Mexico continues 100% record as they knock out Ecuador 2-0 on day three of the World Cup 2026 Round of 32

Day 3 of the Round of 32 at the FIFA World Cup was another action-packed day, with 3 games determining the fate of 6 teams. The final game saw co-hosts and Group A winners Mexico take on Ecuador, who finished 3rd in Group E, at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. 

Javier Aguirre opted to make 4 changes to the starting XI that began the 3-0 win over Czechia in their final group-stage game. Israel Reyes, Mateo Chávez, Edson Álvarez, and Guillermo Martínez came out of the lineup and were replaced by Raúl Jiménez, Jesús Gallardo, Johan Vásquez, and Erik Lira. 17-year-old Gilberto Mora retained his spot in the starting XI, a big call by his boss, Javier Aguirre. 

Sebastian Beccacece opted to keep the exact same starting XI that began the huge 2-1 upset over Germany in their final group stage game. Enner Valencia and Gonzalo Plata led the line up front, with Plata looking to continue his momentum after getting the late winner against Germany last time out. 

General view inside the stadium before the match

Henry Romero

World Cup Round of 32  - Mexico vs Ecuador

After a weather delay due to thunderstorms over the stadium caused kickoff to be delayed by an hour, Mexico came flying out of the blocks with the brilliant Mexican fans cheering them on with every ounce of breath in their lungs, and Gilberto Mora went close when his long-range shot was just too high.  

Raúl Jiménez had a huge opportunity to open the scoring inside 7 minutes when a brilliant Luis Romo ball into the back post, but Jiménez couldn’t direct his header goalwards and put it wide of the left post. 

Gilberto Mora went agonizingly close to opening the scoring when he received the ball out on the left side of the box, but the 17-year-old’s curling shot just missed the top corner by a few inches. 

John Yeboah went very close for Ecuador just a few minutes later when he broke into the box and smashed the post with a shot that sent a warning to Mexico that Ecuador are here to play and to win. 

Mexico's Julian Quinones scores their first goal past Ecuador's Hernan Galindez

Eloisa Sanchez

Mexico had been on top and brilliant for the opening 20 minutes of the game, and they got their reward on the stroke of the 22nd minute when Roberto Alvarado won the ball near the halfway line and sent Julian Quinones in behind the Ecuadorian backline. Quiñones carried the ball into the box and fired perfectly into the top left corner to send the Azteca into eruption and put Mexico 1-0 up. 

5 minutes out of the hydration break, and the Azteca erupted into celebrations again as Raul Jimenez played a brilliant one-two with Julian Quinones, and after receiving the ball back, Jimenez smashed the ball perfectly into the top right corner of the Ecuador goal and put Mexico 2-0 up after just 30 minutes on the clock. 

Raúl Rangel made a great save for Mexico when John Yeboah broke into the box from the right side and curled a shot towards the bottom left corner of Rangel’s goal, but the Mexican shotstopper got down well to turn the ball around his post. 

Ecuador piled on the pressure in the final 10 minutes of the first half, but aside from 4 corners in that span, the South Americans failed to create anything substantial, so the two teams headed into the halftime break with Mexico leading 2-0 and looking great for it, too. 

Mexico's Raul Jimenez scores their second goal

Eloisa Sanchez

It was a slow opening 20 minutes to the second half with Ecuador enjoying more of the ball but failing to create any chances whatsoever, and it was actually Mexico who went close to scoring, twice in the space of a minute or so, both from corners. Cesar Montes went extremely close with his header from a corner, but Hernan Galindez produced a great save. Johan Vazquez had a great chance from the corner right after, but he sent his header just wide of the right post, and Ecuador held on with a tiny bit of hope in mounting a comeback. 

Kevin Rodríguez had a huge chance to get one back for Ecuador 15 minutes from full time when he was played through with a ball over the top, but he just couldn’t guide his shot into the bottom corner with Raúl Rangel steaming out towards him. 

Mexico had a close chance in stoppage time to grab a 3rd goal and truly kill the game off, but Orbelin Pineda’s shot from a tight angle in the box just missed the top corner, but not by much at all. In stoppage time, after a VAR review, Arsenal’s Piero Hincapié was sent off after covering his mouth during a confrontation with Santiago Giménez, ending his World Cup in utter embarrassment. 

The final few moments played out with nothing happening, and the referee blew his whistle for full time, with Mexico taking the win comfortably at their home stadium with a 2-0 scoreline, their first win in a knockout game in 40 years and their 4th consecutive clean sheet of this World Cup. 

Mexico's Erik Lira and Cesar Montes celebrate their second goal scored by Raul Jimenez

Raquel Cunha

Mexico will head on to the Round of 16 to take on the winner of England vs DR Congo, with the Round of 16 game also being played at the Estadio Azteca. 

Day 4 of the Round of 32

Today brings another 3-game slate in the Round of 32, with England vs DR Congo kicking off the day, Belgium vs Senegal following, and the USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina finishing the day, as the USA tries to be the 3rd co-host team to make the Round of 16. 

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