Mexico Advances to Round of 16 as All Teams from Germany’s Group Are Eliminated

Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez each scored in the first half, helping Mexico secure their spot in the Round of 16 by defeating Ecuador. Jiménez, who also netted both goals in Mexico's initial victory over South Africa, continued his strong performance in this match.

At just 17 years old, Mexican midfielder Gilberto Mora made history by becoming the youngest player to start in a knockout stage match since Pelé did so in 1958.

This result means every team from Germany's group has been knocked out at the very first round of the knockout phase. The four-time champions themselves were eliminated after a penalty shootout loss to Paraguay. Meanwhile, Côte d'Ivoire fell to Norway thanks to a late goal from Erling Haaland. Across Group F, the Netherlands, Japan, and Sweden all secured wins that ended hopes for the other teams.

Ecuador struggled offensively throughout the tournament, failing to score in three out of their four games; their only goal came in a narrow 2-1 upset over Germany. On the other hand, Mexico remain the only team in the competition yet to let in a goal.

The match took a tense turn when former Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapié was shown a red card during injury time for covering his mouth while communicating with an opponent. Looking ahead, Mexico will enjoy strong home support when they face the winner between England and DR Congo in the next round.