Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez fire co-hosts Mexico into World Cup last 16
First-half goals from Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez saw co-hosts Mexico brush aside ten-man Ecuador 2-0 to cruise into the Round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup.
El Tri put on a clinical display in front of a raucous home crowd at the Mexico City Stadium, wrapping up the victory before the interval. Ecuador’s frustrations boiled over late in a fiery second half, culminating in a straight red card for defender Piero Hincapie deep into stoppage time.
The victory could set up a highly anticipated blockbuster showdown against England in the last 16 this weekend, who need to overcome DR Congo on Wednesday.
Ecuador entered the knockout clash high on confidence after their stunning 2-1 group-stage victory over Germany, but they were quickly overwhelmed by the electric atmosphere and Mexico’s intense high press.
The breakthrough came in the 22nd minute. A fluid attacking move down the flank found Julian Quinones, who timed his run perfectly to slot the ball past Ecuadorian goalkeeper Hernan Galindez, sending the home fans into absolute raptures.
Just nine minutes later, Mexico doubled their advantage. Veteran forward Raul Jimenez showed his enduring class, capitalizing on a defensive mix-up to clinically fire home in the 31st minute and put El Tri firmly in the driving seat.
Ecuador tried to respond before the break, but Alan Franco’s yellow card in first-half stoppage time summed up a miserable opening 45 minutes for La Tri.
Ecuador manager Sebastian Beccacece rang the changes at half-time, introducing Yaimar Medina and Angelo Preciado to inject some life into his side. The substitutions briefly swung the momentum, with Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo attempting to dictate play from midfield, but Mexico’s central defensive partnership of Cesar Montes and Johan Vasquez stood completely firm.
As the second half wore on, Mexico manager Javier Aguirre utilized his bench perfectly, bringing on Santiago Gimenez to replace the tireless Jimenez and help see out the game.
With Ecuador chasing a lifeline, the match turned increasingly bad-tempered in final moments. Prodigy Kendry Paez was booked in the 93rd minute before a dramatic VAR review resulted in a straight red card for Arsenal’s Piero Hincapie for covering his mouth during a confrontation. Caicedo was also shown a yellow card in the 99th minute as Ecuador entirely lost their discipline.
Cover Photo: “Mexico Flag” by World’s Direction, Public Domain Dedication (CC0)
