Quiñones punishes Ecuador as Mexico cruise into World Cup quarter-finals

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·01 de julho de 2026

Quiñones punishes Ecuador as Mexico cruise into World Cup quarter-finals

Mexico maintained their perfect 2026 World Cup record with a dominant 2–0 victory over Ecuador at Estadio Azteca, advancing to the quarter-finals without conceding a single goal in the tournament. Julián Quiñones opened the scoring at 22 minutes before setting up Raúl Jiménez nine minutes later, as the hosts took control before half-time and never looked back.

Ecuador struggled to convert second-half possession into clear chances, with John Yeboah's first-half efforts their only genuine threats. The match ended in controversy as Piero Hincapié was sent off following a VAR review at 90+5 minutes. GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from Mexico v Ecuador.

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Winners

Julián Quiñones (Mexico)

Quiñones delivered the decisive individual performance that sent Mexico through to the quarter-finals. His powerful right-footed finish at 22 minutes broke the deadlock after receiving Roberto Alvarado's pass, setting the tone for a dominant Mexican display.

Nine minutes after his goal, Quiñones turned provider with a well-weighted pass that allowed Jiménez to double the lead. His intelligent movement throughout stretched Ecuador's defence and created space for teammates, making him unplayable during Mexico's first-half dominance.

Substituted at 80 minutes with his work complete, Quiñones had already secured his place as the central figure in Mexico's historic progression. His goal and assist combination proved the difference in a match Mexico controlled from start to finish.

Raúl Jiménez (Mexico)

The veteran striker added his 47th international goal with a clinical right-footed strike at 31 minutes that effectively killed the contest. When Joel Ordóñez's clearance fell to his feet, Jiménez made no mistake, finding the corner with a composed finish.

Beyond his goal, Jiménez led the line with experience throughout his 74 minutes on the pitch. He held the ball up effectively, brought teammates into play, and troubled Ecuador's centre-backs with his physical presence and intelligent movement.

His earlier header at seven minutes from Luis Romo's cross showed his aerial threat, while another header from a Gilberto Mora delivery went over. Jiménez departed with Mexico's passage secured, having delivered exactly what his team needed from their number nine.

Loser

Joel Ordóñez (Ecuador)

Ordóñez endured a difficult evening that ended at half-time after a costly error directly led to Mexico's second goal. His clearance at 31 minutes went straight to Jiménez, who punished the mistake with a clinical finish that put the tie beyond Ecuador's reach.

Throughout the first half, Ordóñez struggled to cope with the movement of Quiñones, Jiménez, and the 17-year-old Mora. His positioning was repeatedly questioned as Mexico carved out chance after chance, leaving Ecuador's defence exposed.

Sebastián Beccacece had seen enough by the break, substituting Ordóñez for Angelo Preciado as Ecuador chased the game. His error proved pivotal in a match where Ecuador could not afford to gift goals to a ruthless Mexican attack.