Quinones and Raul Jimenez are the deciding factors, as Mexico advances to the World Cup Round of 16.

Mexico national football team progressed to the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup after beating Ecuador 2-0 in the Round of 32 fixture at Azteca Stadium, Wednesday WIB. This victory was highlighted by an excellent performance from Julián Quinones, who scored one goal and provided one assist for Raul Jimenez.

Javier Aguirre's side played aggressively, controlling ball possession and pressing Ecuador's defensive line. El Tri dominated the opening 15 minutes, registering six total shots while Ecuador failed to produce a single attempt towards goal.

Mexico's unrelenting pressure resulted in a goal in the 22nd minute. Julián Quinones executed a solo individual run, breaking through Ecuador's defense before beating their goalkeeper to put Mexico 1-0 ahead.

Mexico continued to mount heavy attacks, leaving Ecuador's backline unable to build up their own gameplay.

Mexico extended their advantage in the 31st minute via a swift counter-attack sequence. On this occasion Quinones acted as the playmaker, with his delivery finished off by Raul Jimenez for the second goal, making the score 2-0.

Entering the second half, Ecuador adopted a more attacking approach. They increased their offensive intensity, but poor final finishing remained their main obstacle.

Ecuador's clearest chance arrived in the 74th minute through Kevin Rodriguez. Unfortunately, his close-range flick drifted wide of the target, failing to cut the deficit.

Mexico on the other hand switched to a more efficient game plan to protect their lead until the match concluded.

Ecuador's situation deteriorated further in injury time after Piero Hincapie received a red card. Being reduced to 10 players eliminated any remaining chance of a comeback, before referee Slavko Vincic blew the full-time whistle.

In the upcoming Round of 16, El Tri will face the winner of the match between England and DR Congo.