from the home supporters.

Ecuador’s frustrations boiled over late in the game when defender Piero Hincapie was sent off as the South Americans’ World Cup campaign came to an end.

Coach’s Reaction

Mexico coach Javier Aguirre praised both his players and the supporters after the victory.

“A really good first half and in the second half we managed to stay calm behind the ball.”

Reflecting on the atmosphere inside the Azteca, Aguirre added:

“Judging by the atmosphere and how happy everyone is, I’m convinced there’s a real bond between the fans and the team.”

Looking ahead to the Round of 16, the veteran coach described the next challenge as the biggest of his career.

“Sunday’s game is the most important one in the history of the Mexican national team and in my career.”

What Next?

Mexico advance to the Round of 16 and will face the winner of the England versus DR Congo clash. With home support behind them and a defence yet to be breached, belief is growing that El Tri can continue their historic run on home soil.

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By Kunle Solaja, MetLife Stadium, New Jersey

France delivered the most convincing victory of the FIFA World Cup Round of 32 on Tuesday, cruising to a comfortable 3-0 win over Sweden to book their place in the last 16.

Led by a brilliant Kylian Mbappe, Les Bleus maintained their perfect record of four wins from four matches and set up a Round of 16 showdown with Paraguay.

In a knockout phase that had already produced several closely contested encounters, France’s victory stood out as the most one-sided result, with Didier Deschamps’ men rarely troubled as they underlined their credentials as serious title contenders.

After dominating possession and creating the better chances in the opening half, France finally made the breakthrough on the stroke of halftime through their captain and talisman.

Mbappe collected the ball on the left flank in the 45th minute, cut inside and unleashed a powerful shot that flew inside the far post, giving the Swedish goalkeeper no chance and handing France a deserved lead.

Sweden attempted to respond after the interval but found the French defence well organised and difficult to penetrate.

France doubled their advantage eight minutes into the second half through Bradley Barcola after an exquisite assist from Michael Olise. The midfielder threaded a perfectly weighted pass through the Swedish defence, allowing Barcola to race clear and fire emphatically into the top corner.

With Sweden struggling to find a way back into the contest, France continued to threaten on the counterattack, and Mbappe delivered the decisive blow in the 74th minute.

Again, Olise was the architect, producing another incisive through ball that released Mbappe behind the defence. Timing his run perfectly to beat the offside trap, the Real Madrid forward met the pass first time and curled a clinical finish beyond the advancing goalkeeper to complete the scoring.

The brace further enhanced Mbappe’s remarkable World Cup legacy. His two goals took him to 18 goals in just 18 World Cup appearances, with a record 10 of those strikes coming in knockout matches.

France comfortably saw out the remainder of the contest to secure passage to the next round, where Paraguay await after their dramatic penalty shootout victory over Germany.

With Mbappe in devastating form and France yet to drop a point in the tournament, the former world champions continue to look every inch a team capable of lifting football’s biggest prize once again.

 

 

 

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Erling Haaland struck four minutes from time to send Norway into the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 and crush Côte d’Ivoire’s hopes with a dramatic 2-1 victory at Dallas Stadium on Tuesday.

The Manchester City striker’s fifth goal of the tournament secured Norway’s passage to the knockout stage and set up a blockbuster last-16 encounter against Brazil in New York on Sunday.

Côte d’Ivoire had looked capable of causing an upset after a bright start in which they carried much of the attacking threat. Nicolas Pepe repeatedly troubled the Norwegian defence down the right flank, while Ghislain Konan came closest to opening the scoring when he burst into the penalty area only to drag his effort into the side-netting.

The Elephants continued to press and Yan Diomande produced a dangerous delivery to find Pepe, but the winger failed to make clean contact and Norway managed to scramble the ball clear.

For much of the opening period, Haaland was kept quiet. However, Norway gradually took control as the first half wore on. The towering striker miscued a header from Alexander Sorloth’s cross, but the move sparked an improvement in the Scandinavian side’s attacking rhythm.

Their dominance was rewarded in the 39th minute. Captain Martin Odegaard picked out Antonio Nusa on the left and the winger cut inside before curling a magnificent right-footed effort beyond the outstretched Yahia Fofana and into the top corner.

Norway nearly doubled their lead before the interval. Haaland was denied by a desperate defensive block, while Sorloth glanced a header narrowly across goal from the resulting corner.

At the other end, Emmanuel Agbadou headed wide as Côte d’Ivoire sought an immediate response.

The African side emerged with renewed determination after the break. Pepe forced goalkeeper Orjan Nyland into action after Guela Doue’s initial effort had been blocked by Torbjorn Heggem.

Coach Emerse Fae then introduced Amad Diallo on the hour mark, a substitution that transformed the contest.

The Manchester United winger first produced a crucial defensive intervention, clearing Heggem’s goal-bound effort off the line, before making his mark at the opposite end.

Combining brilliantly with Pepe in the 68th minute, Amad exchanged a quick one-two before shrugging off David Moller Wolfe, skipping past Sander Berge and firing a powerful shot that bounced beyond Nyland to bring Côte d’Ivoire level and ignite wild celebrations among their supporters.

With extra time looming, Norway found the decisive breakthrough.

Substitute Oscar Bobb, Haaland’s former Manchester City teammate, threaded a pass into Patrick Berg inside the penalty area. Berg unselfishly squared the ball across goal for Haaland, who calmly rolled it into an empty net with Fofana stranded to restore Norway’s lead in the 86th minute.

Côte d’Ivoire launched one final assault in stoppage time, but Nyland preserved Norway’s advantage by keeping out Amad’s dangerous free-kick.

The final whistle confirmed Norway’s place in the last 16, where they will face five-time world champions Brazil, while Côte d’Ivoire’s World Cup journey came to a heartbreaking end despite a spirited display.

 

 

 

 

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