After the dramatic finishes in the opening Round of 32 matches at the 2026 World Cup, another tense contest could be in store as Mexico take on Ecuador for a place in the last 16.
Mexico enjoyed a flawless group stage, making history by defeating South Africa, South Korea and Czechia to finish top of Group A. That achievement also earned them the advantage of remaining in their home country for the knockout stage, where they will look to continue their impressive run.
Ecuador’s path to the knockout stage was far more stressful, but it also gave them plenty of confidence. After opening with a defeat to Ivory Coast, they were held to a draw by Curaçao, leaving them with no margin for error against Germany in their final group match, which they won.
