World cup round 16

A blistering first-half goal from Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez steered Mexico to the Round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 as the co-hosts registered their first World Cup knockout victory in 40 years with a dominant 2-0 win over Ecuador here at Mexico City Stadium on Wednesday.

This was Mexico's first World Cup knockout game since hosting the competition in 1986. The scoreline was identical to that of their only previous knockout victory, when they defeated Bulgaria in 1986, which was also the last instance of Mexico serving as host for the quadrennial event. Moreover, EL Tri are the first host nation to win their first four World Cup fixtures since Italy in 1990.